German discounter Netto Marken-Discount has introduced avocados coated in an innovate layer that prolongs the shelf life of the product.
The invisible coating, made of plant-based ingredients, has been developed by the US-based company, Apeel Sciences.
Netto has rolled out Chiquita avocados with the new coating as a measure to prevent food waste.
Longer Shelf Life
The coating slows down water loss and reduces the penetration of oxygen in food items, which are essential factors in ensuring a longer shelf life.
The odourless and tasteless coating contains only natural oils, derived from shells of fruit and vegetables.
Christina Stylianou, director of corporate communications at Netto Marken-Discount, said, "Apeel technology opens up new opportunities to keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer, helping to reduce the need to dispose of fewer items while providing the best value for money and further opportunities for packaging reduction."
Presently, the avocados have been introduced in parts of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein.
The discounter aims to introduce the product in all 4,260 Netto Marken-Discount stores in 2020.
Reducing Waste
In September of this year, Kroger announced plans to roll out avocados with Apeel coating in the US, while Asda said it was testing the technology with clementines in the UK.
Around 12 million tonnes of food is disposed of in Germany every year, which is equivalent to 75 kilograms per person, the retailer pointed out, quoting data from Thünen Institute.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
