Apeel: A Solution to Food Waste - Jenny Du

Hi everybody, and welcome to this week's Talking Biotech podcast by Collabra. Now, anybody that knows me knows that one of my real pet peeves is food waste, and nothing breaks my heart more than seeing perfectly good food thrown away, especially because of a minor cosmetic problem. And I'm the guy in the grocery store who's searching for the orphan fruit, you know, that piece of fruit or vegetable that's damaged with a little bit of a blemish, maybe something sitting off to the side like those solo bananas that get Separated from the bunch. I always find those and I take those home. And I have to, because I'm married to a farmer and I know what it takes to grow a piece of fruit or a vegetable. I just know, you know, it's a lot of work and a lot of inputs to get that product. I also work with a really great group at the University of Florida who are awesome in the study of post-harvest biology. And this is a discipline that studies how fruit and vegetables decay. And how you can slow it down. So I love the technology here. You have ice cold baths that do supercooling in the field immediately after harvest. You have gigantic air conditioners that you back pallets of fruit and vegetables up against that blow cold air into them immediately after the field. We have treatment with ethylene inhibitors. We have genetic engineering, and there's all kinds of ways that this can be done. And ensure that it's somebody's nutrition. And that's when I fell in love with Apeel because I first learned about this technology and thought this is another part of the puzzle to solve the problem of food waste. So today we'll talk to Jenny Du. She's the co-founder and senior vice president of operations at Apeel. So welcome to the podcast, Jenny.

Hi, thanks so much for having, having me and us. Yeah.

Well, yeah, this is great. I just love the idea of this technology and You know, there's some questions floating around and I would love to clarify that for everybody so that we're all on the same page. So, you know, we're trying to feed 10 billion people by 2050. That's the old adage. And one place where we can really work on solving this problem is food waste. So how big is this problem and how different is it in the industrialized and developing world?

So food waste is actually a huge issue. We throw away about, you know, the estimates are a third of the food that we produce. So a third of that never makes it to have a chance to be eaten. When we look at fresh fruit and vegetables as an even higher perishable category, the waste rates can be on the order of 40 to 50%. So very, very meaningful numbers. I want to touch briefly on, and I'll come back to your question around the industrialized versus developing world and the how these issues show up differently in those different contexts. But I don't think that folks also realize that food waste itself, beyond the inputs that were required to produce that food, the emissions then that are there along the way, that food waste in landfill, for example, is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. So 8% of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to food waste. And so if green— if food waste was a country, it actually would be the 3rd highest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. So you've got this issue with regards to being able to actually feed people, getting food, you know, from production all the way into really like to people's tummies, perishability of these produce categories, then the issue of the emissions from the waste that's in landfill. And for us, I think the, in the industrialized world, we have the benefit of refrigeration, just like you talked about at the opening there. The ability to have the infrastructure to really maintain this cold chain. It's such a big part from a post-harvest perspective of being able to get food to end consumers. In emerging markets, it's a much different challenge because that infrastructure may not exist, or if it exists, it's not as reliable. And so we actually see that in emerging markets, that food loss and waste may be a bigger issue early on in the supply chain. And then folks are not as wasteful, let's say, in retail, at food service, and at home. But in industrialized or developed markets, that we have a much higher proportion of waste Later in the supply chain, kind of closer to the end user.

Yeah, I think people don't appreciate that post-harvest supply chain, that as soon as you pick that fruit, that strawberry, that tomato, that head of lettuce, it immediately is starting to break down. And so how do you slow that process? Because when it gets to the market, what are the traits or what are the facets of post-harvest breakdown? that really turn off a consumer?

There's, we would kind of break down ways in which produce can decay into 2 buckets. One might be, we call like biological stressors, like mold that you might see starting to form. And then the other side are environmental from just losing moisture. So water that's evaporating, you know, out of the skin of that produce. And also this produce is really, it's still breathing. So every time it does that, it's oxidizing. At the same time. So we see water loss and oxidation in one bucket, you know, mold or biological pressure, pests on the other side. We definitely all at first kind of eat with our eyes, so to speak. So there are just appearance aspects, and I'm kind of going actually beyond like misshapen fruit, you know, but you start to see, let's say, As fruit's starting to lose that moisture, it starts to shrink and start to shrivel up. You know, so you kind of go and you pick up that apple and its skin's a little wrinkly or that red bell pepper and it's wrinkly. And like already, I think a lot of us are sort of turned off. There's a visual aspect, but a lot of that also then translates into what's likely from a textural perspective. And therefore, you know, does it have the crunch that you would expect it to have anymore? Would it be as juicy as you'd want it to have? And that's all still, you know, before we get to really like flavor and other attributes as well. So, you know, whether things are ripened, ripened enough, maybe ripened too far, and then those lead into other issues as well. But these are all kinds of quality traits that impact really our ability to enjoy fresh produce and, you know, and affects our selection of fresh produce.

