PEI Mussel Processor In North America To Be Granted Patent For Revolutionary Packaging System

Orwell Cove, PEI, Canada – A Prince Edward Island mussel processor has recently been granted a patent that will allow him to package his product in a ground breaking way.

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is a watertight process that uses a special oxygen/carbon dioxide mix to keep mussels alive for much longer than regular packaging and in a consumer friendly, airtight package.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunities this new technology holds for the shellfish industry in North America," says Brian Fortune, president of Atlantic Aqua Farms Inc., located in Orwell Cove, PEI. "It will revolutionize the way shellfish is packed and shipped and it will provide consumers with a leak proof package and optimum freshness. It is not the first MAP patent for live shellfish, but it is the best," he says.

MAP packaging was first patented in Europe in 2002. The European packaging system allows mussels to stay alive and fresh for up to nine days. Fortune's system, which is the first to be patented in North America, keeps molluscan shellfish fresh for 14-21 days.

"What makes our MAP system different is a manipulation of the gases and the proprietary packaging technique," says Fortune. "Our hope is to eventually offer this system to other industry players in Canada and across North America by means of licensing agreements," he says.

SOURCE: Atlantic Aqua Farms Inc.