UK-based Kelpi has received food contact clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its seaweed-based packaging coating.
The decision permits the coating to be used on paper and board food packaging sold in the US.
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It covers contact with all food categories at or below room temperature, including refrigerated and frozen products.
According to Kelpi, the clearance also confirms the coating can be used for packaging for personal care and cosmetics items.
The company noted that this gives it access to “one of the world’s largest packaging markets” and removes a regulatory hurdle to wider commercial use.
The US decision comes after Kelpi previously received a ‘Letter of No Objection’ from the Canadian Bureau of Chemical Safety, expanding its regulatory record in international markets.
Kelpi works on seaweed-based biomaterial coatings intended to replace fossil-based plastics.
Kelpi CEO Hugo Adams said: “This is a defining milestone for Kelpi. Clearing the FDA’s food contact notification process is independent validation of both the safety and the performance of our seaweed-based technology, and it gives our commercial partners the confidence and approval required to now launch Kelpi’s biomaterial coatings in the US market.”
Last month, the biomaterials company named John Williams as its chief technology officer, effective 27 July.
In a LinkedIn post, it said Williams will oversee the development, validation and scale-up of Kelpi’s main technologies and help shape its future materials and product pipeline.
In June, Amcor collaborated with Kelpi to examine next-generation coating solutions.
Amcor’s research and development (R&D) teams are reviewing Kelpi’s coating platform, which uses a seaweed-based material.
