CHICAGO— Vacuvita will debut a fully automated and sustainable kitchen system designed to keep foods fresh for up to five times longer, according to the company, at the International Home + Housewares Show, here.
The average household wastes 1,300 pounds of food a year, costing them over $1,500, noted Vacuvita. The company’s goal is to give consumers the opportunity to enjoy fresh food for a longer period of time.
While vacuum sealers are seen as a piece of machinery that the consumer takes out to use when they wish to seal food, Vacuvita created its product line to be appealing and kept out on the tabletop and in the kitchen, so that consumers will use the product more often.
“Vacuvita wants to be a vacuum storing unit on your tabletop; you just push the button to open and take something out and close to seal. We believe the product needs to be easy to use,” said Dalibor Borjanin, COO, Vacuvita. He noted that the ultimate goal is for the home base to become like a refrigerator, where the consumer doesn’t have to think about it, it becomes second nature. The consumer puts something in the refrigerator, when they need something they open the door, and replace the item when finished.
The company is targeting the line at housewares specialty retailers, as these retailers will be best equipped to tell the story behind Vacuvita’s new concept, and the company can also provide point of sale videos and place QR codes on all of its products.
The system centers around the Vacuvita home base, which has a lid that opens when the sensor on the front is touched. After closing the cover again, the base creates a vacuum to keep food fresh. The home base can also be used as a vacuum food sealer for the system’s storage containers and bags through connecting the vacuum tube to the container or bag and pressing a button.
Vacuvita’s Home Base can also be used to store away loaves of bread or pantry items such as opened bags of chips or snacks right on the countertop. It can also be used to store cupcakes that a parent might have made for a child’s birthday, for example, to keep them fresher for longer, Borjanin suggested. Unlike vacuum sealers that require an adult user, the Vacuvita Home Base can be used by children as well, simply by pushing a button to open and closing to seal.
Vacuvita’s storage containers, available in three sizes, can be used in the pantry, fridge or freezer. They can be vacuum sealed to keep foods fresher, and can also be used by consumers to take food to work with them, such as a salad prepped from the night before, suggested Borjanin, while keeping the lettuce and ingredients crisp until the consumer is ready to open the container.
The company also developed a QR code for each container, so consumers can keep track of what they stored in the container. Through using the brand’s app on their phone while at the supermarket, for example, they can know what they have left in their fridge and how many days the food is slated to remain fresh. The vacuum storage containers can also be used to marinate food; it will marinate a piece of meat in just 30 minutes, according to Borjanin.
Vacuvita’s bags’ primary use is for use in the freezer to prevent freezer burned foods, and in sous-vide cooking, a method of cooking in which food is sealed in a vacuum sealed plastic pouch, then placed in a water bath. The bags are made of multi-layer materials, and are said to keep the moisture inside without letting oxygen through.
To use the system, consumers must first purchase the Home Base, which has a suggested retail of approximately $249. A four-piece container set has a suggested retail of $49, while a package of 15 two-quart vacuum bags carries a suggested retail of $12.95. Other configurations are also available, including a complete kitchen package featuring home base and four containers and 40 bags, which has a suggested retail of $299. The home base and containers are available in five colors.
Vacuvita started as a crowdfunding project in 2013; 930 of those consumers who pledged dollars then rated the system after using it on Trust Pilot, and it got a nine out of 10 star rating, noted Borjanin, which has helped drive sales. The company has sold 7,000 units in a matter of months, he noted.
From a retail perspective, Vacuvita is targeting the U.S. market first, as most of its consumer base has been from
the states, said Borjanin. Vacuvita’s sales and logistics are in Los Angeles, with warehouses in New Jersey, with the design team and management based in Holland.
