This week, Hong Kong-based IXON Food Technology announced its proprietary method of food preservation that allows meat to be shelf-stable for a guaranteed minimum of two years. The company will use this technology to produce packaged sirloin steaks and pork chops.
The company’s preservation technology is called “ASAP”, which stands for advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging. Other methods of preservation, like canning, for example, put food through high heat for sterilization. In this process, some of the flavors of the food get lost. IXON’s technology sterilizes food at a moderate temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows the food to keep both flavor and moisture. This process also excludes preservatives and chemicals which are commonly found in other preserved and packaged foods.
The company explains its technology in this video:
If the company’s technology works as advertised that would also mean that meat could be stored and shipped without energy-consuming freezers, and that people could stock up on meats without filling up their fridges and freezers at home.
All of that sounds great, but what we don’t know is how well this technology actually works, and what types of independent verification has been done. Also unknown is what type of company IXON is. Is it looking to license out its technology to other meat providers, or is it building its own meat brand?
IXON Food Technologies joins other companies in the quests to preserve foods and combat food waste. Apeel, producers of a natural food-safe coating that extends the life of produce, raised $250 million earlier this year. And StixFresh created a sticker that is placed on produce to extend its shelf life. IXON Food Technologies appears the be the only company focusing on meat specifically but stated on their website that they plan on expanding to include additional food products in the future.
With a month left to go, Ixon Food Technology’s Kickstarter campaign has raised nearly $36,000, blowing past its goal of roughly $13,000. Early backers can actually receive two 16-oz beef sirloin steaks or pork chops for a pledge of $49 USD. The company is currently applying for patents and trademarks for its technology in the United States, Europe, and China.
