Longer Shelf Life for Fruits and Vegetables

Why Throw Away Those Two Week Old Fruits and Vegetables

Most people get a sick feeling when they must throw away fresh fruits and vegetables that have become too ripe to eat.  Estimates are that as much as 40% of fresh fruits and vegetables are thrown away because they have become too ripe to eat. 

Ideally fruits and vegetables would ripen until they have reached their maximum in freshness and flavor, and then cease the ripening process at that point.  This would allow the produce to be at its best when the consumer is ready for it, and it would not become too ripe to use.

The ripening of fruits and vegetables is caused by the ethylene gas that it produces.  Once fruits and vegetables have matured on the vine they begin to expel ethylene gas.  This ethylene gas causes the ripening process and continues until decay begins, and the food is no longer suitable for consumption.  This window of time after it is ripe but before it begins to decay is commonly referred to as ‘shelf life’.

The benefits of neutralizing the Ethylene gas that the fruit produces.

It is now possible to neutralize the ethylene gas that the fruits and vegetables produce and slow the ripening process.  While neutralizing the ethylene gas doesn’t stop the ripening process, it does slow it down.  This product, BioWash Fertilizer Enhancer, is made from 99% plant-based ingredients, is non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and readily bio-degradable.  BioWash is primarily used to improve how efficiently plants absorb nutrients, but can also be used as a ‘veggie wash’ for fruits and vegetables after harvest.  Washing vegetables in BioWash for 2-3 minutes has shown to be beneficial in removing remaining dirt and pesticide residues, and also in extending shelf life by one to two weeks. 

Shelf life is typically extended by 2 weeks after ethylene gas is neutralized. 

Photos shown here re photos demonstrate the effects of washing fruits and vegetables in BioWash after harvest.  The net result is that consumers can remove any remaining farm chemicals AND make their fruits and vegetables last longer.     

The tomato on the left was washed in BioWash, the one on the right was not.