"Flower food," bleach, sugar, soda and even vinegar and alcohol have all held claim as the best way to make fresh-cut flowers last longer. But new lab tests conducted by Apeel's Science Team reveal the truth: when cut, flower stems degrade due to fungi breaking down down the cellulose around the cut end, which causes decay and clogging of the vessicles that draw water to the flower blossoms.
"Interestingly, we found that flower food can accelerate the process of decay by promoting the growth of fungi," said Apeel Science Director and CEO James Rogers. "The only way to truly make fresh flowers last longer is to prevent the degradation of the cut ends."
A materials scientist, Rogers explored the idea of applying Apeel's fungi-inhibiting food preservation technology to the cut flower stems. Through these experiments, he found that the micro-thin coating applied by dipping them stems into a water-based solution helped to prevent fungal growth and keep the cut ends fresher significantly longer.
According to Rogers, the floral preservation formula, FlorapeelTM, is created by isolating specific molecules from natural plant extracts based on their intrinsic chemical properties. The molecules self-assemble into a thin film that coats the stem, acting as a barrier coating to inhibit decay.
Globally, fresh flowers are a 20 billion-dollar industry. "By making flowers last longer, we make the consumers happier," said Rogers, "but we also add value to growers and sellers by helping them to deliver better, fresher products with less loss and waste."
Source: Apeel Sciences
