BIOTECHNOLOGY company Cuantec is planning to seek approval next year for its antimicrobial food packaging material, which will reduce plastic by using natural alternatives.
Every year, 8.8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea and a third of it has only been used once.
Cuantec plans to change this with its alternative to plastic foodwrap which is derived from chitosan, a biopolymer used in glues and dyes which is based in a substance found in langoustine shells. CEO Dr Cait Murray-Green believes the business can become a global giant in the food packaging sector.
Name: Dr Cait Murray-Green
Age: 47
Position: CEO
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?
Cuantec. “Cuan” is the Gaelic word for ocean.
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Oban
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
RYAN Taylor the chief scientist at Cuantec wanted to put waste from the fisheries industry to better use. Was working in Uddingston.
Ryan took his business to Strathclyde University which has a strong policy of supporting business ideas from students and former students.
The university put him in contact with me.
We got funding and wrote a business plan and I became a CEO.
The product takes the bits of shellfish you don’t want to eat and uses a novel process to extract chitosan out of shells and use it to create useful food wrap.
I have a PhD in chemistry and worked in marketing in business consultancy for 10 years.
ARE PEOPLE BECOMING MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE ENVIRONMENT?
PEOPLE are absolutely more aware about the effect of plastic pollution on the environment.
People now know about the impact of plastic pollution and food waste.
Blue Planet 2 had an amazing impact and showed how single use plastic is a threat to human, animal and marine life and is affecting the food chain.
We need alternative ideas about how to create compostable products instead of ones that are still decaying in a year. We’ve had support from companies in LA and New Zealand.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
WE are the only company creating a product that is anti-microbial and compostable for the fresh food market.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
THE product hasn’t gone to market yet. If we did have products in the market we would be selling to the seafood industry but we want to perfect the formulation.
We have partnered with Waitrose. We are currently finalising the properties of the packaging. We want it to work in an industrial setting and on shop shelves.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
NO two days are the same.
It is wonderful to be involved with a company where people really want the product.
It is no hard sell to potential customers because we are solving a problem and making a difference.
Scotland is a good place to be in the bio-economy as you have help and support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise and grant money and investment alongside that.
We gave won an innovation award from the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards and were on the BBC Countryfile diaries because our product can extend the shelf life of fresh fruit – it makes sure raspberries and figs don’t go squishy.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
WE want to be a global empire providing food packaging with 3D medtech printing devices.
We want to work with sources of food waste with chitosan.
We also plan to create rural-based jobs and provide and environment where people want to work.
We have seven staff at the moment but we are rapidly expanding and have open positions that people can apply for.
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