Ecology Coatings Develops Coatings Safe For Direct Contact with Food Products
WARREN -- Ecology Coatings Inc. (OTCQB: ECOC), a developer of ultraviolet-curable advanced coatings, today announced that it has developed bio-based GRAS (generally recognized as safe) UV-curable materials for coatings.
Because these components are GRAS, they can be used to make coatings that are safe for human consumption and can be placed in direct contact with food and food packaging.
Ecology has filed a PCT patent application for its GRAS coating materials, which has been accepted by the patent office with the distinction as novel and inventive. This action will allow Ecology to file for an accelerated treatment for United States patents that will most likely be issued in 2012.
"Our goal is to produce UV-curable products that can be used safely in direct contact with food for both humans and animals," said Ecology Coatings CEO Bob Crockett. "Our GRAS coatings, which are rapidly cured, provide a barrier to air, water and grease, making them appropriate for use on food and in food packaging and wrappings. GRAS coatings that use edible dyes or flavors might function as inks or flavor additives. We have initiated discussions with chemical companies to license this technology as a way to bring it to market quickly and expect to have a packaging manufacturer testing the product in January. This is an exciting direction for Ecology Coatings, as food safety is an increasing concern."
Crockett added that the market is taking notice of the company.
"On December 8, 2011, we experienced the highest trading volume in the history of Ecology Coatings," he said. "There is a great deal of interest in our proprietary products from the investment community and our target markets. We hope to have several announcements disseminated over the next several weeks. We have a large number of loyal shareholders and our goal is to communicate material information on a regular basis through news releases, 8-Ks and conference calls. Ecology Coatings will be hosting a shareholder update conference call January 18, 2012. A separate news release providing the conference call date, time and call-in number will be disseminated just after January 1, 2012."
Ecology Coatings develops and licenses cleantech ultraviolet curable coatings -- coatings that improve the products we use daily. Ecology's technology platform allows manufacturers to enhance the durability and performance of their products, while significantly reducing energy costs and increasing manufacturing throughput. The company produces solvent-free coatings, which eliminate the escape of harmful solvents into the atmosphere during application. Headquartered in Warren, Ecology Coatings has a development and prototype lab in Akron, Ohio.
More at www.ecologycoatings.com.