Yeah, it, it's very true. I, I know that so many people who, if it just starts to even turn a little funny color or, you know, the banana gets a little brown or, I mean, that's when it's in its, that's when it's in its prime in my book. But there's so many people that just automatically turn off to it. And it's such a shame because it still took the same energy to make it, to fertilize, to, to get someone to harvest it, to plant it, to fumigate the soil in here in Florida. All the things you have to do in order to get that fruit grown, drive it across the country, have people handle it. There's so many touchpoints and all of this has a cost. And that final, that there's so much invested in that final item at the grocery store. So the big trick here is to make that thing last longer. And so how does Apeel play into that?

Yeah. So our products, especially the first in our family, this Ed-Apeel and Organ-Apeel family. What we're looking to do is address that water loss and oxidation issue. And so really, like amazingly, you know, plants have all evolved to have some kind of a skin or peel or cuticle. It is what helps them as much as it, our skin helps us do exactly that, retain moisture, reduce oxidation. Um, and so the basis of Apeel was, you know, taking inspiration into like, hey, wait, how do plants protect themselves? Uh, what are the building blocks or the ingredients that plants use to protect themselves, um, in the building blocks of their peels, for example? And, you know, can we just basically bolster that, you know, add a little extra peel basically onto fresh fruits and vegetables in order to help it, um, retain moisture for longer, resist oxidation for a little bit longer. Um, and so it's just slowing those processes down, um, by, you know, putting on this little extra barrier that's, um, intentionally chosen with materials that are edible, things that your body recognizes and knows how to use for energy, just as you would bite into an apple peel or tomato peel. Um, just in the same way.

And then like it would limit moisture from escaping. Does it have an antimicrobial role? Because when you look at, say, you know, fungal or bacterial issues on fruits and vegetables, so many of those start, you know, at the flower, you know, and are there the entire time the fruit is developing, waiting for a time to catch on. So does a peel hinder those processes?

So the EdaPeel formulation doesn't. It's really just these fatty acids that are there for the barrier protection. We do have a version though for use in organic produce, and it incorporates citric acid a bit as that active ingredient in order to provide a bit more of like a mold-like inhibition. And especially because organic growers don't have maybe access to the same kinds of tools and inputs that are available to conventional growers. And so that's why You know, organic product was formulated a little bit differently, although it shares some similarities with the, um, the EttaPeel product.

Yeah. The big difference being that organic growers can only use organic produce. OMRI certification requires that it be a non-synthetic product. So citric acid, part of every, part of all of our metabolism, um, whether you're a plant or an animal. So no big surprise there. It just goes right into nutrition, right? So. Very good. So we're speaking with Jenny Du. She's the co-founder and senior vice president of operations at Apeel. This is the Talking Biotech Podcast. We'll be back in just a moment. And now we're back on the Talking Biotech Podcast. We're speaking with Jenny Du. She's the senior vice president of operations at Apeel and also the co-founder of Apeel. And we're talking about a fruit and vegetable coating, a produce coating. Not the plant, but the plant product that helps me retain moisture and helps keep products looking good. So they're more likely to find a person to eat them. Because if produce is not consumed, it doesn't count. So that's one of something very important to me. So let's talk a little bit more about Apeel itself. What exactly is it in terms of a chemistry? And how did you figure it out?

Yeah. Yeah. So the, when we look at what peels themselves are made of, of fruits and vegetables, you find fatty acids, fatty acids connected to glycerol. So that is exactly what our ingredients are, these glycerides, monoglycerides. We use plant-derived sources in order to formulate our products, uh, in order to basically apply this second skin.

And fatty acids connected to glycerol. These are the things we think about as fats, as lipids, and plants have fats just like animals have fats. And they play an important role in metabolism. And in the case of plants, structure of that cuticle or that plant skin.

Yeah.

Both of them have, both of them have, have an epidermis, by the way. That's right.

Yeah.

Uh, so what is it about these specific fatty acids? You mentioned monoglycerides, diglycerides, what's going on Yeah.

So, so going back to your point around like, these are like lipid or fat materials, like fatty materials. So when we think of our dietary fats, they're triglycerides. And when our body actually has to digest them, we metabolize them into diglycerides, monoglycerides. So it is a connection between a single fatty acid chain And glycerol. And it's how our bodies really actually break fats down to use them for energy and for building blocks of our cells.

Yeah. So, so this compound that you're applying is completely edible, is nothing unusual, and is something that plants or animals actually have as part of metabolism.

