Europe to sell avocados with an edible coating for the first time

Avocados with an edible coating will go on sale in Europe for the first time this week.

The spray-on coating, developed by Apeel Sciences, will ensure the fruit stays ripe for longer, by controlling the rate at which water escapes and the rate at which oxygen enters.

Notable supermarket chains in Germany and Denmark will stock the new avocados, which would cut the use of plastic packaging and food waste.

The technology was launched last year in the US, where it has helped to decrease supermarkets’ waste of fresh produce.

Chief executive of Apeel Sciences, James Rogers, said: “We’re creating an optimised microclimate that can double the shelf life.

"The average avocado might be ripe for two to three days. Ours will stay ripe for four to six days.”

It was approved for use in the EU in June and is already being tested by Asda, which is expected to begin consumer trials in 2020.

An experiment by the supermarket chain on mandarins and cucumbers dismissed the need for plastic wrapping.

Kevin Patel, produce director at Asda, said: “We’re always looking at how we can reduce food waste at every stage in our supply chain.

"Having conducted an initial trial of the Apeel product earlier this year, we are currently gathering the trial results and agreeing next steps.”

Ben Elliot, who was appointed by the government to tackle food waste, said: "“The amount of food waste around the world and specifically in the UK is staggering.

"It’s estimated that 10m tonnes of food are wasted within UK households, hospitality, retail and wholesale sectors.

"It’s crucial to push supermarkets to do more to fight this growing problem, which is why I see this partnership between Apeel Sciences and [fresh fruit and vegetable importer] Nature’s Pride as a huge step and breakthrough in tackling food waste.”

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