Innovation Leiden company: Vegetable coating layer substantially increases the shelf life of fruit and vegetables and is a weapon against global food waste

LEIDEN - Liquidseal Holding BV, producer of a protective coating for fruit and vegetables that keeps the products fresh for substantially longer, is going to the NPEX stock exchange. The company issues bonds at an annual interest rate of 8%. The 5-year bond loan will be listed on the stock exchange platform of the NPEX stock exchange. The maximum proceeds from the loan are €1,75 million.

Liquidseal developed the liquid protective layer, composed on the basis of vegetable components, for vegetables, fruit and flour, which allows those products to continue to 'breathe' and stay fresh for longer. Applying this treatment to agricultural products is an important innovation to combat the current massive food waste by significantly increasing their lifespan.

Liquidseal's management uses the proceeds from the loan to finance the intended international scale increase. The past few years have been used for the further development of Liquidseal and the worldwide filing of patents and registrations in numerous countries.

In Europe, the use of the coating is currently only permitted for fruit with a hard skin: avocado, citrus, mango, melon and papaya. In the United States, among others, other types of fruit and vegetables may also be treated with Liquidseal.

“One third of the total food production does not reach the consumer,” says Liquidseal director Victor Monster about the enormous waste, while food shortages are widespread worldwide. "The use of Liquidseal means that there is more time for transport after the harvest and vegetables and fruit stay fresh for longer in the supermarkets. In addition, the use of pesticides and plastic is reduced.”

With the proceeds from the bond loan, Liquidseal will strengthen the commercial strength of the company in the short term. There will be separate country managers in the four growth markets of India, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. In addition, money is being invested in additional manpower in the laboratory, the purchase of additional equipment for the lab and in inventory financing.

Eugène van den Berg

Victor Monster

Click here to read the interview with Liquidseal CEO Eugène van den Berg and Managing Director Victor Monster.