Israeli startup Sufresca has developed an edible spray that adds weeks to the life of produce.

To replace commonly used wax coatings and plastic wraps in the food packaging industry, the Sufresca team developed the edible coating, which is composed of water, fatty acids and polysaccharides.

Source: Sufresca

The coating, which is odorless and tasteless, creates a less than 1 micron-thin layer of breathable barrier on produce that slows down the depletion of both nutrients and water that occurs following harvesting, thereby leading to food drying out and eventually rotting.

As such, the Sufresca coating is expected to reduce the amount of food waste and plastic packaging associated with produce.

According to the Sufresca team, each type of produce needs to be coated in a slightly different mixture of the same ingredients that is dictated according to the produce’s water content, and its peel or skin. So far, different coatings have already been developed for cucumber, mango, avocado, tomato, garlic, onion and pomegranate seeds.