Asrar Damdam

Asrar's innovation lies in the proprietary technology developed by Uvera’s R&D team, scientifically validated during her Ph.D. at KAUST. She and her team utilize specific doses of ultraviolet light for sterilizing various food categories, combined with various modified atmosphere packaging methods. This precision ensures that the organoleptic qualities of food—texture, aroma, appearance, and taste—remain intact throughout the extended shelf life. This significant breakthrough was a central element of her doctoral research with findings on strawberries, tomatoes, and meats published in the Food Science Journal and MDPI Foods Journal. Additionally, Uvera has independently validated shelf-life extension for over 70 fresh food items and has made substantial advancements in product design, manufacturing, market research, customer validation, and sales.

This technology, powered by IoT integration, reduces food waste and revolutionizes inventory management of fresh foods. Beyond extending shelf-life in a few seconds, the product comes with a robust software solution that automates the inventory management process, provides comprehensive oversight of fresh produce, ensures seamless traceability, predicts product shelf-life, and optimizes the FIFO process for fresh produce businesses. This innovation empowers the fresh produce industry to go digital, reduce food waste, and maximize profitability.

The product was launched in Saudi Arabia in early 2024 and has been successfully implemented at an organic farm, followed by its adoption by one of the region’s leading delivery companies.