Scientists make a seaweed coating that beats the fridge for cutting food waste

Canadian scientists have developed a seaweed-based coating that keeps fruit fresher longer than refrigeration itself. The coating is made from agar—a common food additive from red algae—combined with zinc and tannic acid. When fruit is dipped in this mixture, the ingredients self-assemble into a thin layer of protective microparticles. In testing, strawberries coated with the seaweed treatment lasted four days or more at room temperature without molding, while uncoated strawberries in the fridge started molding by day four. Coated apples stayed fresh twice as long as untreated ones, and treated grapes lasted nearly two weeks. Anthropocene Magazine reports that the coating has antibacterial properties, is safe to eat, and carries a similar or lower carbon footprint than refrigeration itself. In Canada, where the research was based, roughly forty-six percent of fresh produce is wasted annually—valued at fifty-eight billion dollars. This seaweed solution could reshape how fresh food is preserved and shipped without relying on energy-hungry cold chains.

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