Coolsan Australia

Coolsan Australia – Shelf Life Extension and Food Waste Reduction Technology for Food and Agribusiness Industries. Coolsan, an Australian start-up based in Adelaide has developed and markets ChillSafe – an environmentally activated sachet that allows for safe storage of fresh produce in refrigerated spaces providing extended shelf life and reducing food waste across the entire supply chain.

The Coolsan Story:

In 2005, Dr Gary Erickson and his wife Merrill were operating a restaurant in rural NSW and were frustrated by the fact that vegetables and herbs lasted only days before decomposing in the cool room. As a chemist, Dr Erickson knew that fresh produce thrived in environments where low levels of hydrogen peroxide (HPV) occurred naturally. He theorised that by producing continuous low levels of HPV in refrigerated spaces, he could prevent food waste and save money.

After experimenting, Dr Erickson ascertained that low levels of HPV over extended periods did in fact extend shelf life. To make the product saleable, he needed to work out the best raw materials and packaging, how to protect people from chemical contact, how to obtain HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification, Australian Organic certification, and how to commercially manufacture, market and distribute the product globally.

The Solution:

Gary and Merrill were attending an International food and wine show in 2010 when they met Thomas DeMasi, an experienced food retailing and marketing consultant. Thomas also saw a gap in the market for Dr Erickson’s product concept after he himself understood the enormous environmental and financial ‘problem’ in food waste that the product helped to solve and the size of the issue globally. Three months later Thomas and Gary co-founded Coolsan Australia.

Together they developed the ChillSafe product – an environmentally activated sachet which absorbs water vapour and releases a low dose of hydrogen peroxide vapour within a cool room or refrigerated space, which after many years of testing has proven to be highly effective against the fight on food waste and resulting financial losses. Coolsan Australia currently distribute the ChillSafe product in Australia via EE Muir & Son’s, South Africa via CItraShine Pty Ltd and we are currently in negotiation (MOU) for a global Distribution Agreement that will see our product extended into over 100 countries by 2021.