India Freezes Fruits To Reduce Waste Impact
India Freezes Fruits To Reduce Waste Impact. Everyone knows that fruit can rot in a day or two. But these white sachets could change everything, offering a solution to the waste problem. And there are many of them. According to a 2021 UN report, food waste in India is estimated at around 5 kg per person every year. That’s a total of 70 million tonnes.
Food that is no longer edible adds to the problem of waste management, which accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. Agricultural company Greenpod Labs says it can extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables simply by adding white sachets to shipping containers. It’s a solution inspired by nature.
When fruit or vegetables are stored at room temperature, they are three times more likely to rot than in a refrigerator. This certainly makes refrigerators preferable. But it’s expensive infrastructure that requires a lot of capital and operating costs. That’s the downside. But our product works well at temperatures between 10°C and 40 or 50°C. So these sachets can replace refrigerators. These little sachets slow down the ripening process of the fruit by using natural extracts from plants.
In general, all plants or trees have a defense mechanism to fight infections. We use this strategy in our products. The volatile compounds stimulate defense mechanisms and help extend the shelf life of food for two days. So it’s completely natural. The company is committed to achieving the UN’s sustainable goal of drastically reducing food waste by 2030. Indeed, a large amount of food is damaged during transportation. The Greenpod Labs conducted an experiment with freshly harvested grapes. Ten days after harvest, at a temperature of 32°C, many of them had already rotted. And this is what the grapes would be like if the company’s products were used.
When transporting fruits and vegetables, the seller is exposed to economic losses in two stages. First, damage. Let’s say they transport 100 kg. 20 kg of them are damaged, and only 80 kg can be sold. This is one type of waste. Second, the 80 percent that are not damaged also deteriorate in quality, so they lose value. So the seller will only get 80 or 90 rupees, not 100.
The Greenpod company’s product is a solution to both of these problems, because it reduces the waste of fruits and vegetables from 20% to 1% or even less. So how can you prevent food waste as a consumer? For example, by buying food according to your needs. And share or distribute all the food you can no longer eat to friends, coworkers or neighbors. Or give it to the poor, by giving it to a food bank.