* The Food Loss Reduction Consortium and Challenge Field Hokkaido are accepting applications for the "Food Loss Reduction Idea Contest."

This contest is an idea contest for reducing food loss using the "*Platinum Catalyst" developed by Professor Jun Fukuoka of the University's Institute for Catalysis others. The object of the idea is food in general, including products from the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries (including horticultural crops such as flowers).

Click here for more information. *You will be redirected to the Challenge Field Hokkaido website.

*Food loss reduction consortium
In September 2020, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido Research Organization, Secoma Group, and Hokkaido Science and Technology Promotion Center (Northtech Foundation) announced that they will utilize platinum catalyst-based food freshness preservation technology to improve food production, distribution, and sales. Established with the aim of solving food waste issues.

*Platinum catalyst
This is a platinum catalyst technology that completely oxidizes ethylene in a low-temperature environment (0°C), developed by Professor Atsushi Fukuoka of Hokkaido University's Institute for Catalysis and others. Ethylene is a plant hormone that occurs in vegetables and fruits and promotes ripening and rotting. Oxidizing and removing ethylene gas using a platinum catalyst helps maintain the freshness of vegetables and other foods. This platinum catalyst technology was announced in a paper in 2013, and is also used in household refrigerators.

Please see the reference video here. *This is a lecture (YouTube) at the 1st Forum of the Food Loss Reduction Consortium.