- Advertisement - Apeel avocados debut on store shelves in new market December 13, 2019 Food technology startup Apeel Sciences, headqurtered in California, announced that in partnership with Nature’s Pride — a leading supplier of produce in Europe — Apeel avocados are now on store shelves in Europe. Since Apeel and Nature’s Pride joined forces to tackle the European food waste crisis earlier this year, the European Commission authorized the use of the ingredients in Apeel’s plant-derived coating that has already demonstrated a greater than 50 percent food waste reduction 1 / 3 on average at the retail level in the U.S. “Approval of Apeel’s technology in Europe demonstrates the European Commission’s commitment to addressing our planet’s massive food waste crisis, which is now understood to be a top contributor to climate change,” said James Rogers, chief executive officer and founder of Apeel Sciences. “Our U.S. partners are realizing the value of Apeel and are halving their food waste in many cases. Our next critical step is assisting retailers across Europe in their efforts to reduce waste, while simultaneously improving profits and enabling customers to enjoy fresh, high-quality produce with a longer shelf life and ripe time.” The U.S.-developed, groundbreaking Apeel technology extends the shelf life of avocados with an invisible, tasteless coating that is sprayed on the produce and keeps moisture inside and oxygen out, thereby slowing the rate of spoilage. When the Santa Barbara-based company — which is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — realized the dramatic reduction in U.S. food waste, it was prompted to expand its impact globally. “Every day we work across the entire chain to create innovative solutions that will make the world healthier and more sustainable,” said Adriëlle Dankier, chief commercial officer at Nature’s Pride. “Apeel allows us to significantly reduce food waste, so we are extremely proud that the result of our intensive cooperation has now reached the shelves. We look forward to reaching more consumers in Europe with our products with Apeel.” As Apeel’s supply partner in Europe, Nature’s Pride is bringing Apeel avocados to Edeka and Netto in Germany, and Salling Group (formerly Dansk Supermarked A/S) stores Føtex and Bilka in 2 / 3 Denmark. “We constantly deal with innovations in the fruit and vegetable segment, since fruit and vegetables are the calling card of our stores, and we look forward to cooperating with Apeel Sciences,” said Rolf Lange, head of corporate communications at Edeka Zentrale AG & Co KG, in Hamburg, Germany. According to the European Commission, food waste in Europe has reached a staggering 88 million tonnes annually, with associated costs estimated at 143 billion euros. In German households alone, every eighth grocery item is thrown away. That results in 6.7 million tonnes of food going to waste in homes every year. Calculated per person, that equals wasting two fully packed shopping carts yearly with a merchandise value of 234 euros. “Food waste is a major challenge that puts a strain on the environment,” said Stephan Bruhn, director at Salling Group in Brabrand, Denmark. “This is why this is a high-priority area in Salling Group and we are investing in solutions and initiatives to ensure that we reach our goal: a 50 percent reduction in food waste leading up to 2030. We are certain that Apeel can help make a difference, not only for us, but also for customers and households. Therefore, we look forward to introducing the solution in Denmark.” Consumers will recognize Apeel produce by the Apeel brandmark on labels, stickers, and in-store signage. And while Apeel avocados are the first Apeel produce category to arrive in Europe, other categories are expected to rollout in the future. Print Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) 3 / 3.