Food-tech pioneer Saveggy has introduced the first additive-free plant-based protection for fresh produce, to replace plastic packaging.
Edible and made from only two ingredients, rapeseed oil and oat oil, it offers a waste-free alternative as the EU prepares to ban single-use plastics for fresh produce by 2030. Scaling this solution across Europe could help to significantly reduce plastic use in packaging – and contribute to cutting food waste across fresh produce. Saveggy is collaborating with Aarhus University and is supported by EIT Food, which in turn is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
Sweden’s largest retailer first to launch
Saveggy is launching a one-month pilot for cucumbers in Sweden together with ICA and Odlarna.se. The test marks a key milestone in the company’s journey, transitioning from R&D to commercial scale. With the first industrial machine in place and capacity ramping up, Saveggy is preparing for broader launches across Sweden and Europe.
Kerstin Lindvall, Sustainability Director at ICA, says: “This innovation makes it possible for us to remove plastic from cucumbers entirely without compromising quality, something we know our customers appreciate”.
From frustration to innovation
Saveggy was founded in 2020 in Sweden, by Vahid Sohrabpour and Arash Fayyazi, born out of frustration over food waste and plastic pollution. The technology has been developed in close collaboration with Lund University and stakeholders across the value chain, including consumers, ICA and other retailers as well as packers. Odlarna.se is the first European producer organisation to install the machine in their facility:
“Sustainability and quality are at our core, and this collaboration takes our commitment further by introducing plastic-free cucumbers”, says Martin Löfstedt, Odlarna.se.
Supporting EU Goals on Food Waste and Packaging
According to Saveggy’s own research, more than 3,000 tonnes of plastic are used for cucumbers each year across the EU. However, cucumbers are the starting point: the solution could also be applied to a wide range of fruits and vegetables, and product development is ongoing. The technology helps prevent food waste, supports the EU’s 2030 targets, and aligns with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
Arash Fayyazi, co-founder of Saveggy says: “Cucumbers highlight the challenge: food waste on one side, plastic-wrapped shelves on the other. Our goal is to reduce food waste and plastic pollution together – with respect for nature, people, and the resources that make our food possible”.