Food waste is a major issue that affects not just our environment but also our economy and society. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), an estimated 931 million tons of food are wasted every year, with a significant portion of this waste occurring in households, retail, and the food service industry.
Stickers that maintain the freshness of food are becoming an increasingly popular solution for reducing food waste and promoting sustainability. These stickers can help extend the shelf-life of food products by slowing down the process of spoilage and decay. In recent years, several startups have emerged that are working on developing innovative solutions in this space.
Freshness stickers are small labels affixed to the packaging which maintain the freshness of the products. The sticker does this by absorbing the oxygen inside the packaging to avoid food spoilage naturally as opposed to using artificial preservatives.
Oxygen is one of the main reasons for food spoilage. The Freshness Sticker absorbs the oxygen to retain the product’s freshness. The sticker contains natural, non-toxic raw materials.
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The Freshness Sticker enables natural food preservation without adding any preservatives. Without the Freshness Sticker, the product would be spoiled sooner.
Moreover, the Freshness Sticker has been developed specifically for food preservation. Except for absorbing oxygen within the packaging, it has no other impact on the food itself or people’s health. The freshness sticker complies with EU and US FDA regulations.
Freshness for longer
To address this problem, an American-based company called Ryp Labs has developed a food-grade sticker called StixFresh. The sticker is designed to help keep produce fresher for longer, reducing the amount of food waste that occurs in homes and businesses.
StixFresh works by using a blend of natural, food-safe ingredients that create a protective layer around fruits and vegetables. This layer helps to slow down the process of ripening and decay, extending the shelf-life of produce by up to two weeks. The stickers are easy to apply and can be used on a variety of produce, including avocados, citrus fruits, and bananas.
In addition to helping reduce food waste, StixFresh also has the potential to improve food security by increasing the availability of fresh produce. By extending the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables, the stickers can help ensure that more produce is available for consumption, reducing the need for farmers to overproduce and potentially lowering the cost of fresh produce for consumers.
Ryp Labs is not the only company working on developing stickers to reduce food waste. Several other startups and established companies are also working on similar solutions, including Bluonics and Mimica. These stickers have the potential to significantly reduce food waste and promote sustainability, making it easier for people to access fresh, healthy food while also helping to address a major global challenge.
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