Food retailers Edeka, Marktkauf and Netto Marken-Discount are expanding their range of fresh products with the Apeel protective coating to include grapefruits and lemons. The edible Apeel protective coating extends the shelf life and saves on plastic packaging.
Apeel was developed by the US company of the same name. The process works on the basis of vegetable fats. The lipids and glycerolipids are contained in the peel, seeds and flesh of all types of fruit and vegetables. The Apeel protective layer therefore consists of components that are also regularly consumed as part of a normal diet. This distinguishes Apeel The use of a synthetically produced sugar derivative is also possible. Plastic packaging for transport and retail can be completely dispensed with.
How the Apeel protective coating works
The Apeel formula of plant origin acts as a kind of second (protective) skin. The Apeel protective layer ensures that less water evaporates from the inside through the actual shell and at the same time less oxygen can penetrate from the outside. This creates a second skin Optimum microclimateThe fruit can continue to breathe, while the ripening process slows down considerably. Neither the flavour nor the smell of the food is affected. But the Shelf life of the products is significantly extended by Apeel.
A pilot trial in 2,900 Edeka and Netto shops over a period of twelve weeks at the beginning of 2020 had already shown that this was possible: The amount of avocados that had to be sorted out in the store was reduced by 50 per cent thanks to Apeel. And, an interesting detail: the Customer demand increased significantly in the participating stores. Subsequently, Edeka had Products with the „plant-based freshness safe“ introduced nationwide. Up to now, the offer included Avocados, oranges, clementines and mandarins. The Edeka Group and Apeel say they are working on developing further fruit and vegetable varieties with the Apeel protective layer on the market in Germany.
Source: EDEKA ZENTRALE Stiftung & Co. KG
