The new customised and tested portfolio of solutions has been designed to replace single-use plastics and foam

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Footprint has launched new customised plant-based solutions for supermarkets. (Credit: Vinzenz Lorenz M from Pixabay)

Materials science technology company Footprint has rolled out a new customised portfolio of plant-based solutions for supermarkets.

Based on the company’s plant-based fibre solutions currently offering to offer food producers, the new customised and tested portfolio of solutions has been designed to replace single-use plastics and foam.

Footprint sales senior vice president Jeff Bassett said: “Footprint is already delivering new materials for frozen food, ready-to-eat, dairy, meat and produce suppliers to replace plastic before products get to the supermarket.

“To accelerate the transition, we’ve created a set of offerings for supermarkets to use with their own private-brand products, or to support in-store packaging and eliminate legacy plastic.”

Footprint stated that no good alternatives are available historically for plastic or foam meat trays, deli foods, microwaveable meals and shelf-stable containers that can withstand rigorous performance requirements of supermarkets.

The performance requirements consist of resistance to humidity, hot/cold environments, oil and grease resistance, automated de-nesting and microwaving.

Footprint has developed and tested various alternative solutions by working with global consumer brands.

These sustainable solutions are available at scale to supermarkets directly, said the company.

Footprint also said that other items such as mushroom or berry containers and produce trays are also part of the supermarket line generally brought into stores by third party suppliers.

Albertsons Companies own brands senior vice president Chad Coester said: “Our partnership with Footprint has helped us to expand our offerings of bio-based packaging options that support our commitment to reduce plastic waste.

“These innovative materials will help us work toward our Plastics and Packaging Pledge goals to have 100% of our Own Brands product packaging be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”

In December last year, Footprint agreed to merge with Gores Holdings VIII to become a public traded company.