Edible Coating Cuts Plastic, Extends Produce Shelf Life

Your berries and tomatoes might soon come wrapped in labels you could technically eat, and that's actually great news for the planet.

Swiss agritech company AgroSustain and German packaging manufacturer Multivac have teamed up to tackle two major problems at once: mountains of plastic waste and tons of food rotting before it reaches consumers. Their solution combines science with simplicity in a way that works on existing equipment.

AgroSustain developed Afondo, an edible coating sprayed directly onto fresh produce right after harvest. The coating sticks to the fruit's natural wax layer and creates a thin, breathable barrier that slows down respiration and moisture loss. Think of it as giving an apple or avocado its own natural protective shield.

The results are impressive. Produce coated with Afondo lasts up to three weeks longer in cold storage and three to five extra days on store shelves, depending on the crop. The coating doesn't change how the fruit tastes, looks, or ripens, it just buys more time before it spoils.

Meanwhile, Multivac brings the packaging revolution with two systems called Topclose and Topwrap. Both use cardboard trays sealed with cellulose-based labels instead of plastic wrap. Topclose works for delicate berries, while Topwrap handles heartier produce like tomatoes and potatoes.

The machinery is fast too. Topclose processes up to 250 packs per minute, while Topwrap handles 150 packs per minute. That speed matters because grocery suppliers need solutions that work at scale, not just in small pilot programs.

The Ripple Effect

This collaboration addresses a supply chain problem that costs everyone. Roughly one-third of all food produced globally gets wasted, and much of that happens because produce spoils during transport and storage. Every piece of fruit that makes it to a dinner table instead of a landfill means less water, energy, and farmland wasted.

The plastic reduction matters just as much. Millions of tons of plastic packaging end up in oceans and landfills each year. Switching to paper and cellulose labels might seem like a small change, but when applied across entire supply chains, the impact multiplies quickly.

The technology works on existing packaging lines, which means farms and distributors don't need to rebuild their entire operations to adopt it. That practical approach could speed up adoption across the fresh produce industry.

Both technologies are already in use. Grocery stores in Europe are testing these systems now, which means the approach has moved beyond laboratory experiments into real-world application.

Fresh produce that stays fresh longer while ditching plastic packaging isn't just innovation, it's the kind of practical progress that makes sustainable living easier for everyone.