Whether they are decorating a cake or becoming an entire meal with cream and sugar, it is hard to resist fresh strawberries during the summer. Every year, Americans consume 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries. However, keeping them fresh is a challenge because strawberries only last one to two days when left on the counter and up to seven days in the refrigerator. Now, a new packaging film promises to keep strawberries fresh longer.
Keeping Strawberries Fresh
Researchers at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) in Canada wanted to create packaging that would keep strawberries fresh for a longer period of time because they are delicate. They made a film from shellfish shells, essential oils and nanoparticles that can protect strawberries and keep them fresh up to 12 days.
The main ingredient in the film is chitosan, a sugar derived from the outer skeleton of shellfish and a food industry byproduct. Chitosan has antifungal properties, and the other ingredients in the film have antimicrobial properties. They protect the strawberries from fungi and other pathogens that can cause the fruit to spoil early.
Tests showed that the new film can protect strawberries from Aspergillus niger (mold), Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. Other tests showed that using irradiation also prolonged the shelf life of strawberries and increased polyphenols (antioxidants).
Fresh strawberries.
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Saving Produce
Researchers think the new film can be added to blotting paper in strawberry packaging to reduce the amount of fresh produce that is wasted every year. One study found that Americans waste 31.9% of the food they buy, which costs $1,866 per household and $240 billion total per year across the country.
Perishable items, such as strawberries, tend to end up in the trash more frequently than other types of food. The healthy and fresh produce that everyone is encouraged to eat simply does not last and spoils first.
Although fresh fruit and vegetables have short shelf lives even with proper storage and care, researchers have not given up on finding a way to extend their lifespan in the kitchen. New packaging could keep fruit fresh longer, so less of it ends up wasted.