Bill Gates and Start-Up Apeel Sciences Help Costco Avocados Last Twice as Long

Finding the right time to slice your avocado open is a tricky task. If you cut into it too early, you have a bitter, hard avocado, and if you’re too late, you have a mushy, spoiled avocado that you now have to throw out. And let’s not mention the risk of avocado hand. However, a start-up company may have a solution that will cut back on food waste and allow you to make all the avocado toast you want.

Apeel Sciences, a California-based start-up, has devised a way to use recycled plant material to improve produce quality and slow spoilage. As Eater reports, the company counts none other than Bill Gates among its backers, as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the company.

Apeel is made of a plant-derived powder that is then mixed with water. The mixture is then used to coat avocados, or any produce of your choosing, creating a second skin for your fruits and vegetables.

In the gif below, courtesy of CBS This Morning, you can see how the untreated strawberries at the top get moldy over time, while the Apeel-treated strawberries below do not spoil.

The company’s website says that this coating will maintain moisture and reduce oxidation in produce, which will dramatically slow the rate at which it spoils. For avocados, this method is said to keep the fruit at peak ripeness for twice as long as normal. Apeel Sciences also says that the coating is colorless, odorless, and tasteless on produce, so it won’t affect the taste of your guac.

The company is currently testing its product on avocados in a partnership with produce supplier Del Rey Avocados. These avocados will be available in more than 100 Midwestern grocery stores, including 30 Costco locations, which is super convenient, as Costco sells avocados per bag, rather than individually.

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