Swedish food-tech start-up Saveggy has introduced an additive-free, edible plant-based coating for fresh produce, designed to provide an alternative to plastic packaging.

The solution is made from two simple ingredients: rapeseed oil and oat oil. Saveggy believes that scaling the solution could help to significantly reduce plastic use in packaging while contributing to reducing food waste across fresh produce.

Founded in 2020 by Vahid Sohrabpour and Arash Fayyazi, Saveggy was born out of frustration over food waste and plastic pollution. Its technology has been developed in close collaboration with Lund University and stakeholders across the value chain.

According to Saveggy’s own research, more than 3,000 tonnes of plastic are used for cucumbers each year across the EU. Its technology aims to address this plastic overuse, supporting the EU’s 2030 targets and aligning with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. 

Saveggy is also partnering with Aarhus University and is supported by EIT Food, an organisation backed by the EU’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

The company is launching a one-month pilot for cucumbers in Sweden together with retailer ICA and vegetable grower Odlarna. The test marks a key milestone in the start-up’s journey, transitioning from R&D to commercial scale.

With the first industrial machine in place at Odlarna’s facility, and capacity ramping up, Saveggy is preparing for broader launches across Sweden and Europe.

Though initially focusing on cucumbers, the solution can also be applied to a wide range of fruits and vegetables, with product development ongoing.

Arash Fayyazi, co-founder of Saveggy, said: “Cucumbers highlight the challenge: food waste on one side, plastic-wrapped shelves on the other. Our goal is to reduce food waste and plastic pollution together – with respect for nature, people and the resources that make our food possible.”