New anti-bacterial packaging to extend Pepsi’s shelf-life

Developer of anti-bacterial plastic sheets for packaging signs $8 million agreement with PepsiCo.

By SIVAN KRIBOSHE/NOCAMELS
Pepsi, soda_370 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Pepsi, soda_370
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Sivan Kriboshe writes for NoCamels.
Oplon Pure Science, a developer of anti-bacterial plastic sheets for packaging, has signed an $8 million agreement with PepsiCo Corporation for a joint project that will lead to the supply of packaging solutions for their products.
C. Mer Industries, which holds 25 percent of Oplon, initially announced the closing of a deal with a worldwide food and beverage company. It was then divulged that the company is PepsiCo, which owns the brands Pepsi Cola, Doritos and Chewy. With the deal, Oplon will receive royalties from future sales.
The packaging of Oplon, which is still in experimental stages, is supposed to significantly delay the development of germs and bacteria in food products. For instance, milk could stay at room temperature for a month instead of a day, and a fruit juice might stay at room temperature for two weeks instead of a day and a half, the company says.
Oplon sprays a layer of anti-bacterial material on the inner part of the package, which prolongs the shelf-life of the product. The innovation is meant to make the distribution of products easier in countries where cooling methods are not as easily available as they are in western countries.
The company says: “Typically, micro-organisms thrive on surfaces and it is simply a matter of time before they impact the environment within. Using chemicals to protect against these micro-organisms has historically been successful; however, the toxicity of the chemicals used and its effect on materials remains a major concern.”
“Oplon has developed a range of effective surface protection, as well as antimicrobial compounds that are used as coatings. These coatings challenge the negative effects of contamination.”
Oplon’s antimicrobial coatings are a composition of polyelectrolytes contained within a polymer matrix. On contact with liquids, a surface electric field is created, which disrupts cell membranes safely. Based on this physical phenomenon, Oplon’s coatings act as an electric shield that kills yeast, mold, bacteria and certain viruses – disrupting and destroying them upon contact.
The main share holders of Oplon are C. Mer Industries with 25 percent, Wanaka Capital with 22 percent, and the co-founders Gleb Zilberstein and Dr. Shmuel Bukshpan. C. Mer has invested $2.6 million in Oplon over the past two years.
The company also manufactures other products, such as water purifying tanks, anti bacterial layers for dental plants and a skin ointment against acne.
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