A team of University of Maryland researchers has developed a seafood-waste-derived material capable of removing chemical pesticides and herbicides from produce and extending shelf life.

According to the researchers, the new material is derived from crab and shrimp shells and is designed to create a microscopically thin nanocrystal layer on treated produce, thus removing chemical residues.

Graphical abstract. Source: Matter (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2024.06.004

In a bid to improve the safety of foods such as fruits and vegetables that encounter pesticide residues — which have been linked to severe health problems, including increased risks of cancer, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and Alzheimer's disease, among other issues — are often cleaned with products like vinegar, soda solutions and hydrogen peroxide. However, such solutions tend to be ineffective or damage the produce's appearance and taste. Likewise, washing the produce may shorten it shelf life with the infliction of "micro-wounds" like bruises on the fruits' surface.

As such, the researchers created the porous material composed of chitosan (an ingredient in shellfish waste) in combination with copper with its antimicrobial properties, and applied a thin layer of it to strawberries.

When tested, the material was found to be effective at enhancing the fruit's shelf life and was easily rinsed off.

The technology is detailed in the article, “Ion-chelated porous chitosan nanocrystal for highly efficient postharvest preservation,” which appears in the journal Matter.