Apeel giving citrus fruits a longer shelf life
Following the successful launch with Apeel avocados, EDEKA and Netto now plan to market Apeel oranges and clementines, which will lead to less food waste throughout the supply chain, saving millions of gallons of water and metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the coming months.
The EDEKA Group is extending its commitment to fighting food waste. Apeel produce has a protective layer consisting of plant-based materials that slow down water loss and penetration by oxygen — two main factors contributing to decay of fresh fruit and vegetable products. Not only does Apeel lower the amount of food wasted, in many cases it also makes plastic foil unnecessary. As trading partners of U.S.-based Apeel Sciences in Germany, EDEKA and Netto Marken-Discount already launched avocados with Apeel’s protective coating at selected stores at the end of 2019.
Oranges and clementines are the next products to follow as part of the pilot project. In the future, Apeel’s plant-derived protective coating will also ensure longer-lasting freshness of EDEKA World Wildlife Fund oranges (1.5-kilogram bag), EDEKA SELECTION oranges NavelGold (one-kilogram bag) as well as of EDEKA Selection ClemenGold clementines (750-gram bag).
Consumers will find the oranges and clementines — like the avocados — in selected EDEKA stores as well as at Netto branches. Nationwide introduction of such longer shelf-life products is scheduled to take place during 2020.
