Innovative Thermal Protector Developed in Elche Aims to Reduce Food Waste

Up to 7% of food is rejected at its destination due to damage caused when the cold chain is broken. To address this issue, the start-up Oscillum from the Miguel Hernández University Science Park (PCUMH) in Elche has launched Stiint® SHIRO to the market.

This innovative thermal protector regulates temperature, maintaining the product up to 14ºC below the external temperature. The company aims to reduce waste in the agri-food sector and assist producers, distributors, and logistics companies in preserving their perishable goods without damage and delivering them in optimal conditions.

As noted by Oscillum co-founder Luis Chimeno, breaking the cold chain not only encourages the growth of microorganisms but also causes other physical phenomena such as condensation. This increases the available water inside the packaging, damaging the product and presenting a negative appearance to the consumer.

“According to the data, even small breaks in the cold chain can have a significant impact on our food, potentially reducing its shelf life by two to three days,” Chimeno states. He adds, “Moreover, we add to the effects the physical damage affecting the colour of meats and fish or the reduction in nutritional quality, where products can lose between 20-50% of their vitamins.”

In this regard, Luis Chimeno highlights the important role of Stiint® SHIRO technology in reducing food waste and its value to the agri-food sector, as it is a reusable solution that adapts to different formats depending on the type of shipment.

Oscillum is a company offering biotechnological solutions for active and intelligent packaging in sectors such as Food, Pharmacy, or Cosmetics. It is driven by UMH Biotechnology graduates Luis Chimeno, Pilar Granado, and Pablo Sosa, and thanks to its innovation, the firm was one of the winners of the UMH Marathon program.