For example, the solution, which contains cellulose, chitosan, and fruit acid as the main ingredients, can extend the shelf life of cut mango from five to 10 days.
It is also shown to be effective on 19 other fruits and vegetables, ranging from tropical fruits such as durian and mango to tomatoes and carrots, CEO K.Norapat Phaonimmongkold told FoodNavigator-Asia at the THAIFEX – World of Food Asia trade show.
However, as it comes with a slightly sour taste, it is mainly used in sweet and strong-tasting fruits.
While the start-up has yet to conduct an official launch, the product has already attracted interest from end-product manufacturers, according to Phaonimmongkold.
Currently, it is supplying the solution to three Thai enterprises, which he had declined to name. However, he mentioned that these companies use the product to keep dried fruits and lemongrass fresh.
The solution, which can be sprayed on fruits, works by creating an invisible coating on the surface of the fruits to regulate the inflow and outflow of gasses and water.
This in turn slows down the growth rate of microbial on the cut produce.
The idea of the shelf-life extending solution was conceived with the guidance of a professor in chemical engineering when Phaonimmongkold and his co-founder Bhumpharn Arunthammakul were doing a master degree at the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University.
The idea later gained prominence after winning the second place at the New Venture Championship held in Oregon US last year.
“We put this project in business competitions held in Thailand and the US, in which we won one winner prize and a second prize, so we decide to put the project into the real business,” Phaonimmongkold said.
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