Israel to the rescue – again! An Israeli company has developed a solution that will help mankind take a huge step towards ending global hunger.
An Israeli company may have developed another technological solution that will help combat global hunger, Times of Israel reports.
Pimi Agro, a company that develops eco-friendly solutions for pre- and post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables, has invented a method which boosts their longevity. Using hydrogen peroxide “with a few key additions,” fruits and vegetables remain fresh and viable for up to 10 weeks.
In regions of the world where transportation is a problem and fresh produce is unavailable, shelf life is everything. This solution prolongs shelf life by a staggering 1,500 percent.
Data shows that between a third and a half of all food grown today is lost to spoilage. Nimrod Ben-Yehuda, CTO and co-founder of Pimi, told TOI: “For places like India, China, and Africa, this is huge, especially because the transportation systems in those areas are slow and refrigeration is hard to come by.”
Result of 15 Years of Research
This groundbreaking solution was not easy to come by. Along with researchers at the Technion and at Hebrew University, Pimi Agro developed the preserving formula, which is based 99.4% on Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide (STHP). The formula dissolves into oxygen and water, leaving no chemical residue.
The Pimi Agro solution enables the suppressing of sprouting activity in stored vegetables, and it controls storage-related diseases caused by fungi, yeasts, molds, viruses and bacteria.
“They’re not necessarily organic, but they are much healthier than ordinary produce, besides having a much longer shelf life, because farmers can cut down significantly on the use of fungicides,” Ben-Yehuda told TOI.
This life-saving solution has already been given the OK by several countries and is being tested by international food-marketing chains.
What global problem should Israel tackle next?
Author: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel