SBIR Phase I: Delivery systems for the controlled release of bioactive compounds to extend the shelf life of perishable agricultural products

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to reduce the loss of fresh produce due to microbial spoilage during its journey from farm to consumer. These food losses amount to $200 billion per year in direct costs worldwide, as well as an increase the environmental footprint of food production systems. The food spoilage also causes additional potential damage to the environment and human health due to the increased use of synthetic pesticides and preservatives in an effort to prevent loss. This project aims to reduce food spoilage and the unintended consequences by providing safe, effective, and environmentally responsible methods for managing food crops post-harvest. The proposed project focuses on the development of controlled release systems to deliver naturally occurring, safe, anti-fungal essential oil compound (EOC) vapors to protect perishable agricultural produce from spoilage. Several experimental systems have been reported in the literature for the controlled release delivery of the EO vapors but no commercialized solutions yet exist. This highlights the importance of focused research and development needed to develop these EO delivery systems. Concurrently with controlled release systems investigations, crucial testing and modeling capabilities both in house and in an external network are also being developed. These include various volatile quantitation techniques ranging from photoionization detectors (PIDs) to gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) instruments, test beds, and dynamic and finite element modeling of transport phenomena. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.