Apeel plant-based coating : new benefits following formulation change

Present in Berlin, the Fructidor team met with Mrs Jenny Du, co-founder and Senior Vice-President of Apeel, the American specialist of plant-based protection that helps produce stay fresh longer. A recent change of formulation is bringing more benefits for growers, packers, retailers and consumers.

 

Our ingredients come from the pulp and seeds of edible plants.

 

 

Fructidor :  « Mrs Du, could you explain how plant-based coating can extend shelf-life ? »

 

Jenny Du :  « Apeel enables packers to extend produce shelf-life, as an alternative to wax. Our coating is made of plants that one already eats. Our ingredients come from the pulp and seeds of plants. We spray this coating on the surface of produce, helping it retain moisture while reducing oxygenation.

Growers and packers do not have to worry about equipment, as we use the same equipment as  wax application. »

 

 

Flexibility, risk reduction, waste reduction

 

Fructidor : « what are the benefits of your plant-based coating ? »

 

Jenny Du : « Apeel extends the shelf-life of produce, giving it more time along the supply chain to reach retailers, and ultimately consumers. Therefore, it reduces produce waste all through the supply chain.

For growers and packers, this means more flexibility. They can store produce for longer and won’t lose so much mass during storage. It also decreases the risks for long-distance shipments.

For shipments, packers can reduce the over-pack as Apeel protects produce. It improves the quality of produce when it arrives for every stakeholder.

For retailers, the produce has a better appearance and can stay longer on the shelves. 

And when you take it home, consumers have a better experience and reduce their waste. A recent survey made on mandarins in German households reveals that waste has been reduced by 25%.

Apeel is better for your health and for the environment. And it does not affect the taste of the produce at all. »

 

 

Coating for avocados, citrus, apples, cucumbers

 

Fructidor : « Apeel coating is operational on which fruit & veg ? »

 

Jenny Du : « Apeel works on avocados, citrus - all categories of oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, limes- apples in the USA (not in europe yet), and also cucumbers, especially in North America.

 

 

Change of formulation in 2023

 

There has been an exciting change for Apeel. Our first version of the formulation and the application process was not as mature and developed as it is today. Historically, packers needed a more complicated installation, but since 2023, the technology has improved. Apeel is now directly substitutable on the packing line. Packers do not need to dry the produce anymore. And they do not need to upgrade the dryers. Packers just use their existing equipment.

 

 

Waste reduction

 

Apeel can help reduce retail waste by up to 50% while growing sales.Overpack is also reduced. For cucumbers, packers can remove the plastic wrap and use Apeel instead and maintain the quality and taste of the product. So even here in Europe, Apeel can help extend shelf life.

 

Apeel also contributes to a better sustainability score. Apeel provides customers a methodology to help them measure how much they reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption by switching wax treatment for Apeel coating.

 

In 2022, Apeel prevented the waste of 44 million pieces of fruit, and customers saved 1.7 billion liters of water.

 

 

 

 

If you are interested to know more or to test new formula, send your inquiry