Tesco adopts shelf-life extending ethylene-absorbing packaging

Tesco has become the latest supermarket to trial a new food packaging that claims to prolong the freshness of produce and ultimately reduce waste.

The firm is rolling out the packaging in the hope that it will prolong the freshness of tomatoes and avocados.

The technology, which was developed by UK-based company It’s Fresh Ltd, contains a strip that absorbs ethylene - the hormone that causes produce to ripen and go mouldy.

Tesco estimates that the packaging could potential prevent the wastage of 1.6m packs of tomatoes and 350,000 packs of avocados.

“We have already trialed the packaging in a storage environment and all the signs are there that this could be one of the most significant developments in packaging for many years so now we want to know what our customers think of it,” ​said Tesco technologist Steve Deeble.

If the trial proves successful, the packaging could be rolled out across all produce by Easter, Deeble added.

In January, Marks and Spencer became the first retailer to adopt the shelf-life extending innovation for all its strawberries.

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