When it comes to predicting a product's shelf life, or detecting leaks or aromas in packaging that could affect flavor, people around the world turn to Minneapolis-based
MOCON.
For over 40 years, the company has been a leader in the development of testing services and instruments, and its capabilities are impressive. Numerous clients depend on the firm for insights on packaging, cost reduction, sustainability, and food safety.
Because it's often considered the industry standard when it comes to such tests (many scientific papers note that researchers did a "MOCON test" to demonstrate a specific result), it's not surprising that the company is growing at a nice clip. Now at 150 employees, some have been brought on as the result of acquisition, while the rest were hired to meet demand.
"The packaging industry is a hidden but huge industry," says the company's marketing manager, Guy Wray. "Think about everything around you that has packaging, and you'll get an idea of the scope of this work."
MOCON's expertise lies in detecting moisture and oxygen levels within packaging, as well as other factors. Those two issues in particular can destroy food flavor, affect product safety, and significantly shorten shelf life. After all, nobody wants soggy potato chips.
About 90 percent of the company's product development is done locally, but it also relies on scientists and engineers in Germany, China, Texas, and Colorado.
"We feel very lucky to have gotten to the point we're at," says Wray. "We've become the Hoover or the Kleenex of the industry."
Source: Guy Wray, MOCON
Writer: Elizabeth Millard