13th September 2022: It is common to see food items like extra chapati, leftover sabzi or curry from the previous night’s dinner, and vegetable peelings end up without hesitation in the dustbin in most Indian households. However, this food waste, in turn, puts pressure on the waste management systems, contributes to pollution and further leads to food deprivation.

To curb food wastage Asahi Kasei’s Premium Wrap product is a saviour that keeps food fresh longer by locking in moisture and preventing oxygen from flowing through. It makes packing and storage of food items at room temperature or in the refrigerator more efficient. Because the product is made of PVDC (Polyvinylidene chloride) cling film, it is wrinkle-free and simple to rip off and wrap. Simply draw out the needed quantity of wrap from the roll, seal the box, hold the flap down on the thumb mark, and rip along the cutter edge. It keeps frozen meals fresh and prevents them from drying out, and it may be utilized in a variety of ways. Raw vegetables (including those with high water content), fruits, meats, poultry, and fish, as well as prepared roti attas and doughs, may all be stored. Furthermore, it is perfect to store or heat any kind of Indian or exotic preparation in the refrigerator or the microwave.

To further make a real difference in the society Asahi Kasei has joined hands with the notable non-profit organisation, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, to introduce the ‘Wrap Up Hunger With Asahi Kasei’ initiative. As part of this initiative, people will post a picture of food wrapped in the Asahi Kasei Premium Wrap next to the product and use the #WrapUpHungerWithAsahiKasei. For every post shared with the hashtag, Asahi Kasei can provide 3 Meals for Akshaya Patra’s Mid-day Meal Programme – which provides nutritious meals to children studying in Government and Government-aided schools. Through this social media campaign, the brand seeks to help reduce food wastage as well as support eliminating the prevalent issue of classroom hunger by helping provide a meal to underprivileged children.

This initiative is a definite step towards bringing about a meaningful change in the lives of disadvantaged and deprived children across the country by helping to provide fresh, nutritious meals to them.

While talking about the initiative, Luve Oberoi, Sr Marketing Manager, Asahi Kasei India, said, “Most people do not prefer storing and consuming leftover food the following day as they believe the freshness and nutritional value of the food is lost. However, the premium wrap is a great way to store food, retain its freshness and prepare a leftover dish the next day. This is also especially helpful in reducing food wastage, considering the country has so many people who unfortunately go for days without a proper meal. Our initiative in association with Akshaya Patra is also directed towards the cause of curbing food wastage and feeding as many people as we can. We are happy and grateful to be in a position to make a difference, and we hope that we can also inspire people to do the same.”

Food is one of the most critical pillars for survival. However, the 2021 UNEP Food Waste Index Report states that 61% of food waste comes from households. Bearing this in mind, we aimed to create awareness about food wastage and classroom hunger via this initiative. By encouraging people to share a photo of food wrapped in the Asahi Kasei Premium Wrap – which preserves food for long and helps reduce wastage – and providing meals to underprivileged school children for every post, we are happy to do our bit and give back to the community. And we are pleased to have partnered with The Akshaya Patra Foundation for enabling this.”

The Premium Wrap is now available in stores like Big Bazaar, Le Marche, Spencers, Foodhall in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and also online at Amazon and Big basket.