Keeping Food Fresh

Few things are more frustrating than when an unripe avocado turns to mush before you can blink an eye. Some 40% of produce currently goes to waste, often because it goes bad before we can eat it. To cut that waste, Apeel Sciences developed an edible, plant-­derived coating for fresh fruits and vegetables that helps them last longer by slowing the ripening process. The company claims the artificial peel can double or even triple the shelf life of a fruit or vegetable. Apeel introduced its treated avocados to more than 1,000 Kroger locations across the U.S. in September and hopes to expand to other stores and other produce, like limes and asparagus. Soon, consumers may be able to buy things like bananas without worrying they’ll go brown in the shopping bag. —Mahita Gajanan