The problem of wasting food

According to the report of the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers from about 4 billion tons of food produced every year, up to 30-50%. goes to garbage containers. This means that almost 2 billion of food is wasted every year. Mostly, fruit, vegetables, bread and sausages are wasted.

In addition to large material losses, there is a problem of environmental damage – the emission of methane from perishable food has a big impact on the climate. As we know, methane has as much as 20 percent. share in the causes of global temperature rise on Earth over the last decade. Reducing food waste can therefore have a significant impact on the reduction of this gas emission.

Hunger in the world – how to prevent it?

If you produce so much food, why are so many people starving in the world?

We could not deliver products from places where they are produced to the places of residence of people who need them. That’s why I was curious about what hinders us from distributing this food. It all boils down to the term “impermanent” – says James Rogers CEO of Apeel Sciences.

Rogers investigated how water loss and oxidation leads to perishable products. It reminded him of the steel industry, where special coatings are used to prevent metal corrosion. The man decided to find a similar solution – invent a coating that will help preserve the freshness of unstable food longer.

Creation of the Edipeel coating

A special coating that has been developed allows you to keep food long-lasting freshness. It stops moisture in the fruit and at the same time allows it to breathe. Thanks to this, the loss of water is slowed down, just like it’s oxidation.

The coating is formed from residues on the skins and stems of plants. You can apply it at any time. Thanks to this, for example, individual bananas from one bunch can mature at a different pace.

According to James Rogers, the coating has no taste and is fully edible. The company’s products (named Edipeel and Invisipeel) are already used by six farms in southern California, Kenya and Nigeria.

Edipeel prevents water from getting out from food products and oxygen from entering the interior of the fruit. Invisipeel in turn repels insects (all these factors have an effect on rot). The US Food and Drug Administration has found both products safe, which means you can eat and sell them.

A completely natural solution

Apeel scientists use seeds, skins and pulp from grapes and other commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. The squeezed oil is mixed depending on the formula that will work for a particular type of fruit. Although the basic ingredients do not change, for example, avocados will have different proportions of the mixture than mango. After applying the layer, the product goes to store shelves and is to last longer. The coating does not cause allergies.