How Shelfion and Pack4Food are working on reducing food loss

Food is often wasted when product, production process and packaging aren’t properly aligned. Packaging does far more than make a product attractive to consumers; it’s also a preservation technology that protects flavour and freshness. It’s no surprise there’s still extensive research underway into smart packaging solutions.

Pack4Food coordinates and initiates research on food packaging, with particular attention to packaging tailored to the product. They also work on recyclability, reuse systems, and practical rollout in industry. “After twenty years, as a non-profit organisation, we’ve built a strong network with members from the entire food-packaging chain,” says co-director An Vermeulen.

A product’s shelf life isn’t guesswork; it’s a complex challenge for many companies that demands substantial knowledge and experience. Out of caution, producers often choose use-by dates that are too short, which in turn leads to unnecessary food waste.

The Ghent startup Shelfion helps tackle this, with a software platform that enables food producers to determine shelf life more accurately. Based on formulation, process and storage conditions, they calculate how long a product remains microbiologically stable — and therefore safe and fresh to sell. It’s one of the few times predictability gets a genuinely positive spin. Just yesterday, they announced they successfully closed their pre-seed round, with the help of biotope by VIB, Rockstart and Seeder Fund. Initially, they intended to explore only the Belgian market, but after six months, they were already active across Europe. “And really, there’s a whole world still to conquer,” says CEO Wendy Ossieur.

Three pillars of shelf life

When you buy meat at the supermarket and take it out of the package that evening to cook, do you ever pause to consider how it’s been packaged? We often get annoyed by the amount of plastic, but less packaging isn’t necessarily better. First and foremost, packaging is a means of preserving quality and shelf life.

The notion of “food waste” isn’t as black-and-white as it seems, either. What about products that are nearing expiry and are sent to the food bank, for example? Do you count those as waste? They’re still eaten. It goes to show how complex and multifaceted the topic is.

Let’s start at the beginning. Three principles matter when determining a product’s shelf life: taste, chemical processes and microbial spoilage. Is the product heated during production or not? Is it packaged under a protective atmosphere? These are all factors to consider.

For An and Wendy, it all began at university. “An and I know each other from my time at Ghent University,” says Wendy. “The university developed test kits to measure product shelf life. Without those kits, you’d sometimes need as many as sixteen different tests. Today, we produce those kits in our own laboratory. The results feed into our software platform, which makes shelf life predictions and indicates when an additional validation test is needed.”

Unique collaborations

“We’re currently the only commercial company offering such solutions,” says Wendy. “That gives us a unique position and a clear lead in the market. What’s more, we work very closely with our customers, which means we can incorporate their feedback straight away.”

“We collaborate with research institutions and companies,” says An. “We listen to their needs and challenges. When three or four companies ask the same question, we know a topic really has traction. Then we look at how we can translate it into a research project and find the right partners to carry it out.

Sometimes the reverse happens: a research institution knocks on our door with an idea, but is still looking for the right industrial partners. For a European project, for example, we brought researchers and companies together to make plastics from citrus industry waste, in this case, orange peels.”

Ghent, where biotech and digital technology meet

Shelfion, formerly known as I-Challenge, started as a bootstrapped company that offered only test kits. “But customers increasingly asked us for rapid shelf life determinations,” Wendy explains. “That’s why we switched to software. We now sit at the unique crossroads of biotech and digital tech. Because speed was critical, we needed investment, which quickly led us to Annick Verween at biotope by VIB.

Biotope doesn’t just invest financially; it also provides a valuable network of mentors and specialists who support us in growing our startup. That first week alone, during the famed ‘base-camp’, we gained tremendous insight into how to grow our company. Thanks to them, we’re now here in the VIB Bio-incubator. We certainly found what we were looking for in that programme -  and perhaps even more.

We’re also one of the residents at Wintercircus, because software is so important to us. We’re bioengineers, you know (laughs). Wintercircus was a logical next step for us to find someone in that network who could help expand that aspect of the business.

The fact that these two strong networks are a stone’s throw apart is a major asset. They’re completely different and unique, yet essential and complementary for us. It’s precisely the blend of digital and biotech that makes Shelfion so compelling. We’re truly hybrid. At that intersection, so many new technologies can emerge.”

New laws, new rules

“Looking at the broader context,” says An, “we see the industry facing major challenges. Since early 2025, new legislation on packaging and packaging waste has come into force. For many companies, it’s still unclear which direction Europe will take with additional rules, creating uncertainty about investments. You don’t buy a packaging machine for just a year, of course. Anyone switching now to more cardboard packaging feels the impact across the entire business. That’s why many companies are holding off for the time being.”

“Overall, we actually see little hesitation from industry,” says Wendy. “On the contrary, clients often bring us in to de-risk large investments. We can accurately assess the impact of a specific adjustment in the production process on a product’s shelf life. Companies then use that information in their project application when purchasing a new machine or modifying an existing line, for example.”

“However, companies tend to be cautious when it comes to sharing data. It’s so important for us to gain insight into a company’s production process. It’s not only a reputational issue; it’s also complex to understand precisely where food loss occurs. If we make an adjustment in one part of the process, what does that mean for the final result? That’s why we advocate for additional tools that make this more visible.”

Differences within Europe (and beyond)

“Let’s not forget that Flanders is already well advanced,” says An. “There’s significant investment here in sorting and recycling applications. Eighteen months ago, I was at a conference in Eastern Europe where someone told me their country had just installed five new incineration plants. For them, that was already a major step: moving from waste sorting to energy recovery. Recycling would prove to be a step too far, for now. And that’s still within Europe. Imagine how large the differences are at a global level.”

“Yes, if you look at the North American market,” says Wendy, “you’ll see that it’s perfectly normal to place a product inside packaging. The emphasis is very much on hygiene and food safety. In countries like Taiwan, where the climate is very humid, packaging is deliberately sturdier to keep products fresh for as long as possible. By comparison, Belgium isn’t doing too badly.”

“Recycling goes beyond the technical processing of material, by the way,” says An. “It’s also about collection, sorting and scale. Because, let’s not forget, it has to be economically viable. There needs to be a consistent flow of recovered material. That’s the biggest challenge for recycling companies today: how do you bring recycled material to market at an acceptable price? Take plastic packaging: it consists of many different types of plastic that first need to be carefully sorted.” According to Fost plus, plastic packaging in the blue bag is separated into nine different streams (2024 figures).

A warm appeal to students

According to a Dealroom sector report, Ghent ranks third worldwide in Foodtech. And in Europe, we’re even at number one. “Yes, we really notice that,” says An. “Especially through the European collaborations we set up. Yet we often underestimate ourselves, which is typically Flemish. During the closing event of the Value 4 Pack project, for example, we visited Amcor’s European Innovation Center in Ghent. Several European partners asked afterwards if they could come back with their teams to learn more. It shows how much expertise we have locally, even if we don’t fully realise it yet.”

“Absolutely,” Wendy adds. “We draw on such a rich culture. If you look at the diversity of companies we have within such a small area, we’re truly fortunate in Ghent. But we need to double down on local talent. We’re increasingly seeing expertise disappear when experienced employees retire. That’s why it’s crucial for companies to use software that captures and codifies knowledge, because it’s getting harder and harder to attract new, well-trained people.”

“Indeed,” says An. “It’s difficult to motivate students to pursue careers in the food industry. The sector is unfairly seen as too traditional and not innovative enough. In reality, there are huge opportunities here. Hence, a warm appeal to all students who might be reading this!”

And that’s when you realise just how many opportunities are still up for grabs in the future of food technology.