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Preserving Produce With Eggs | Earth Wise

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Researchers at Brown University have developed an inexpensive coating to protect fruits and vegetables that is made from eggs that would otherwise be wasted.  The micron-thick coating solves problems for the produce and its consumers as well as for the environment.

The coating relies on eggs that never reach the market.  The U.S. produces more than 7 billion eggs a year.  The supply chain rejects about 3% of them, typically because of shell damage, which means that more than 200 million eggs end up in landfills.

The coating is mostly made from egg, the rest consisting of nanoscale cellulose extracted from wood, a tiny amount of curcumin (the main active ingredient in turmeric that has antimicrobial properties), and a bit of glycerol for added elasticity.  The coating is applied to produce by spraying or dipping.  It shows a remarkable ability to resist rotting for an extended period comparable to standard coatings like wax, but without their shortcomings.

Along with being edible, the coating retards dehydration, provides antimicrobial protection, and is largely impermeable to both water vapor to prevent dehydration and to gas to prevent premature ripening.  The coating is entirely natural, and it washes off with water.  So, anyone sensitive to the coating, such as someone with an egg allergy, can easily eliminate it.

Lab tests of the coating studied its effects on strawberries, avocados, bananas and other fruits.  All were seen to maintain their freshness far longer than uncoated produce.

The researchers are continuing to refine the coating.  They are also considering other source materials.  They chose egg proteins because there are so many wasted eggs, but it may be possible to make use of plant proteins instead to address the needs of vegan consumers.

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Egg-based coating preserves fresh produce

Photo, posted July 13, 2012, courtesy of Liz West via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Protecting Fresh Produce | Earth Wise

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Fresh fruits and vegetables can sometimes become contaminated by microorganisms during their long journey from fields to restaurants and grocery stores.  Contaminated produce can spoil other produce, which increases the number of fruits and vegetables in the supply chain that can cause illnesses. 

In order to prevent this cross-contamination between produce, researchers from Texas A&M University have designed a coating that can be applied to food-contact surfaces, like buckets, rollers, and conveyor belts.  The newly-created dual-function coating is both water-repellent and germicidal.  In other words, it can both repel and kill.  Without water, the researchers say bacteria can’t stick or multiply on surfaces, drastically reducing contamination.

To make this dual-function coating, the researchers chemically-attached a thin layer of silica to an aluminum sheet.  They then added a mixture of silica and lysozyme, a naturally-occurring germicidal protein found in egg whites and tears.  Together, the silica-aluminum and the silica-lysozyme formed microscopic bumps and crevices.  According to the research team, this rough texture, albeit microscopic, is the key to the coating’s superhydrophobic properties.  

The researchers tested the coating’s effectiveness at curbing the growth of two strains of disease-causing bacteria:  Salmonella and Listeria.  Upon review, the number of bacteria found on the dual-coating surfaces was 99.99% less than what was found on the uncoated surfaces. 

Despite the success in preventing bacterial spread, the research team said more research needs to be done to see how well the coating works for mitigating viral cross-contamination.  Since the coating would need to be reapplied after a certain amount of use, the researchers also plan to develop more permanent, dual-function coatings. 

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New dual-action coating keeps bacteria from cross-contaminating fresh produce

Photo, posted April 14, 2012, courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Urban Agriculture And Sustainability Goals

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In 2016, the City Council of Phoenix, Arizona adopted eight Environmental Sustainability goals for 2050 that lay out the desired long term requirements in order to become a Sustainable Desert City.  Recently, a group of researchers from Arizona State University assessed how urban agriculture can help Phoenix, a desert city of 1.6 million people, meet those sustainability goals.  

Using public records and high-resolution satellite imagery, researchers analyzed the potential benefits of growing crops in three types of urban areas in Phoenix: vacant lots, rooftops, and building facades.  The study, which was supported by the National Science Foundation and the USDA, estimated that there are 28 square miles (or 5.4% of city space) available for urban agriculture.  The data-driven analysis found that 71% of the available areas for urban agriculture would come from existing buildings as opposed to vacant lots. 

All this available space for urban agriculture in Phoenix could supply the city with nearly 183,000 tons of fresh produce annually, which would allow for the delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables to all of the city’s existing food deserts. In fact, the city’s own urban-agriculture output could meet 90% of the fresh produce demand that currently exists in Phoenix. 

In addition to producing food, rooftop agriculture could also reduce the energy use in buildings by 3% per building per year, and displace more than 55,000 tons of CO2 annually.  The use of vacant lots could increase the total Phoenix green space by 17%, and reduce the number of areas lacking green space by 60%.   

This study demonstrates the many different ways that urban agriculture can benefit a city. 

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Urban agriculture can push the sustainability

Photo, posted May 10, 2011, courtesy of Stephen Zank via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Packing With Banana Leaves

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More and more places are instituting bans on single-use plastic bags.  Places like California and Hawaii already have bans in place and New Jersey is considering such a ban.  New York’s law will go into effect next March.  Supermarkets will no longer provide plastic bags at the checkout line.  But the laws have some exceptions, including the plastic bags used to hold produce and to pack up meats.

Banning or reducing single-use plastic bags is a growing trend in Asia as well including places like South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand.

One supermarket in Thailand came up with a novel approach to eco-friendly packaging:  wrapping produce in banana leaves.  The idea quickly became a viral hit on social media and drew the attention of supermarkets in Vietnam.  Several big supermarket chains in that country also began experimenting with banana leaves as a packaging alternative.

