Expired food powder extends produce shelf life up to 2 years
Digital Reporter
Friday, July 31, 2015, 6:08 PM - A group of international masters students have created a resolve for world hunger.
Their idea is founded on the principle of extending the shelf life of nearly expired fruits and vegetables by freeze-drying produce and processing it into powder.
This process is expected to increase shelf life from two weeks to two years.
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The students at Sweden’s Lund University recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their business, FoPo, which aims to feed 9 billion people by 2050.
The business model operates by purchasing nearly expired fruits and vegetables into a food powder from grocery stores, processing the produce into powder, and then reselling the final product back on the market.
FoPo Team: "Guess what surprise is inside the box the lovely vendor is carrying for us?" #nofoodwasted pic.twitter.com/Z2uVOeuj7g
— FoPo Food Powder (@hellofopo) July 31, 2015
It’s estimated that roughly 30 per cent of global production – approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food – goes to waste each year, according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Roughly 40 to 50 per cent of root crops, fruits, and vegetables is either lost or wasted in this number, the FAO reports. Economically, this loss accounts for $750 billion.
"[We are] not into using a new product or new technology, [but] creating value out of the inefficiency of the food system," said Gerald Marin, FoPo product designer, in an interview with Mashable.
"The innovation of our business is that we are getting the expired fruits and vegetables,” he added.
The powder comes in three flavours: banana, mango, and raspberry. Soon, pineapple will be added to the list, Mashable notes.
The final product will contain between 30 to 80 per cent of its nutritional value, and can be used in smoothies or as a topping for baked goods, the company says.
FoPo’s Kickstarter campaign ended in early July, but not before funding kr219,786 SEK ($33,351 CAD), surpassing their fundraising goal by 22 per cent.
Thumbnail image courtesy of FoPo.
SOURCES: FAO | Mashable | Huffington Post | Kickstarter
