HAMBURG, GERMANY - Apeel, a warrior in the fight against food waste, has expanded its partnership with German-based company, the EDEKA Group, to utilize its signature Apeel technology to protect oranges and clementines. EDEKA and German grocer Netto Marken-Discount previously partnered with Apeel for its avocado program, and now the technology will be applied to the citrus varieties and launched in Netto stores.

EDEKA and Netto have partnered with Apeel before, previously launching Apeel’s avocados at selected stores at the end of 2019. Oranges and clementines are the next fruits to follow the avocado pilot project. In the future, Apeel’s plant-based protective coating will ensure longer-lasting freshness of EDEKA World Wildlife Fund oranges (1.5-kg bag), EDEKA SELECTION “Navel Gold” oranges (1-kg bag), as well as EDEKA SELECTION “ClemenGold” clementines (750-g Bag).

Apeel’s technology forms a protective layer consisting of plant-based materials around its fruit. The protective coating slows down water loss and penetration by oxygen—two major factors contributing to fruit and vegetable decay, according to a press release. This technology not only lowers the amount of food wasted, it also makes plastic foil unnecessary in many cases.

As with the avocados, consumers can expect to find the oranges and clementines in selected EDEKA stores throughout northern Germany and North-Rhine Westphalia, as well as at Netto stores in parts of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Lower Saxony. In 2020, these longer shelf-life products are scheduled to launch nation-wide across Germany.

For more news on technological partnerships in the industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Apeel Sciences