A recent food safety innovation for the seafood supply chain is from Munich-based IFCO. This summer, the company launched Marina, a smart, reusable fish crate.

“Designed in close collaboration with the fishing industry, Marina brings greater protection, efficiency and sustainability to the fresh fish and seafood supply chain,” IFCO said. “Featuring track-and-trace Bluetooth Low Energy tags and QR codes, the Marina Fish Crate enables real-time data collection, improving the cold chain management of fresh and chilled products along the entire fish and seafood supply chain, from ship to all points of sale (POS).”

According to IFCO, governments around the world have increased regulations on single-use expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes, as they can break down into microplastic pollution and contaminate both the marine food chain and human health.

IFCO said its SmartCycle pooling system ensures a simple, seamless switch to Marina for producers, wholesalers and retailers in the fishing industry who are working to eliminate EPS boxes.

“We see it as our responsibility to improve the environmental sustainability of every category of the fresh grocery supply chain,” said Inigo Canalejo, vice president ESG and strategic marketing at IFCO. “Our Marina Fish Crate is a smart, innovative packaging solution that will have a lasting positive impact on the fresh fish and seafood supply chain. We’re proud to have designed a sustainable and more efficient alternative to harmful expanded polystyrene containers.”

IFCO said the Marina crates can be reused up to 120 times and are easy to return and reuse. Once they can no longer be used, the crates are sustainably recycled.

“Crucially, IFCO ensures that the reusable fish crates are washed according to international standards of food safety and hygiene and efficiently pooled for sharing and reuse,” the company said. “As required in the fishing industry, IFCO ensures a response time and delivery within 24 hours.”

IFCO also said the crates are designed to save space and can be neatly stacked when full and nested when empty.

“Marina is the result of intense collaboration across the fishing industry,” said Francesca Amadei, vice president Southern Europe at IFCO. “We’ve taken on board the unique demands of every step of the fresh fish and seafood supply chain in our R&D efforts. I’m excited that we’ve succeeded in developing a smarter, more protective and sustainable fish crate for the Mediterranean cross-border market.”

IFCO shared the following features of the Marina crates:

• Double-wall isothermal construction for superior insulation at controlled temperatures, keeping products fresh for longer.
• Tight-fitting lid, interlocking surfaces and easy-to-use strapping system ensures secure packing and stacking for transportation.
• Track-and-trace Bluetooth Low Energy tags enable real-time data collection and analysis.
• Smooth surfaces offer increased protection from damage and spoilage, cutting down on food loss and waste.
• All-round sustainable packaging solution — robust, reusable, 100% recyclable — replaces single-use expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes that can easily break down and pollute the marine environment.

This article is an excerpt from the August 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Food Safety feature and more in the digital edition here.