Israeli agritech start-up Sufresca has expanded its invisible edible coating for shelf life extension to more fresh produce products. 

“Our new development of the edible coating is proven to work very well on different cultivars of tomatoes, and specifically cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and even fruits like mangoes,” Efrat Boker-Ferri, Sufresca CEO, tells PackagingInsights.

“By using our edible coatings, retailers can now use biodegradable packaging without any concern about shelf life,” she adds. The coatings can extend produce preservation by up to several weeks, saving plastic packaging and extending shipment time. 

Shelf life remains a logistical priority for retailers. According to Innova Market Insights, 40% of global consumers demonstrate very little or no willingness at all to compromise on shelf life, even if it means reducing plastic packaging.

However, extending shelf life is a crucial component in tackling food waste. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates a third of food produced worldwide is wasted or lost each year. Moreover, Innova Market Insights highlights 60% of global consumers never consume expired F&B products.

Sufresca developed an edible, biodegradable, water-based emulsion composed of natural food ingredients with inbuilt advanced modified atmosphere properties.Breathing longer life
Sufresca’s breathable coating slows down fresh produce’s post-harvest maturation, ripening processes, subsequent degradation and decay.

“Our edible coatings are perfect to replac all conventional single-use plastic packaging since they are easier to implement in packing houses, require less investment, and even outperform the most advanced packaging, such as modified atmosphere packaging,” claims Boker-Ferri.

“It is a commonly accepted assumption in our field that coatings should be tailored to the specific properties and traits of the coated commodity,” she adds.

Fresh produce is notoriously difficult to coat. “For example, a formulation developed for peppers should not typically work well on avocados, since the chemical composition and physical structure of their cuticle are different, as well as other physiological aspects, such as respiration rate and water reservoir.”

Sufresca’s coating is Food and Drug Administration Generally Recognized As Safe for all fruits and vegetables and complies with EU regulations for seleced fruits.

The start-up’s last seed investment amounted to US$3.5M, led by OurCrowd VC.Edible packaging expands
Last year, Boker-Ferri highlighted how Sufresca’s solutions are a “natural fit” for e-commerce in the booming home delivery sector. 

As long as they are actually eaten, edible solutions can help eradicate the ballooning issue of global waste. Earlier this year, Russian and Indian scientists created a water-soluble, edible film for food packaging, dissolving by 90% within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, UK design student Holly Grounds created instant noodle packaging manufactured from an edible and dissolvable potato starch-based film. 

Also, Wisefood and Spoontainable both offer portfolios of edible cutlery made from upcycled materials.