Yeah. If you're eating, you know, any of your dietary fats, as we all do, In some way, shape, or form, you know, over the course of our regular diet in a day, we're already eating, you know, tens of grams of, of this, of these materials.

And what are the most important fruits and vegetables to protect?

Oh, great question. Importance, I guess, is a little bit in the eye of the beholder, potentially. Which ones would we say are like Very high value, high perishability. Would you choose it based on sort of nutrition density, for example? So we've started so far on avocados and citrus categories, but imagine the benefits extending to things like berries and— Because these like other superfoods. But I can explain a little bit more, you know, maybe why like avocados would be of interest to extend the life of, and what does that mean for berries or even other categories like tomatoes and stuff in the future?

Yeah, sure. I think that's great. 'Cause avocados, we know are good inside this finite little window when it's, you know, it's, it's, it's got a Goldilocks zone. That it's, it's not quite there and then it's perfect. And then the next day it's not. So how are these particularly applicable to avocados?

Yeah. The problem you outlined is, is exactly that. You know, we've got a great source here of, of healthy fats. It's a very nutrient-rich, very nutrient-dense, but it's true. It's like you, and they're expensive. Like you bring them home and you've got this, you've, it's like, it's been a meme now. It's so popular, right? You're waiting, you're waiting. Not yet, not yet, not yet. Ready?

On.

It sort of falls off a cliff. And so there's a very finite window that if you're not really able to use the avocado, then, you know, it's, it's gone to waste. And so back to then, you know, the expense and whatnot. So imagine you've got a perfect window for slicing it for avocado toast, you know, just enough to sort of hold its structure, but still has that creaminess that you want and expect out of an avocado. Something that might on a normal avocado just give you like a day, a day and a half of a window with our, you know, adding a little extra second skin, you can extend that to like 3 days, 4 days. So suddenly just the opportunity to actually make use of that avocado goes up tremendously. You know, the flexibility from just time saved meal planning. The ability to actually even go into the store and confidently purchase an avocado that is ready to eat now, and that you could bring it home and you don't have to be in this panic to use it immediately, but you could actually have it for a few days and still get a chance to use it. So there's quite a bit of an impact from a purchasing experience, being able to go and get avocados that are very reliable from that ripeness perspective. Bring them home, have the confidence to use them, know that you could cut it up and not have, you know, some other defects and whatnot inside that, again, that would cause you to throw this very expensive piece of fruit away.

That's very— no, that's really great because how much of a difference does it really make? Are we talking about, you know, add another week to it or is it really just kind of doubling its normal shelf life?

Yeah, in this case, like a few extra days of that peak ripe time, you know, is a form of doubling that shelf life. And so doubling is, you know, it's really like, again, it's relative to that, that working life of, of a piece of produce. And it's so different for different categories.

Yeah. Each one is very distinct and not just in the way it decays, but the time it takes to decay and how it breaks down inside. And I mean, I've seen all the seminars, but, you know, cucumbers are different than bananas. By far, you know, so, but, but I get the idea. If you can limit oxygen and you can limit water loss, those are 2 major determinants of how something breaks down.

Love it.

Now it seems to me that the biggest applications for this, that you must have like contracts like crazy with military or maybe with organizations that serve the developing world. It seems like those would be 2 awesome ways to use this.

Yeah, it's, uh, I mean, that was our aspiration right from the beginning, um, was inspiration actually to serve, um, especially emerging markets where, as we said earlier, you know, the cold chain infrastructure and post-harvest tools were a fair bit more limited. Um, and then also then seeing that in the developed markets, um, that post-harvest technology really hadn't advanced, you know, too much compared to what we sort of see in the pre-harvest side. The, what I think is most interesting is that we've had to spend more time figuring out how to deploy our technology for that context. So if you are infrastructure limited, or maybe there is, you know, you've got to sort of make it fit a different kind of economic, like, framework, you know, to make this technology affordable in some of those markets. That's really been a lot of what we've been trying to focus on. So kind of version 1 of the technology, but then trying to simplify, you know, its application into the supply chain and how we work with customers in order to really make it more suitable for more contexts.

And where in the supply chain is it applied?

Yeah. So after produce is harvested, often it gets sent to a centralized facility that's like an aggregation site. They're called packing houses. And that's where produce is sorted, for example, based on size, color, maybe some surface defects. And so there's already a fair bit of infrastructure that's in place inside of these packing houses in order to sort produce in this way. And that's how it gets sent to a final customer, like maybe a retailer or food service. It's also why when you go to the grocery store, everything's so uniform, is 'cause literally it was sorted into a pile of units that looked very similar in size and color to each other. So in that packing house, there's already a process that's in place often for washing that produce or potentially applying waxes or some other edible coating that You know, have been around for a long time. And so the peel process swaps out basically at that location where a traditional wax may have been applied.

