Protective coatings for fruits and vegetables
The Need:
Fruits and vegetables suffer from deterioration due to loss of dry matter and, to a limited extent, evapotranspiration of water from the detached fruit. In addition, spoilage, decline in cellular turgor, and fruit softening occur due to enzymatic cell-wall breakdown in aging fruits and vegetables. Consequently, there is an acute need for protective coatings that can slow down these processes and extend the shelf-life of the produce.
The Solution:
Novel polymer formulations (film-type and emulsion-type) for fruit and vegetable coatings are being developed, along with suitable application techniques. Efficient film coatings for garlic and onion, and new formulations for glossy fruits (as pepper, avocado and citrus) have already been developed that successfully reduce fresh and dry weight loss, as well as spoilage during storage.
IP:
Edible coatings for plant matter – US 2015/0079248 A1; Australia Patent No. 2013239074
Edible Morpholine – free coating formulations – WO 2016/084094 A1
Market Potential:
Approximately 25 to 80% of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables are lost to spoilage, resulting in huge economic loss and food waste, in particular in developing countries in the warm tropical and subtropical regions, where cold storage and other means of shelf-life extension (sheds for protection from the elements, modulated atmosphere, and more) are rarely available. One method for post-harvest shelf-life extension under ambient conditions is the use of edible coatings as a substitute for energy-intensive refrigeration and costly controlled-atmosphere storage.
Company Vision:
To employ new coating formulations and apply edible protective films for biotechnology, fresh and processed produce, food as well as related industries (chemical, pharmaceutical, and medical fields).
The Team:
Prof. Amos Nussinovitch
Prof. Haim D. Rabinowitch
Dr. Yonatan Elkind
Mr. Zahi Rabinovitz, Food Technologist and Chef