Nabi

Post-harvest peach packing / Source: Shutterstock

AsiaEdibleFood & BeverageMoisture BarrierNabiOdour ResistantOxygen Barrier PackagingTransparent

WHAT WE SAY:

Citrus fruits have long been waxed to keep them fresh and shiny, and now the concept is being applied to other fruits in a bid to tackle food waste. A lack of temperature controlled storage in the supply chain is causing 40 million tons of Indian produce to go to waste, so Nabi developed a wheat-based coating to extend shelf-life at ambient temperatures.

Similar in concept to Apeel and NatuWrap, Nabi’s invention not only reduces food waste but saves the costs and energy use that come with refrigeration. A patent has been filed but a question mark remains as to whether this potentially revolutionising innovation will make it to market.

Nabi

WHAT IS NABI?

Nabi (National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute) of Mohali, India has patented a technology for the production of edible fruit coatings intended to extend the overall shelf-life of perishable fresh fruit crops.
The edible, non-toxic coating works by reducing the rate at which water leaves and oxygen enters, the produce.
It is derived from agricultural waste from the cultivation of wheat straw and oat bran and is designed to be applied post-harvest.
Nabi’s patented coating has so far been successfully tested for application on apples, peaches and bananas, each demonstrating significant improvement against uncoated fruits.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Edible
Moisture Barrier
Odour Resistant
Oxygen Barrier
Transparent

INDUSTRY:

Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Development Stage

DIVE DEEPER:

The UN estimates that one-third of all food produced globally goes to waste, some of which is attributed to spoilage during transit.
The limited availability of cold chain storage in hotter climates like India’s exacerbates this problem, with around 30% of fruit and vegetables grown in India wasted through these cold chain gaps alone. As the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, this wastage equates to USD 13 billion worth of fruit and vegetables lost annually.
While a lack of robust cold chain storage can be resolved through the introduction of infrastructure, the projected cost for an adequate system is significant at USD 60 per cubic metre, opposed to USD 30 per cubic metre in the west. The imbalance is also present in energy expenses, which represent 28% of total expenses in India, versus just 10% in the west.
The Nabi coating was conceived to be a viable, affordable alternative to increasing the cold chain storage provision in India. Derived from polysaccharides extracted from wheat straw and oat bran, the coating is economical to produce using locally grown raw materials.
The cost to coat one pound of apples is approximately Rs 0.9-1.5 (USD 0.0117-0.0195) assuming three apples to the pound. This is financially equivalent to Natuwrap, however it is more appropriate to the Indian market as it utilises readily available local crops.
India is currently the second largest producer of wheat crops globally, after China and Nabi claims the coatings can be manufactured from their agricultural waste.
The water-based coating can be applied post-harvest either on the farm or in the packing house depending on available facilities at each location.
In testing, the coatings have shown to extend the post-harvest quality of apples during a storage period of 30 days. Peaches showed reduced weight loss and delayed ripening during a storage period of seven to 10 days, and bananas maintained “uniform ripening without significant blackening” at room temperature for up to seven days.
The producers hope that the bio-based coating will become a viable alternative to traditional wax or animal-based shellac coatings for Indian produce. It outperformed the shellac alternative in trials.
In 2020, Nabi enlisted R.G. Industries for the scaling and commercialisation of the technology.

The National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, India / Source: Nabi

Banana harvest / Source: Shutterstock

KEY FACTS:

40 million tn

A lack of temperature controlled storage in the supply chain is causing 40 million tons of Indian produce to go to waste.

$13bn

As the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, this wastage equates to USD 13 billion worth of fruit and vegetables lost annually.

Key Questions to Ask:

How will you communicate the use of the coatings?

The Nabi coatings are transparent, odourless and tasteless. Could you follow in Apeel’s footsteps and add a branded fruit sticker to promote the presence of the coating? Doing so, however, could negate any plastic-free messaging as many adhesives are plastic-based. Ensure this is a point of difference for your brand to maintain Plastic Free status.

Do you need secondary packaging?

Nabi’s coating prevents spoilage but does not protect the fruit in transit. Consider what protective packaging you may need and explore plastic-free options, such as paper or compostable foams.

Can you explore lower carbon transit options?

Could you take advantage of the longer shelf-life and utilise slower, low-carbon transit options? This may impact shelf-life at the consumer end, however.

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NatuWrap

MATERIAL

An edible, transparent, odourless coating for fruit and vegetables, which extends shelf life better than plastic packaging.

Sufresca Coatings

MATERIAL

This innovative bio-based coating helps preserve fruit and vegetables without plastic, reducing food waste and extending shelf-life.

NatureFlex

MATERIAL

A cellulose-based, compostable alternative to thin plastic flexibles.

Apeel

MATERIAL

An invisible plant-based coating that gives fresh produce superpowers, extending shelf life by up to three times.

Nabi

WHAT WE SAY:

WHAT IS NABI?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Development Stage

DIVE DEEPER:

The UN estimates that one-third of all food produced globally goes to waste, some of which is attributed to spoilage during transit.

The Nabi coating was conceived to be a viable, affordable alternative to increasing the cold chain storage provision in India. Derived from polysaccharides extracted from wheat straw and oat bran, the coating is economical to produce using locally grown raw materials.

The cost to coat one pound of apples is approximately Rs 0.9-1.5 (USD 0.0117-0.0195) assuming three apples to the pound. This is financially equivalent to Natuwrap, however it is more appropriate to the Indian market as it utilises readily available local crops.

India is currently the second largest producer of wheat crops globally, after China and Nabi claims the coatings can be manufactured from their agricultural waste.

The water-based coating can be applied post-harvest either on the farm or in the packing house depending on available facilities at each location.

The producers hope that the bio-based coating will become a viable alternative to traditional wax or animal-based shellac coatings for Indian produce. It outperformed the shellac alternative in trials.

In 2020, Nabi enlisted R.G. Industries for the scaling and commercialisation of the technology.

KEY FACTS:

40 million tn

$13bn

Key Questions to Ask:

How will you communicate the use of the coatings?

Do you need secondary packaging?

Can you explore lower carbon transit options?

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