The world produces enough food to feed the entire global population twice over, but hunger remains a worldwide epidemic, with 40-60% of fruits and vegetables produced worldwide lost or due to spoilage or waste. Now Israeli agro-tech startup Sufresca Ltd. is seeking to combat both food waste and plastic use.

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The green solution from Sufresca, founded in 2020, is the result of a 15-year R&D effort led by company CSO, Prof. Amos Nussinovitch, at his lab at the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Sufresca has developed an edible, biodegradable, water-based emulsion composed of wholly natural food ingredients. When applied to a fresh fruit or vegetable, the solution creates a breathable coating. Minute disruptions within the coating acts as a partial barrier that allows for optimal gas exchange, which slows down the process of post-harvest maturation and ripening and subsequent degradation and decay.

The team was determined to find a formula that could be adapted to a broad spectrum of fresh produce. "Each vegetable has its own unique traits," says Nussinovitch. "In our search for the common denominator that connects the plant kingdom, these physiological distinctions had to be addressed."

Sufresca says its solution can extend the shelf life of produce by up to several weeks, saving plastic packaging and extending shipment time.

"The chaotic structure of our coating was inspired by the cuticle structures that naturally layer plants to protect them from extreme environmental conditions and from water loss," explains Sufresca CEO Efrat Boker-Ferri.

To apply its solution to existing systems, Sufresca has developed a business model that it says makes its green coating a highly scalable and convenient option for producers, distributers, and exporters of fresh produce.

"Retailers and packaging houses are seeking cost-effective solutions to reduce waste and are kind to the planet," Boker-Ferri says.

"Our natural formula can be easily integrated into existing industry equipment, is adaptable to the various coating techniques and is completely safe to use. While we do offer a range of support services and guidance, our system is very straightforward to implement, eliminating the need for Sufresca personnel to be on site, increasing its affordability."

Sufresca recent closed $3.5 million in seed investment led by Israel's OurCrowd VC, followed by the food and agro-tech focused group FEAT Investments, as well as other investors. The round supports an initial $1.3 million previously raised from Agrinnovation and Rimonim.

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Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has promoted a new initiative to help Israel's hungry.

In cooperation with local authorities, the "Food Security for Disadvantaged Families" project is set to provide around 1 million disadvantaged families with prepaid cards for the purchase of food and other essentials.

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The Interior Ministry used the additional 700 million shekels ($217 million) in funding it received from the government this year to fund the initiative.

According to Deri, the assistant would help disadvantaged families devastated by the pandemic, who he said were the main victims of the crisis and whose plight he said had not been addressed.

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The figures, released by the Latet organization, which provides various welfare and food aid services, represent one-third of all children in the country, with an additional 1.3 million adults suffering from hunger.

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All in all, 2.3 million Israelis live in poverty, with 29.4% reporting weight loss due to an inability to afford food. At least 12% admitted to rummaging through garbage bins for meals.

Just over a quarter of Israelis (27.9%) counted in the study said that their children routinely go to school without lunch, marking a 16-point increase from last year.

The figures presented by Latet are gathered through interviews and public information.

The last time the government published statistics on poverty in Israel was in 2016. The numbers released that year indicated that some 1.8 million citizens, including 842,300 children, were living in poverty.

Among the 35 member nations of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), Israel is ranked as having the highest level of poverty.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

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