Representatives of Vietnam’s Lotte Mart chain said that the banana leaf packaging was still in the testing phase, but they plan to replace plastic with leaves nationwide very soon.  Aside from wrapping vegetables and fruits, the grocery chain intends to also use the leaves for fresh meat products.

Customers seem to be quite positive about the new packaging noting that it is actually quite attractive visually.  The banana leaf packaging also makes people more aware of the need for protecting the environment.

While Vietnam is a relatively small country, it turns out that it ranks number four in the world for the largest amount of plastic waste dumped into the ocean.  The country disposes of about 2,500 tons of plastic waste per day. So, efforts like the banana leaf packaging are not just symbolically important, they are genuinely a major environmental imperative.

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Supermarkets in Asia are Now Using Banana Leaves Instead of Plastic Packaging

Photo courtesy of Perfect Homes Chiangmai via Facebook.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Supermarkets And Zero-Waste

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There are about 38,000 supermarkets in the United States alone and they are responsible for vast quantities of waste in the form of single-use plastic bags, plastic containers that store food products, and food waste as well.  Globally, over 80% of poll respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment.  Responding to this message, markets are starting to make changes.

In a number of places, there are now markets that are package-free.  The Nada grocery store in Vancouver and Precycle in Brooklyn are examples of zero waste grocery stores.  Websites like Litterless provide online help for customers trying to find packaging-free grocery stores.

Markets are not only changing their packaging, they are using artificial intelligence to develop more sustainable production processes and seeking other ways to reduce waste.

On average, Americans throw away over 300 plastic bags a year, but an increasing number of grocery retailers are making commitments to more sustainable, plastic-free options.  It isn’t just small stores either.  Grocery giant Kroger plans to eliminate plastic bags in its stores by 2025.  When that happens, it means that 6 billion plastic bags will no longer be distributed.  Big Y stores will fully transition to reusable bags by next year.  More and more cities and states are banning or imposing fees on plastic bags. 

An interesting statistic shows that the age group of Americans that is leading the adoption of reusable grocery bags is not millennials but in fact is people over 50.  With multiple generations now indicating that they want shopping to be more sustainable, it is likely that supermarkets will strive to help make that happen.

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Why More Supermarkets Are Committing to Zero-Waste

Photo, posted March 4, 2013, courtesy of Dean Hochman via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Greenhouses Adapt To Climate Change

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The Telangana region of India has struggled with extreme weather patterns attributed to climate change.  Extended periods of drought, heatwaves, and unpredictable heavy rainfalls have led to crop failures, mounting debt, and a heavy human toll.  More than 3,000 farmers committed suicide in Telangana during a three-year drought.

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Shielding From Food Waste

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Food waste is one of the most disheartening problems we face.  Fully one-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is wasted.  Fruits, vegetables and tubers are even worse off:  fully half of these things are wasted.  It is a loss at an economic, social and environmental level.

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Myths About Organic Food

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There is much to be said in favor of organic food.  The organic produce industry took in $65 billion in 2016 and that farming method is clearly increasingly popular and is here to stay.   Nevertheless, there are various misconceptions and inaccuracies related to organic food.

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Hydrogen On Demand

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Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a new method for producing hydrogen from water using solar energy.  If successfully developed, their approach would make it possible to produce hydrogen in a centralized manner at the point of sale such as at a fueling station for hydrogen-powered cars.

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Produce Stickers

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The fruit and vegetables in most grocery stores these days come with little stickers on them with a numerical code identifying the produce for the cashier at the checkout counter.  They are quite helpful for the cashier but a real irritation for the customer.  Half the time it is difficult to get the labels off the piece of produce and sometimes we don’t notice them at all and end up with a little paper sticker in our salad.

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Organic Food Is Increasingly Affordable

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Organic food is increasingly popular.  Food chains like Sprouts and Whole Foods as well as local food coops and health food stores have led the charge.  More recently, major supermarket chains have growing organic departments in their stores.  In fact, in 2015, sales of organic foods in the U.S. reached $43 billion, an increase of 11% over just the the previous year. 

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Food Waste And Behavior

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In a recent article in Science entitled “Waste not, want not, emit less,” Danish researchers looked at the problem of food waste in both developed and developing countries.  Overall, about a third of the world’s food is lost or wasted, but the reasons for this vary in different parts of the world.

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Growing More Food On Less Land

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There are predictions that the world’s population could reach 10 billion by the year 2050.  Whether population growth can be slowed down enough to prevent this remains to be seen.  Regardless, it is clear that we need to figure out how to feed many more people than we have today and we are not even doing that good a job of feeding the current population.

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Ugly Produce

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Estimates are that as much as 40% of produce in America is wasted.  We throw out fruits and vegetables for a variety of reasons, but one of the most unfortunate is when produce is tossed simply because it doesn’t look good enough.   Misshapen tomatoes, lumpy carrots, double-lobed potatoes, and crooked cucumbers end up in the waste bin instead of on our plates.

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Local Food In A Global World

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In the Northeast, many are enjoying the last of autumn’s bounty. When we grow fruits and vegetables, we can choose to forgo pesticides, GMOs, or industrial fertilizer. When we shop at farmer’s markets, we support family farms and help maintain open space that we all enjoy.

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