Zoono Group has signed an exclusive five-year agreement with Mpact Operations, the largest paper, plastics, and recycling company in southern Africa, to integrate its antimicrobial technology into food packaging in South Africa and Namibia.
The partnership, executed through Zoono's food supply chain partner OSY Group, applies to corrugated board packaging for grapes, stone fruit, and berries. The first purchase order is expected in December. Minimum purchases over the contract period total about US$3.1 million, with Mpact granted exclusivity for using Zoono and OSY's shelf-life extension products on these packaging types.
The deal follows Zoono's earlier supply agreement with the UK division of a European packaging manufacturer and comes after several years of testing and validation of its antimicrobial formulations and OSY's application systems across different crops and retail chains.
The Zoono-OSY system extends shelf life by preventing microbial spoilage without transferring chemicals to the food. It complies with international Food Contact Material Regulations and has been validated for safety and performance in reducing waste and supporting supply consistency.
Zoono said even a one-day shelf-life extension can reduce food waste by up to 50% for certain products, cutting losses for retailers and lowering emissions from discarded produce.
Mpact operates 38 manufacturing and recycling facilities across southern Africa and collected more than 588,000 tons of recyclable packaging in the past year. Incorporating Zoono's antimicrobial technology will help Mpact's customers, including exporters and retailers, maintain product quality during longer transport and storage cycles.
Zoono said the agreement aligns its antimicrobial platform with Mpact's focus on sustainable packaging. The company plans to expand its system beyond corrugated board and pursue further collaborations with international packaging manufacturers.
Source: SmallCaps
