How did this firm, committed to saving food, get its start?

Founders, Thomas and Belias met in the late 1980’s as research and development engineers developing new products and manufacturing processes for consumer packaging products.  In early 2000-2004 Thomas and Belias collaborated on a few projects to keep food fresh by incorporating ingredients into packaging materials.  While their efforts maintained some food freshness, the product-market fit was not sufficient. 

What remained constant was the unmet need to keep food fresh longer and the passionate pursuit to find a solution. Belias embraced the challenge between consulting projects by researching and identifying compounds that are natural and safe food ingredients and impart an antimicrobial benefit in keeping food fresh. Research over many years at universities as well as timely discussions with safety and food experts led to a short list of foods that inhibit mold really well.

“It was passion for improving food freshness and reducing food waste that brought this team together.”

Urged for a solution by founder Christopher and friend Steven Meli, multiple screening experiments on specific foods with a food-based active ingredient, from our short list, significantly extended freshness of food by several days. These early experiments on bread, natural shredded cheese and fresh berries documented with comparison time-lapse videos garnered overwhelming customer delight. 

Our friendship and discoveries led to forming a company to pursue mold inhibiting food packaging to positively eliminate food waste in several large food categories.

Our company is called SoFresh, Inc. with a mission to expand the Science of Fresh to dramatically eliminate food waste, significantly reduce distribution costs and nutritiously create clean label growth opportunities.