Most food waste solutions focus on consumer behavior—buy less, eat sooner, store smarter. But what if the real opportunity lies upstream, in the materials our food is wrapped in?
In this episode, Mina Mekhail, CEO of Freshr, reveals how his company is tackling food waste at the packaging level. Rather than adding anything to the food itself, Freshr embeds antimicrobial technology into packaging film, extending the shelf life of salmon by two to four days—a critical margin for retailers, processors, and exporters alike.
“What if we immobilize this coating on the film or on the packaging material, and so it does not going to the food, only when the material is in contact with the fish that is at extend shelf life. If it’s not in contact, nothing is in the food.”
— Mina Mekhail
From early experiments with strawberries in a condo fridge to a licensing partnership with Mitsubishi Chemical, Mina shares the strategic pivots, market validation, and technical innovation that helped Freshr build a scalable, climate-aligned solution to food waste—without asking consumers to change a thing.
Play Episode 78: Mina Mekhail, Freshr