To accelerate packaging innovation in support of the U.S. fresh produce sector, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has launched the $10 million Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab (SPIL) as part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) Initiative. 

“Packaging plays an important role in the transportation and export of fresh fruits and vegetables and other specialty crops, ensuring food safety and quality from the farm to the consumer’s table and supporting production traceability,” USDA says. “Export income is vital for many U.S. farmers and rural communities, but American growers need access to new solutions and innovations in packaging which are feasible for adoption in fresh produce. This program advances research toward promising solutions to address this pressing need for U.S. farmers.”

Through a competitive application process, USDA FAS selected Clemson University and the Foundation for Fresh Produce of the International Fresh Produce Association to lead this program in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) to administer it. The program funds research projects for innovative packaging solutions to support U.S. fresh produce exporters, including the development, testing, piloting, and commercialization of new packaging materials and technologies.

The first tranche of research support has been provided to 21 entities developing innovative new materials and approaches that will benefit American agriculture exporters. The selected entities represent a variety of packaging solutions and technologies which are relevant to many commodities. The list of entities includes:

• Akorn Technology, Inc.: Advancing a validated, edible thin-film coating for cucumbers and bell peppers through commercial scale pilots with industry partners.
• BioLogiQ Inc: Piloting and validation of BioLogiQ's certified plant-based materials for specialty crop packaging and scale-up, including a compostable design, and another utilizing post-consumer recycled plastic; relevant for many fruits, vegetables, and greens, as well as for pallet wrap and pallets for shipping.
• Clemson University: Development and testing of cross-linked starch-based barrier coating material for paper packaging of almonds; and a project on compostable price-look-up stickers and labels from plant-derived plastics for products such as apples, pears, peppers, cucumbers, and melons.
• Corumat, Inc.: Developing prototypes for fresh produce applications and conducting pilots of their compostable bioplastic styrofoam-like packaging which can be used for box liners, boxes, and clamshells, with applicability for berries, tree fruit, and fresh-cut produce.
• It's Fresh Limited: Active ethylene-controlling, paper-based packaging for export and retail which extends shelf life and reduces food waste for raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, and other ethylene-sensitive fruits such as avocado.
• Kwik Lok: Testing and field pilots of compostable bag closures and labels that also contain traceability data.
• Metalchemy: Development of biodegradable antimicrobial agar-cellulose active packaging to extend the shelf life and reduce food waste, with applicability to table grapes, berries, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
• Michigan State University: Pilot-scale testing of recyclable and compostable all-purpose corrugated boxes relevant to bulk and retail packaging of a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and nuts.
• Nat4Bio: Finalize formulation and packaging trials of biopolymer coating for produce for citrus, with applicability for apples, and pears, and blueberries.
• NatureSweet: Testing and transitioning fresh tomato packaging to recycled PET, including validating packaging performance through lab-scale testing, shelf-life studies, and real-world shipping trials.
• NNZ, Inc.: Prototypes and testing for commercial scalability of stackable compostable trays for logistics efficiency and regulatory compliance in key export markets.
• Nvirovate Materials: Design and testing compostable produce-look-up labels for compliance with foreign regulatory requirements, with validation and deployment in pre-pilot scale for apples.
• PakItGreen, Inc.: Refining and prototypes of oxygen and moisture barrier coated bags for fiber-based packaging of salads and other fresh-cut produce.
• PeelON: Optimizing and piloting compostable plant-based thin film and bags for crops including leafy greens, citrus, grapes, blueberries, and fresh herbs.
• SAVRpak: Testing and optimizing a moisture-absorbing pad which eliminates the need for cold storage in transportation, with testing focused on avocados. 
• Sway: Scaling and commercializing compostable seaweed-based packaging, with applications for table grapes, cherries, citrus, apples, and leafy greens.
• University of Georgia Research Foundation: Scale-up and pilot production of home-compostable label adhesive for fresh produce, with applicability to stone fruit, apples, pears, citrus, onion, and other vegetables.
• University of Maine in partnership with Sappi and Cal Poly Strawberry Center: Development of fully recyclable cellulose-based packaging for exports of strawberries and blueberries, with eventual applicability to bagged salads and other ready-to-eat produce.
• University of Missouri: Development of novel translational sprayable coating materials for antimicrobial food packaging, focused on cherry tomato exports.
• Vireo Advisors: Advancing commercialization of a cellulose-based food coating by establishing a food-grade production process and achieving regulatory approval for produce applications, including cherries and blueberries.
• Virginia Tech: Scaling up chitin nanofiber packaging technology with passive cooling, leading to a longer shelf life for strawberries.

Additional funding for packaging research and commercialization projects which respond to the needs of American produce exporters will be available here: https://foundationfar.org/grants-funding/opportunities/sustainable-packaging-innovation-lab/