ZeroW is a €12 million EU project on systemic innovations for zero food waste, funded under the Horizon 2020 Green Deal call.

The project runs from 2022 to 2025 and is implemented in collaboration with 46 stakeholders from 17 countries.

ZeroW will provide credible solutions to significantly reduce PDAs, engaging all actors in the food system in a collaborative framework, to accelerate the just transition to a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable food system for all.

The role of food systems in providing safe, nutritious and affordable food for all citizens, including vulnerable groups, is integrated and considered in ZeroW’s innovative demonstrative solutions.

Packaging solution to extend the shelf life of packaged products and facilitate stock management.

EROSKI participates among others in the development of an innovative packaging solution for blue fish made with compostable materials and with an integrated freshness label to reduce food waste. This Living Lab aims to solve a major food waste problem by accurately determining the shelf life of fresh fish in supermarkets.

In 2020 FAO estimated in the report “The State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture. Sustainability in action’ that approximately 35% of catches from fisheries and aquaculture are lost or wasted each year.

In addition, a market study on date marking and other information provided on food labels and prevention of food waste by the European Commission has estimated that 10% of the 88 million tonnes of food waste generated annually in the EU is due in one way or another to misunderstanding or misinterpretation of date labelling.

By finding a smarter solution to determine the shelf life of fish products and properly label them, we can reduce unnecessary waste and reduce the pressure on the wildlife in our oceans.

A compartmentalized tray for fresh fatty fish will be designed to eliminate the need to use a non-recyclable absorbent pad to retain the exudate from the fish.

In addition, a colorimetric freshness label and a reading application will be integrated to more accurately determine the shelf life, as well as extend the current expiration date when the product is still safe for consumption. The aim of this label is to transform its visual indication (colour change) into the remaining lifetime of the product in order to provide retailers with information on the status of the product and to facilitate better management of the existencias.Siga social media channels of the project: Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube