Sverdlovsk region agricultural firm PIK has developed an innovative package for fresh and peeled vegetables and potatoes, Sverdlovsk Region Infrastructure HUB, the regional government SME support structure, told Marchmont.

The project reportedly received support from the Sverdlovsk Region Infrastructure HUB.

Traditional vacuum packages do not block reproduction of noxious organisms and bacteria in frozen vegetables. Moreover, vacuum packages alter taste and cause mechanical deformation of some products. PIK has applied modified gas atmosphere concept to its packages, replacing air with mixture of atmospheric gases that suppress reproduction of microorganisms and maintain product quality.

Modified gas atmosphere is in fact an altered composition of gas atmosphere inside package. Innovative method of preserving fresh products was obtained as a result of experiments on selecting appropriate gas mixtures and package materials.

Products in PIK’s packages are currently supplied to regional schools and food venues. The company’s imminent plan is to enter retail market.

The Infrastructure HUB is run by the Department of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship of the Ministry of Economics of Sverdlovsk Region. The HUB coordinates SME support programs and provides a full range of services to local innovators on a “one-stop-shop” principle.