About 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year globally and much of the waste comes in the form of fresh produce. It's estimated that as much as half of harvested produce ends up in a landfill. If only there was a way to help extend the shelf-life of produce. It would cut down on food waste and improve economics for suppliers and retailers. James Rogers, founder of a company called Apeel Sciences, may have a solution...in the form of a solution.

Rogers came up with the idea while he was a doctoral student at UC Santa Barbara, studying the molecular basis of solar paint. He was horrified upon learning statistics about food waste, especially when people go hungry every single day. He is quoted in a Forbes article as saying, “My thought was, if people are going hungry because of perishability—and perishability is caused by water evaporating, and steel is perishable without its oxide barrier—could we solve the food perishability problem by creating a thin barrier for produce?”

Immediately going to work on the idea, Rogers formed Apeel Sciences and eventually developed a coating that can be sprayed onto produce which helps it stay fresh two to four times longer. Possibly the best part is that the coating is made from produce waste. That's right, using food to preserve food. Seeds, skin and pulp from common fruits are pressed down and the oil (lipids) that comes out is broken down to a molecular level. The lipids, which act as a natural barrier by keeping moisture in and oxygen out, are used to create a natural solution that is then applied to the produce.

For those worried about eating fruit with such a coating, it's safe to eat. It's made from plant-derived materials that are commonly found in foods. It's also fully compliant with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. The company says the coating is odorless and tasteless, so you shouldn't notice anything different when eating produce that has Apeel's coating on it.

Apeel produce is available in stores, although only avocados for now. Results seem promising and as sales for fresh foods increase faster than other grocery items, the potential could be huge for suppliers and retailers. In addition to fighting food waste, another aspect that excites Rogers is that produce sprayed with Apeel's coating could be shipped farther and longer, without needing refrigeration - this could cut down on energy use, too.

If you're interested in learning more about Apeel, you can visit its website. You'll find a cool video showing two groups of produce spoil - one side without Apeel's coating and the other side with Apeel's coating. You'll see that the produce with the Apeel coating outlasts regular produce by days, proving just how well it works.