Food waste prevention has been a problem for mankind since the start of civilization. People have used numerous techniques to preserve food for ages, from the ancient Greeks washing figs in seawater to the medieval Chinese coating lemons and oranges in wax. Even though the stakes have changed, reducing food waste is still a serious task. The majority of food that is wasted globally is fruits and vegetables, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic and chemicals are two of the most important methods companies presently employ to decrease food waste. According to a Swiss study, the advantages of plastic packaging for cucumbers in terms of the environment outweigh its drawbacks. In order to eliminate microbes on fresh food and stop it from spoiling, chemicals including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, and trisodium phosphate are frequently used. However, because of worries about the effects of plastics on the environment and the potential health dangers of chemical treatments, consumers are turning away from these techniques more and more.

As a result, new technologies are being developed to preserve fruits and vegetables without the use of plastics and chemicals, which may hold the key to solving this issue. Also, researchers are looking into a number of strategies to increase the shelf life of fresh vegetables, including high-tech coatings.