By Adela Ochoa
If you’ve bought fruits and vegetables in the past month, then there is a high probability that some of them have already landed in your trash can. That strawberry that once hoped to become part of a nutritious smoothie instead sat in your fridge, shriveled up, lost its firm texture, and eventually became moldy. Not a very happy ending for your fruit or your wallet. According to a 2020 article, the United States leads in food waste, with about 80 billion pounds of food thrown away each year. You read that correctly, 80 BILLION pounds. That is a terrifying number, but luckily companies such as Apeel Sciences are dedicated to turning this around. Apeel’s entire mission is to reduce waste and increase the duration and quality of fruits and vegetables, a mission that is changing the produce world.
- Their technology is 100% natural
Apeel’s founder, James Roger, wanted to increase the duration and quality of produce in a natural way. He knew that the power laid on the peel of each fruit and vegetable. They all have an outer layer that serves as protection as it keeps moisture in and oxygen out. So what did the team do? They simply doubled that layer! By doing this, the fruit that was once extremely vulnerable to the outside world is now coated with extra protection. With Apeel, it is harder for oxygen to enter the fruit, and easier to keep the water in.
Apeel’s plant-based technology allows for produce to live up to twice as long. That’s right, twice! Hard to believe right? This is one of those see-it-to-believe-it situations, so Apeel launched a series of time-lapse videos with a variety of fruits including avocados, apples, limes, and cucumbers. These videos clearly compare Apeel produce to non-Apeel produce, and are actually quite satisfying. Scientists were able to put these videos together by taking snapshots in the lab of different fruits every 30 minutes.
- Sustainability is no joke to them
The sustainability domino effect does not stop at your local market. Apeel is all about making a worldwide difference and taking steps to end global hunger. If the idea of losing refrigerated vans is intriguing, imagine how much fuel larger transportation vehicles could save! Trains, cargo boats, and aircrafts will all reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are being emitted into the atmosphere with a simple modification to the produce they carry. Developing countries will be amongst the many to highly benefit as well. Apeel has recently added $30 million to a fund dedicated to help small farmers all over the world. By improving the quality and lifespan of produce that come from smallholder farmers, Apeel is opening up opportunities to new markets for countries located in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Southern America, and Southeast Asia. After all, sustainability is a world-wide concern!
- You can get Apeel produce today!
One thing about Apeel: they are making sure that their fruits are available to everyone. Given that their plant-based technology is safe to eat, there is no need to wait for it to take effect. This isn’t like waiting for paint to dry – you can grab an Apeel apple from the store and bite into it then and there (although you probably shouldn’t do that). You also can’t miss their products. All fruits include an Apeel logo sticker, so you could easily and quickly identify their produce.
Food Gone Good Campaign
Food Gone Good means that science is not what is making the difference per se. It starts with the science, but it is you has the power to make the difference. Real change begins at your local market, where you choose Apeel produce over regular produce. So next time you purchase a pack of strawberries, they might actually become that nutritious smoothie you’ve been waiting for instead of ending up in the trash.
Learn more at https://www.apeel.com/.
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