US grocery giant Kroger and Apeel Sciences have revealed that Apeel’s longer-lasting avocados will be available in more than 1,100 Kroger stores in the US.
In a joint announcement, the companies revealed that the retailer will also introduce two new produce categories, Apeel asparagus and Apeel limes, through a pilot in its Cincinnati market this fall.
“Kroger is excited to offer more customers Apeel avocados and introduce longer-lasting limes and asparagus, marking another milestone on our journey to achieving our Zero Hunger, Zero Waste vision,” said Frank Romero, Kroger's vice-president of produce. “Apeel’s innovative food-based solution has proven to extend the life of perishable produce, reducing food waste in transport, in our retail stores and in our customers’ homes.”
The expansion follows a pilot of Apeel avocados Kroger launched one year ago in 109 Midwest stores that 'significantly reduced ' category food waste, and comes as Apeel continues to builds its US, Peru, Mexico, and Chile supplier base.
Apeel avocados, asparagus and limes maintain their just-harvested quality longer than produce without Apeel and are less reliant on refrigeration, reducing food waste and extending customers’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Kroger is leading the way to alleviate the food waste crisis at every level, from its supply chain to its retail stores to the homes of over 11m customers who shop at Kroger every day,” said James Rogers, CEO of Apeel Sciences. “We’re excited to expand our partnership with Kroger to further prevent food waste while simultaneously giving families more access and time to enjoy healthy fresh produce.”
Kroger and Apeel’s retail partnership focuses on tackling the increasingly urgent food-waste paradox in the US.
Today, 40 per cent of the food produced is thrown away, yet one in eight Americans struggle with hunger – and redirecting even one-third of this food would help feed everyone in need.
Additionally, food waste contributes roughly 8 per cent of annual greenhouse gas emissions and is considered a top cause of climate change.
Apeel’s partnership with Kroger is expected to prevent millions of pieces of produce from ending up in a landfill every year, resulting in millions of avocados 'rescued' from going to waste, dozens of acres of farmland preserved, emission reductions of thousands of metric tonnes in greenhouse gases, over 1bn gallons of water use savings, and over 100,000GJ of non-renewable energy reductions.
