Dartmouth-based sustainable packaging company Freshr Technologies has received a loan of $498,750 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to expand and improve its operations.

Freshr Technologies develops and manufactures a naturally derived antibacterial coating that can be applied on fully compostable food packaging film. It extends shelf life by 15 to 30 percent by inhibiting bacteria growth, reducing chemical spoilage and minimizing water loss, ACOA said in a press release.

Wasted food results in an estimated $2.6 trillion in annual economic losses worldwide and produces 10 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, the group said.

“Freshr Technologies is at the forefront of developing sustainable active packaging solutions that extend the shelf life of fresh proteins, starting with seafood,” said Mina Mekhail, CEO and Founder of Freshr Technologies.

“Given Atlantic Canada’s status as a hub for some of North America’s largest seafood companies, relocating to Nova Scotia in 2020 was a natural choice. We are grateful for ACOA’s financial support, which will enable us to scale our innovative technology to meet growing demand both within Atlantic Canada and worldwide.”  

The funding will help the company renovate its facility to accommodate upgrades, such as the installation of a new water filtration system and a HEPA air filter, ACOA said. Freshr will also procure specialized quality assurance equipment, including a mechanical tensile tester which assesses material for strength and stretch and a surface profilometer which tests surface roughness.

The company will hire a local engineer to design and operate a new manufacturing line, and engage experts to obtain Safe Quality Food certification. These improvements will help Freshr meet and grow demand for its proprietary technology, FreshrPack, which extends the shelf life of fresh proteins.