Mimica: unlocking the true shelf life of food with Bump

Every year, over 59 million tonnes of food is wasted in the EU, which amounts to 132kg per inhabitant (1). More than half of this waste comes from households. Consumers often throw away perfectly edible food due to confusing and inaccurate expiration dates – often based on worst-case temperature scenarios rather than actual storage conditions (2).

Overcautious labelling not only confuses consumers but leads to financial losses, with the market value of wasted food in the EU estimated at €132 billion annually (3). Confusion around expiry dates may also push consumers towards less healthy ultra-processed foods (UPFs), whose convenience is seen as a strong driver of consumption (4). Linked with several diet-related non-communicable diseases, UPFs are increasingly consumed throughout Europe – for instance, in the UK they account for 57% of calories (5).

Solveiga Pakštaitė, Chief Design Officer and Founder of Mimica, originally designed the Bump concept to help people with visual impairments access fresh food expiration information through a tactile design. After filing a patent and winning several awards, Bump attracted significant attention from major UK supermarkets and food producers, and its vast potential became clear.

Rather than replacing expiry dates, Bump helps brands and producers safely print longer expiry dates based on reasonable storage, while also warning if poor storage has shortened that time. This lifts sales for businesses and reduces waste in store and at home.

Innovations like Bump can play a key role in achieving the EU target of halving food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The technology provides a reliable, science-based way for consumers to determine food freshness and confidently eat the food in their kitchens.

EIT Food has accelerated Mimica’s development by providing significant funding to support the commercialisation process. Mimica began its journey in 2017 with juice as its proof-of-concept product, supported by EIT Food under the Rising Food Stars programme. This resulted in the project moving on to EIT Food’s Fast Track to Market programme, where it delivered exceptional results. A consumer trial on orange juice revealed that Bump Caps helped 97% of households enjoy their juice for up to six days beyond the expiry date guidance.

Bump stands out from other solutions by being a fully customisable and user-focused solution that pays for itself. Retailers and food producers benefit from fewer markdowns, reduced waste, and increased sales. Seeing longer dates on fresh foods gives it better value for money as it will be easier to use it up in time and encourages people to buy more. Consumers also benefit by gaining confidence in using food for longer, which prevents unnecessary waste, reduces carbon emissions, saves them money and supports a more sustainable food system.

Inside Bump is a unique temperature-sensitive gel that degrades at the same rate as the food spoils, providing an accurate, real-time indication of freshness. The gel liquefies revealing bumps underneath when food or drinks actually spoil. This precise and consumer-friendly approach to labelling supports a more sustainable food system while tackling one of the highest priorities in the food waste hierarchy: preventing it at the source.

Mimica’s expansion into meat products is supported by the EIT Food Impact Funding Framework through a project with partner ABP Food Group – a €5-billion food processing business supplying beef and other meat products worldwide. The project runs until November 2025, with the intention that Mimica and ABP will collaborate with supermarkets across the UK and EU to introduce Bump Tags on their own-brand packaged meat products.

Mimica is also preparing to increase production capacity, with plans to raise further investment to scale manufacturing. With strong industry backing and growing demand, the company is on track to make food freshness labels smarter, cut waste, and help create a more sustainable food system.

Bump by Mimica is already showing significant potential to reduce food waste and lower carbon emissions.

An environmental impact study on the Bump Cap in the UK juice market found that orange juice is associated with 2 kg of CO2 equivalent (CO2-e) per kg of juice. Each year, the UK purchases around 1 billion kg of juice, but 121 million kg is wasted. Nearly half of the wasted juice is discarded because consumers mistakenly believe it has spoiled. The study showed that reducing juice waste by just 4.9% with the Bump Cap is enough to have a positive impact after factoring in its carbon footprint. If Bump Caps were widely adopted in the UK, it could eliminate up to 44% of juice waste, leading to CO2-e savings of 106 million kg annually. Even in a conservative scenario with just 20% waste reduction, the UK alone would save 36.5 million kg of CO2-e per year.

A further environmental impact study on Bump Tag in the UK beef industry reports that beef production generates an average of 46.2 kg of CO2-e per kg, and 34 million kg of beef is wasted annually. There is evidence to suggest almost a third of this beef is thrown away simply because it has passed the expiry date. The Bump Tag only needs to reduce beef waste by 0.3% to start making a positive impact, considering the carbon footprint to produce it. If Bump Tag were to prevent all of this unnecessary waste, it could cut emissions by 455 million kg of CO2-e per year. Even at a 15% waste reduction rate, this would still translate to annual CO2-e savings of 231 million kg.

An independent consultant (Brookdale Consulting), has reviewed Mimica’s growth forecasts and estimated that 460,979 tonnes of CO2-e will be mitigated by Mimica over the next 15 years. EIT food could potentially claim 276,587 tonnes of this CO2-e mitigation, based on 60% impact attribution.

In addition to benefits to the environment from less landfilled food waste, producers, retailers and consumers will all gain from a longer shelf-life of products. For producers and retailers there’s an opportunity to create brand loyalty and boost sales by increasing consumer confidence and helping them waste less, while also mitigating losses from otherwise expired stock. Furthermore, accurate detection of food that has not been stored well could feasibly support a reduction in health care burden from foodborne illness.

By expanding into the larger packaged meat and fish market, Bump Tag could help drive even greater impact. Mimica’s research estimates that the total market opportunity for Bump Tag across the UK, EU, and North America could reach up to €2.6 billion in annual sales. In the near term, the company is targeting €13.25 million in annual sales by 2029, with projections of 450 million Bump Tags sold, cumulative sales of €22.5 million, and net profits of €8.79 million.

Mimica is in advanced discussions with four major businesses in the UK and Italy, which would represent a sales potential of over €100 million for Bump Tag. Over the next decade, Mimica aims to capture at least 33% of this market, with long-term growth opportunities. Looking further ahead, Mimica’s technology could have impacts far beyond the food system. The company is working to expand to more products and services, from vaccines to cosmetics.

Mimica’s technology is a gamechanger for the industry. By reducing confusion over expiry dates, Mimica not only helps minimise waste but also builds more trust in the food supply chain. With further investment and collaboration, Mimica can scale production and expand Bump’s application across more products. The company has the potential to expand its impact and promote sustainable practices across industries, building a future where food waste is not only minimised but actively prevented, creating a more resilient food system for generations to come.

Learn about the latest opportunities, research and innovations shaping the food industry.

1. Eurostat: Food waste and food waste prevention estimates
2. EU: Market study on date marking and other information provided on food labels and food waste prevention
3. European Commission: Commission staff working document impact assessment report
4. EIT Food Consumer Observatory: Consumer perceptions unwrapped: ultra-processed foods
5. BMJ Open: Ultra-processed foods and excessive free sugar intake in the UK: a nationally representative cross-sectional study doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027546