Aug 24 2004
Landec Corporation, a developer and marketer of technology-based polymer products for food, agricultural and licensed partner applications, announced today that it has received a Notice of Intended Grant from the European Patent Office for a patent associated with its banana packaging technology.
Landec has a patent application filed with the European Patent Office surrounding the use of its Intelimer(R) polymer based packaging technology for storing and ripening bananas. Landec was recently informed that the European Patent Office has issued a Notice of Intended Grant for this application. The award of this European patent is in addition to other product, method of use and application patents that have been issued to the Company in the United States and elsewhere for packaging perishable produce.
The Company, as a matter of general practice, files patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office and other foreign agencies for the use of its Intelimer technology for packaged produce, including bananas, (2) seed coatings and (3) other applications.
Landec's approach to protecting its technology has been to actively patent key technical developments providing a firm basis for future growth within the United States, as well as in foreign countries. Currently, in the food packaging area, the Company has thirteen patents or patent applications in the U.S. and six foreign equivalents. Overall, the Company has been awarded twenty-four U.S. patents and has fourteen additional patent applications pending at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, the Company has over twenty-five awarded or pending foreign patents.
"We are pleased to announce the expansion of our patent protection in packaged fruits and vegetables supporting our growing value added business at Apio, Landec's food subsidiary, which is focused on commercializing specialty packaged produce products. This banana packaging patent will assist Apio's expansion beyond packaged vegetables into leading global fruit products, such as bananas," commented David D. Taft, Chief Operating Officer of Landec and Apio.
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