Breaking down the failure of Decco's TruPick

April 06, 2020 | Case Study

In 2016, Decco launched TruPick, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-based sachet used to store and release 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), a gas used to regulate fruit ripening. Their MOF partner was MOF Technologies, whose mechanochemical production of MOFs eliminated the use of solvents and enabled the product to clear food contact regulations. At the time, we hailed the commercialization as smashing our predictions of MOF commercialization, which we had not expected until 2030. However, Decco's main competitor, AgroFresh, filed suit and won ownership of Decco's TruPick patent in 2017; Decco was forced to pull the product and ordered to pay $31 million in damages in late 2019.