Coronavirus lockdowns have exacerbated the problem of food waste. Up to 40% of food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. Apeel Sciences is hoping to reduce that by making fruits and vegetables keep longer.
It was this dichotomy that inspired James Rogers, then a PhD student in materials science at UC Santa Barbara, to startin 2010. “The problem isn’t production, it’s amortization of supply,” he says. “The food system right now is really great for people who can participate. But there are a lot of people who aren’t participating.”
But that shift in consumption has brought new challenges. Grocery stores generally don’t profit on produce, regarding it as a loss leader to get shoppers into the store. As the number of weekly grocery store trips per household hasfrom 2.3 to 1, shoppers began filling their carts differently, buying in bulk and preferring foods that will keep longer. “For a grocer who’s basing purchases on what you purchased the same time last year, it challenging to manage that inventory,” Rogers said.
Searching for a way to slow that process, Rogers, who earned his undergraduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, thought of the way a thin chemical layer keeps stainless steel from rusting. He thought he could do something like that, until his Santa Barbara friends pointed out no one who spends $6 for organic strawberries wants them treated with chemicals.
Over the next 14 days, the avocados in one box softened and blackened while those in the other box hit peak ripeness and stayed there. “It’s one thing to hear about it. It’s another thing to see it with your own eyes,” said Vijay Pande, who oversees the firm’s life sciences fund. Andreessen Horowitz ended up leading Apeel’s subsequent $33-million funding round.
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
China may become one of many hubs as companies diversify manufacturing after coronavirus shockFor many businesses, adjusting supply chains in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic means expanding from China, not necessarily leaving, some analysts say.
Weiterlesen »
The Queen Is Still Participating in One of Her Longest-Running Traditions Despite CoronavirusThis year, the Chelsea Flower Show is going virtual, and the queen kicked off the annual celebration with a letter from Windsor Castle.
Weiterlesen »
Dr. Birx says curbing coronavirus cases 'only works if we all follow the guidelines and protect one another''We really made it clear that during this reopening social gatherings should not be more than 10 people,' the White House coronavirus response coordinator cautioned.
Weiterlesen »
Column One: 'You don't know that feeling of terror': Wuhan's survivors find no closure from the coronavirusBeijing has made a hero of Wuhan, the sacrificial city whose people struggled and died to stop a virus. But many in Wuhan remember they didn&39;t ask to be sacrificed.
Weiterlesen »