On an almost weekly basis, news stories from around the world warn us that food we may have bought recently in our local supermarket is unsafe for human consumption. Usually this is because the food has been found to have been contaminated by bacteria, often E. coli. It is almost unbelievable that in 2020 we still do not have food supply systems in place that can reliably put safe, clean food on our tables!
Often, many of the products recalled are safe to consume – companies have to do their best to cover their backs, often recalling a whole batch of products when only a handful are contaminated. Not only does this result in customers losing trust in the company, who may or may not have inadvertently sold them food that will make them unwell, but this process also results in a lot of perfectly edible food going to waste. In a world where consumers and companies alike are increasingly aware of the impact of food waste on the planet, the series of events that leads to the disposal of large amounts of food because there is a small chance that a tiny proportion of it is unsafe to eat is a process that has yet to be optimised.
So this poses two challenges: 1) how can we ensure that food reaching our plates is safe to eat, and 2) how can we reduce the frequency of these recalls that result in huge amounts of unnecessary food wastage? Luckily, Vitabeam has the solution! By deploying Vitabeam’s technology from farm to fork, we will be able to tackle both of these challenges.
Firstly, Vitabeam devices deployed in horticulture ensures that crops are clean by killing bacterial and mould pathogens using safe light wavelengths. Produce grown under Vitabeam MaxStrips is cleaner and safer, with no chemical residues or harmful pathogens to make consumers unwell.
Then, when food (whether it be fresh fruits or vegetables grown under Vitabeam MaxStrips, or meat, fish, or seafood) reaches the packaging stage, a light tunnel within which produce is exposed to light energy from the Vitabeam Steril Max kills any bacterial or mould pathogens. This results in produce being super clean before it is packaged, meaning it is safe for consumption, and will stay fresher for longer.
When food reaches the supermarket, Vitabeam MaxStrips in refrigeration cases containing fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, or seafood will ensure that both the food and the environment is kept pathogen-free, meaning food lasts longer. Customers know that the food they put in their baskets is going to be clean, safe, and fresher for longer. By deploying Vitabeam technology at every stage of the food process, we will be able to protect consumers from unsafe food, protect retailers by enhancing the trust and loyalty of their customers, and also reduce food waste by preventing huge recalls that lead to edible food being destroyed just in case it is contaminated.