It can be extremely frustrating to reach into the fridge for an avocado or handful of strawberries and find your produce pals have gone to mush. In addition to your personal disappointment and the toll on your wallet, food waste is responsible for eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Santa Barbara based company, Apeel Sciences, is making it their mission to reduce food waste with its ingenious coating that keeps produce fresh for longer.
The edible coating is made entirely of plant-based materials, such as lipids and glycerolipids found in plant seeds and peels, and slows down water loss and oxidation to make produce last twice, or even three times, as long. The coating is essentially a more energy efficient way of putting your produce in the fridge to extend its life.
Given that nearly 31 million tons of food waste ended up in landfills in 2017, a cost-effective, safe method for keeping food fresh for longer is a big deal. The company has caught the attention of investors including Bill Gates and Oprah, but their positive global impact extends far beyond attracting flashy investors. Apeel’s signature coating is already used on avocados carried at Costco and on Kroger’s avocados. Axios also plans to soon apply the coating to their apples, limes, asparagus, and cucumbers as well. It is estimated that Apeel will save millions of fruits and veggies from spoiling in 2020.
The simplicity of the coating means it has widespread application potential in the food industry. From farms to grocery stores, the technology will help eliminate food waste along production and distribution lines. In underdeveloped countries, where lack of efficient storage technology is a primary factor in food waste, the coating can protect foods when refrigeration or moisture-free storage environments aren’t available.
Having that avocado in your fridge last an extra week is definitely a bonus, but on a global scale, Apeel has the potential to seriously revolutionize our food systems and eliminate waste for a greener and well-fed future.
