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Freshr Sustainable Technologies Inc. (Freshr), a Canadian distributor in sustainable active packaging solutions, has solidified a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC).
Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG), the holding company of MCC, announced that they have invested in Freshr to support Freshr's tech scale-up and global growth, aligning with MCG's KAITEKI Vision 35 strategy. MCC is a core company of the MCG, and a global materials and sustainability innovator.
This collaboration marks a milestone in advancing Freshr’s mission to reduce food waste through sustainable packaging innovation. The JDA reflects a strategic alignment with MCG’s KAITEKI Vision 35, which aims to achieve long-term sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions, including a targeted business focus on Food Quality Preservation.
“We are extremely proud to partner with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation,” Mina Mekhail, CEO and Founder of Freshr says. “This agreement reflects MCC’s deep commitment to innovation and sustainability, and affirms the progress we’ve made toward a global vision: reducing food waste with scalable, science-backed solutions.”
“This partnership with Freshr supports our KAITEKI Vision 35 by advancing practical solutions that promote sustainability and improve food quality,” Toshiaki Esumi, Business Senior Director of Packaging & Barrier Films Department, MCC says. “We believe their innovative approach to packaging has the potential to significantly reduce food waste and deliver real value across the global supply chain.”
Food waste is a global crisis, responsible for $2.6 trillion in annual economic losses and 10% of greenhouse gas emissions annually. In Japan alone, 4.64 million tons of food loss and waste are generated every year. This partnership leverages Freshr’s breakthrough technology and MCG’s global expertise to address this urgent challenge through sustainable packaging innovation.
Freshr is combating food waste and reshaping the fresh protein industry—starting with high-value seafood—by extending shelf life and reducing spoilage. Freshr has also demonstrated successful shelf life extension of other fresh proteins, including beef and ham, highlighting the broad application of Freshr’s solution. FreshrPack technology is a naturally-derived coating that is chemically immobilized on the surface of food packaging film, which extends shelf life of fresh proteins by inhibiting spoilage bacteria growth.
“At the end of the day, what we sell is time,” Mekhail says. “Time that enables stakeholders across the supply chain to unlock significant value. For exporters, it means reaching further markets and opening new trade routes. For distributors, it offers the flexibility to choose more cost-effective transportation options. And for retailers, it means reducing waste and recovering revenue that would otherwise be lost.”
A 2–4 day extension in the shelf life of fresh Salmon can reduce waste by up to 50%, unlocking an estimated $37 million in annual recovered value per retailer.
“This Joint Development Agreement is a strategic opportunity for Freshr to expand into the Japanese market and gives Mitsubishi Chemical Group the opportunity to prepare the market in Japan for what we intend will be a robust long-term partnership in one of the world’s strongest economies,” Mekhail says.
Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Freshr is actively working to expand into the Japanese market and other global regions.
This agreement follows Freshr’s oversubscribed investment round in March 2025, which included participation from Diamond Edge Ventures (the venture capital arm of MCG), Invest Nova Scotia, Nàdarra Ventures, BDC Capital’s Climate Tech Fund, and Blue Tide Capital Ventures.