Oh, very good. That answers an important question for me because it's, we see that all the time. I'm on citrus packing lines now and then, and I see how they do this from washing to drying to applying coatings. So totally fits. The other interesting aspect of this is potentially in creating a better diversity of fruits and vegetables that are available to the consumer, because everything that we have is stuff that we obviously can ship to a retailer, right? So, so unless you're getting it at a farmer's market, so how can Apeel play a role in those processes?

Yeah. I mean, I think fundamentally what we're giving is more time to fresh produce. So on the one hand, time means more time to consume and the opportunity to be eaten and avoid being wasted. But so many of the varietals of fruits and vegetables that we do have available to us today, especially like commonly or widely available, it's because those were categories that have been bred or developed for transportability and shelf life. So, you know, why are maybe some tomato varieties, you know, kind of picked green and hard? So they're picked early. But mainly so that they can, you know, make it through the journey. You know, or are there other ones that with their wonderful, you know, taste profile or nutrition or different nutrition profile, but, you know, don't sort of make it out of a selection process because they don't have the transportability to sort of fit into the supply chain. So in this case, you know, there's an opportunity to use our appeal protection In order to solve for that shelf life piece, but you get to retain all of the wonderful qualities inherent to that variety to begin with. And we'd love to see that a wider array of kinds of fresh produce could be more available, but it takes a lot of the pressure off of folks from, man, I've got to pick it the night before. Do I have the labor to sort of pick it at the time I need it? And You know, get it to market, you know, the next sort of 1 or 2 days. Otherwise, I've really like lost, you know, lost the crop, so to speak. And so we're really excited about that. From some of our work in the past, we've been able to show, for example, tomatoes that could be picked at a later stage so that they could ripen on the vine actually for longer, but maintain a lot more of that sort of firmness that you would want so that they could make the trip and not get damaged. As much along the way. So that's just one example, you know, of where we hope to have an impact as we continue to go here.

Now here's the million-dollar question that when you read online and in getting ready for today, you can't help but wander down some funny roads. And let's talk about Bill Gates. I read online that Bill Gates owns Apeel and that he uses it to deliver clandestine poisons to kill people with fruits and vegetables. So, you know, what's the real story on, uh, the Gates role in Apeel?

Yeah. Um, thanks for the opportunity to address this. It's really, it's pretty wacky stuff. So, um, you know, going back to us taking inspiration very early on and with our purpose, you know, wanting to deploy a post-harvest technology, um, to serve supply chains that really were challenged. Um, And so our first funding came as grant funding. So there is no ownership or equity exchange. It came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We had applied to a grant. The grant was actually around the topic of reducing post-harvest loss and waste in Sub-Saharan Africa. And so that was, you know, we had a first grant and then with success in the results that we showed in the first grant, Won a second grant. And so, uh, that's the full extent of the affiliation to anything that is Gates related. And we are just one of many organizations, public, private, you know, uh, nonprofit or other that receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation every year. You know, year over year for decades now. Um, and it was this, yeah, early demonstration grant to address post-harvest loss and waste in Sub-Saharan Africa.

All right. And how many billion dollars was it?

Uh, it was like on the order of, let's say like a million, you know, uh, and change in, in, in total. So.

Yeah. Which sounds like a lot until you're in business paying salaries and running research. A million bucks goes pretty quick. So I totally get that. And, and then, you know, just maybe I can tip it in with You know, Bill and Melinda Gates, a huge part of their foundation, which he doesn't— his name is on it. I don't know that he's making any decisions. He's got good folks in place to do that who are experts in dealing with developing world food security. And one of their big things, it was food security in the developing world. Part of that equation is improved varieties and improved management practices. But the other half, like we talked about, is What happens after it's picked? And so post-harvest biology is a big part of that catalog. And so, you know, fits perfectly fine. Makes sense to me. Those are going to be more attractive points. No, I absolutely love it. Thank you so much. So Jenny Du, who is the co-founder and senior vice president of operations at Apeel, thank you for joining me.

Oh, thanks for the time.

And then I'll wrap it up here. And for all of those listening, thank you for listening to another episode of Talking Biotech. You know, it's not biotechnology necessarily, it's surface coating technology. But in this case, yeah, applied to fruits and vegetables. But the goal's the same. How do we use technology to have more sustainable food security? And not just here in the industrialized world, but also in the developing world. If you can make it last longer and not spoil or not go to waste, Keep it really attractive. It makes a better impact for those who are able to consume it. This is the Talking Biotech Podcast, and we'll talk to you again next week.