The Science of Making Fruits & Veggies Last Longer | Jenny Du | TED

Summary

In this engaging talk, Jenny Doo explains her innovative approach to reducing food waste by extending the shelf life of fresh produce using natural, plant-based ingredients. Inspired by the protective properties of fruit peels, Jenny and her team at Appeal Sciences have developed a thin, edible coating that can help preserve the freshness, flavor, and nutrients of fruits and vegetables like avocados, bananas, and blueberries. By addressing the inefficiencies in food preservation, this breakthrough not only helps prevent waste but also contributes to environmental sustainability by saving water and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Takeaways

• 😀 A third of global food is wasted before it's consumed, and for fruits and vegetables, that number is as high as 50%.
• 😀 Food waste not only affects the food itself but also wastes land, water, energy, and labor, contributing to climate change.
• 😀 Traditional methods like refrigeration and pesticides to extend shelf life have significant drawbacks, including energy consumption and health concerns.
• 😀 Appeal Sciences is founded to address food waste by extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables using natural, plant-based ingredients.
• 😀 The approach involves creating a thin, edible coating using fatty acids and glycerides found in plant peels to help preserve freshness.
• 😀 This method has been successfully tested on various produce, including finger limes, bananas, avocados, and tomatoes, adding days or weeks to their shelf life.
• 😀 The coating is very minimal in weight, equivalent to a tenth of a small raisin for an average avocado, and can be washed off with water.
• 😀 Since 2021, Appeal Sciences has prevented 166 million pieces of produce from going to waste and saved significant amounts of water and greenhouse gas emissions.
• 😀 The innovation could also help small-scale growers get their unique varieties to market with greater confidence, especially in areas lacking refrigeration.
• 😀 Despite the challenges in changing industry norms, there is growing optimism in transforming the food supply chain and reducing food waste through sustainable practices.

Q & A

What inspired the speaker to explore ways to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables?

The speaker was inspired by staggering statistics on global food waste, particularly that a third of all food produced is lost or wasted and that half of fresh fruits and vegetables are wasted. This led them to explore solutions to reduce waste and preserve produce.

What are the main problems with current methods of preserving fruits and vegetables?

Current methods like refrigeration are energy-intensive, pesticides have health and environmental concerns, waxes are often animal or petroleum-based and do not meaningfully extend shelf life, and packaging adds to single-use plastic waste. Additionally, these methods limit the diversity of produce available in stores.

How do plants naturally protect themselves from spoilage?

Plants protect themselves using a peel or cuticle, which helps prevent moisture loss, oxidation, and infection. The peel contains fatty acids and glycerides that are essential for preservation.

What is the core idea behind Appeal Sciences' approach to extending produce shelf life?

The core idea is to use harmless, edible, plant-based ingredients to reinforce the natural peel of fruits and vegetables. By applying a thin layer of these ingredients, the shelf life can be extended without relying on refrigeration, pesticides, waxes, or plastics.

What initial results did the team see when testing their method on finger limes?

When testing finger limes with a coating made from tomato peels, they were able to extend the limes' freshness by an extra week beyond the typical seven days, even with refrigeration.

Which types of produce have shown positive results with this preservation method?

The method works on a wide range of produce including bananas, avocados, limes, green beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, berries, and more. It is effective for both fruits that need to ripen before eating and those that are already ripe, as well as for produce with edible and non-edible peels.

How does this method affect nutrient retention in fruits and vegetables?

The coating helps retain peak flavor, texture, and nutrients. For example, blueberries treated with the coating maintained higher levels of vitamin C for longer compared to untreated berries.

What are some environmental and economic benefits of this approach?

Since 2021, the method has prevented 166 million pieces of produce from going to waste, avoided over 29,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (equivalent to planting 485,000 trees), and saved almost 7 billion liters of water, equivalent to 2,800 Olympic-size swimming pools.

How does this approach benefit small growers and regional produce varieties?

It allows small growers to bring unique or regional varieties of fruits and vegetables to market with more confidence, especially in areas without reliable refrigeration, thus increasing diversity and availability of produce.

Are there any sensory effects of the coating on the produce, like taste or smell?

No, the coating is very neutral, with no noticeable taste or smell. Blind taste tests with universities confirmed that the produce tastes the same as untreated fruits and vegetables.

What challenges has the team faced in trying to implement this innovation in the food industry?

Some food and agriculture companies are resistant to changing the status quo of food waste (known as 'shrink') because waste is often seen as a normal part of business that encourages repeat purchases. The team has had to navigate skepticism from producers, packers, and retailers.

What is the long-term vision of the speaker and their company?

The long-term vision is to reduce food waste, extend produce shelf life, and increase the availability and diversity of fresh fruits and vegetables worldwide using natural, plant-based solutions, contributing to a more sustainable food system.