It's Fresh! Technology Aims To Help Grocers Reduce Food Waste

Eden Prairie, Minnesota — More than 40% of all food grown today is being wasted, according to a recent report from ReFED, a data-driven guide for reducing food waste at scale. Thanks to organizations like ReFED, food waste is top of mind today for growers, distributors, retailers, and consumers.

It’s Fresh! is helping to put a big dent in food waste with its breakthrough product, the It’s Fresh! filter, which has been proven to improve quality, freshness and the customer experience throughout the produce supply-chain, from farm to fork. 

The It’s Fresh! filter absorbs ethylene, the naturally occurring gas that ripens fruits and vegetables, slowing the maturation process, extending shelf life by creating “Freshaspheres” around produce, and substantially reducing waste. That promise has been validated in independent tests by leading academics and researchers worldwide.

“We’ve been working with Albertson’s southern regions, developing a waste reduction program that is already delivering measurable results,” said Dean Martel, Senior Sales Director for It’s Fresh!.  “Albertson’s is also finding that their customers are enjoying a better experience because the produce they buy stays fresher and better tasting once at home. We’ve also been working with many farmers across the U.S. in developing programs that reduce waste.” 

For farmers, extending product shelf life translates directly into dollars. According to Brian Keavy, vice-president of sales and marketing at fruit grower Kingsburg Orchards in California’s San Joaquin Valley, “We have used It's Fresh! extensively in our shipments over the last four years, both domestically and internationally. We’ve found that it extends the shelf life of our fruit by an average of four extra days. That equates to a net benefit of $2 to $3 per case.”

John Miller, Director for New Zealand-based exporter Foodview added, "We’ve used It’s Fresh! to ensure that our New Zealand cherries reach consumers in premium condition. We’ve found that It's Fresh! has helped keep our cherries crunchy and full of flavor, providing consumers the best possible value and eating experience. We’ve also found that It's Fresh! enabled our cherries to stay fresh in store and in our customers’ refrigerators at home for about 10 days longer."

Miller went on to explain that maintaining the cool chain is impossible once your products are in the supermarket and then in the hands of consumers. Foodview found that It's Fresh! helped reduce waste to close to zero, while retaining the superior condition of the cherries once they were out of cool chain.  

"Having It’s Fresh! in the carton with our produce is like having an insurance policy,” concluded Mr. Miller. It helps reduce the risk of problems due to over ripening, meaning better quality on arrival, less waste and the ability to add value to our brand which increases our sales opportunities. “

A recent research project led by Professor Jeff Brecht from the University of Florida confirmed the effectiveness of the It’s Fresh! technology, saying, “It’s Fresh! treatments were clearly better. My bottom line on this test is it shows, in a situation when external decay is able to develop, that It’s Fresh! will inhibit that development.”

Source: It’s Fresh!