The company’s edible, biodegradable, water-based emulsion consists of natural food ingredients, inherent with advanced modified atmosphere properties
Sufresca green solution is developed to reduce waste. (Credit: Sufresca.)
AgriTech start-up Sufresca has optimised its novel invisible edible coating to extend the shelf-life of fresh produce and expand its use to a range of fresh fruit and vegetables.
The company has developed an edible, biodegradable, water-based emulsion consisting of wholly natural food ingredients, inherent with advanced modified atmosphere properties.
Its new solution creates a breathable coating on the fresh fruits or vegetables, with minute disruptions within the coating serving as a partial for optimal gas exchange.
According to Sufresca, its coating solution slows down the post-harvest maturation, ripening, degradation and decay, in addition to solving problems related to impermeable sealants.
The sustainable solution is said to be capable of extending shelf life by up to several weeks, saving plastic packaging and extending shipment time.
Also, the use of its advanced edible coating would considerably reduce loss of fresh produce on-route as well as in-shop waste, said the company.
Sufresca CEO Efrat Boker-Ferri said: “The chaotic structure of our coating was inspired by the cuticle structures that naturally layer plants to protect them from extreme environmental conditions and from water loss.
“Retailers and packaging houses are seeking cost-effective solutions to reduce waste and are kind to the planet. Our natural formula can be easily integrated into existing industry equipment, is adaptable to the various coating techniques and is completely safe to use.
“While we do offer a range of support services and guidance, our system is very straightforward to implement, eliminating the need for Sufresca personnel to be on site, increasing its affordability.”
In addition to its optimised edible coating, Sufresca has developed a high-feasibility business model for direct application of its solution into existing systems.
The business model is said to make the coating solution highly scalable, and convenient option for producers, distributers, and exporters of fresh produce.
According to the company, 40-60% of fruits and vegetables produced worldwide are lost or wasted even before reaching consumers due to spoilage.
Sufresca claims that its post-harvest solution will address the problem for fresh produce storage from ‘farm to ‘fridge,’ along with reduction in plastic use.
Established in 2020, Sufresca has developed the green solution based on 15 years of R&D efforts.
The company recently closed $3.5m seed investment led by OurCrowd VC, Israel, supporting initial $1.3m financing raised from Agrinnovation and Rimonim.