Sufresca Coatings

Peppers in Sufresca coatings / Source: Sufresca

AsiaEdibleFood & BeverageFood GradeMoisture BarrierOxygen Barrier PackagingSouth AmericaSufresca CoatingsTransparent

WHAT WE SAY:

The plastic industry has long convinced us that food needs to be protected with plastic for longevity, a ‘fact’ that is rapidly being disproven.

Sufresca’s upcoming bio-based coatings have the potential to eliminate this argument all together, preserving and protecting food throughout the supply chain without causing excessive waste. What’s more, Sufresca has found a way to apply this coating to more than just avocados. If you’re working with fresh produce, keep an eye on this 2023 launch and be first to market with the next generation of protective coatings.

Sufresca Coatings

WHAT IS SUFRESCA COATINGS?

Sufresca coatings, by Israeli company Sufresca, are edible, bio-based coatings for fresh produce, designed to prolong shelf-life without plastic and stop food from degrading.
The coatings are demonstrably successful on whole fruits and vegetables, dry bulbs and fresh snacks. Unlike competitors, Sufresca has focused on coating fruit and vegetables that are challenging to protect and typically unsuitable for traditional wax coatings. It can even be used on pomegranate arils.
The water-based coating is applied post-harvest using existing spraying and dipping technologies, making it an easily adoptable and scalable solution.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Edible
Food Grade
Moisture Barrier
Oxygen Barrier
Transparent

INDUSTRY:

Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Partner Trials

DIVE DEEPER:

According to the UNEP, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption each year is wasted, equating to 1.3 billion tonnes.
Fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food, with their global quantitative food waste per year being 40-50%, compared to 20% for meat and dairy.
Sufresca coatings are available in three varieties. The film coating for onions and garlic - providing a physical defence against pests; the edible coating for fresh fruit and vegetables; and the selective coating, which acts as a bandage, sealing cuts on the surface of produce to seal in moisture and reconstitute the hydrophobic integrity of the surface.
Launching in 2023, and currently being trialled in Mexico, it has not yet been said what the coatings are made from. Their purpose, however, is to create a protective barrier on fresh produce, prolonging the lifespan from harvest to consumption, increasing the time window for transportation and sale and reducing food waste overall.
Unlike traditional wax coatings, the coatings are partially breathable, allowing for gas exchange. This keeps moisture in and controls respiration, protecting the food from degradation. Edible, transparent, odorless and thin, the coatings do not affect the appearance or taste of food.
The coatings can be applied at any point along the supply chain, however greater benefits are seen the earlier in the process they are applied. They are effective under a variety of conditions; ambient, cold and changing.
Sufresca coatings are biodegradable, and will decompose along with the produce if left whole or the peel is removed.
All coatings are identified as GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) by the FDA and are suitable for organic produce.
As an early-stage startup, Sufresca is currently developing its technology and trialling with growers and distributers. There are no current retail applications. Early indications of success are positive. According to the company, after three weeks in cold storage, a Sufresca-coated cucumber only loses 6% of its weight, as opposed to 13% of an uncoated cucumber. After three weeks in ambient temperature, a Sufresca-coated cherry tomato only loses 22% of its weight, as opposed to 38% of an uncoated cherry tomato.
Sufresca has received the award for the Most Innovative Processing Technology from the Fi Europe Startup Innovation Awards (2020).

Supermarket fruit and vegetable display / Source: Shutterstock

Greenhouse research centre / Source: Sufresca

KEY FACTS:

1.3 billion tn

Roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption each year is wasted, equating to 1.3 billion tonnes.

6%

A Sufresca-coated cucumber only loses 6% of its weight, opposed to 13% of an uncoated cucumber.

40-50%

Fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food, with their global quantitative food waste per year being 40-50%.

Key Questions to Ask:

How will you make consumers aware of the use of Sufresca coatings, given they are ‘invisible?'

Point of sale communications are key here and educational literature will help squash any fears about health and safety implications. Tell consumers exactly what the coating is made from.

On that note, the first questions you should ask are: 'what are these coatings made from,' ‘how are they made’ and ‘does the sourcing and end-of-life of the ingredients have any impact on the planet?’

These answers are not yet available for us to give you. Let’s keep asking.

How much water is needed in the application of these coatings?

Determine if the process is optimised or if water wastage occurs and, if so, how this can be reduced or eliminated.

Are you transporting the produce to be coated?

If so, consider if the benefit is greater than the transport emissions. But as renewables become the go-to for transport in the coming years, this will become a moot point.

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Sufresca Coatings

WHAT WE SAY:

The plastic industry has long convinced us that food needs to be protected with plastic for longevity, a ‘fact’ that is rapidly being disproven.

WHAT IS SUFRESCA COATINGS?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Partner Trials

DIVE DEEPER:

According to the UNEP, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption each year is wasted, equating to 1.3 billion tonnes.

Fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food, with their global quantitative food waste per year being 40-50%, compared to 20% for meat and dairy.

Unlike traditional wax coatings, the coatings are partially breathable, allowing for gas exchange. This keeps moisture in and controls respiration, protecting the food from degradation. Edible, transparent, odorless and thin, the coatings do not affect the appearance or taste of food.

The coatings can be applied at any point along the supply chain, however greater benefits are seen the earlier in the process they are applied. They are effective under a variety of conditions; ambient, cold and changing.

Sufresca coatings are biodegradable, and will decompose along with the produce if left whole or the peel is removed.

All coatings are identified as GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) by the FDA and are suitable for organic produce.

Sufresca has received the award for the Most Innovative Processing Technology from the Fi Europe Startup Innovation Awards (2020).

KEY FACTS:

1.3 billion tn

6%

40-50%

Key Questions to Ask:

How will you make consumers aware of the use of Sufresca coatings, given they are ‘invisible?'

On that note, the first questions you should ask are: 'what are these coatings made from,' ‘how are they made’ and ‘does the sourcing and end-of-life of the ingredients have any impact on the planet?’

How much water is needed in the application of these coatings?

Are you transporting the produce to be coated?

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