While working on his PhD in Materials, Apeel Sciences Founder and CEO James Rogers will tell you he spent a few years “watching paint dry” in an effort to develop an energy-harvesting solar paint that would help democratize clean energy.
One day, driving through lush farmland on his way home to Santa Barbara from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, he heard a story on the radio about global hunger and wondered how can so many people be hungry if we’re able to grow such an abundance of food?
It turns out that there isn’t an issue with growing the food we need — the culprit is spoilage.
Inspired by nature’s strategy for preservation, James and the Apeel Sciences team went to work building a barrier out of edible plant materials that would slow down the rate of spoilage.
Apeel Sciences was founded in 2012 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Today, Apeel Sciences has developed products for dozens of USDA Organic Certified and conventional produce categories, and the company works with partners ranging from smallholder farmers and local organic growers to the world’s largest food brands to make better quality, more sustainable produce possible.
Apeel is a family of plant-derived coatings that fresh food growers, suppliers, and retailers use to keep produce fresh. Produce with Apeel stays fresh two to three times longer, which promotes more sustainable growing practices, better quality food, and less food waste for everyone. For growers, suppliers, and retailers, Apeel is the only postharvest solution that creates an optimal microclimate inside every piece of produce, which leads to extended shelf life and transportability — with reduced reliance on refrigeration and controlled atmosphere.
Apeel keeps moisture inside produce and oxygen out, which dramatically slows the rate that produce spoils. By maintaining moisture and reducing oxidation, Apeel supports the plant’s natural abilities to protect against environmental stressors.
When produce is fresh, it not only looks better but more importantly it tastes better and contains a higher density of nutrients. Apeel makes it possible for growers to optimize their practices and avoid harvesting before ripeness, allowing fruits and vegetables to develop full quality (from nutrition and delicious flavor to appearance and texture) before they embark on the journey to the grocery store.
Apeel is made of plant-derived materials — lipids and glycerolipids — that exist in the peels, seeds, and pulp of all the fruits and vegetables we already eat.
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*All information is self-reported by the company
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