CINCINNATI and SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Sept. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, and Apeel Sciences,
a 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 and Fast Company Most Innovative Company,
today announced that Apeel's longer-lasting avocados will be
available in more than 1,100 Kroger stores in the U.S.
Kroger will also introduce two new produce categories, Apeel
asparagus and Apeel limes, through a pilot in its Cincinnati market this fall.
"Kroger is excited to offer more customers Apeel avocados and
introduce longer-lasting limes and asparagus, marking another
milestone on our journey to achieving our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste
vision," said Frank Romero, Kroger's
vice president of produce. "Apeel's innovative food-based solution
has proven to extend the life of perishable produce, reducing food
waste in transport, in our retail stores and in our customers'
homes."
"Kroger is leading the way to alleviate the food waste crisis at
every level, from its supply chain to its retail stores to the
homes of over 11 million customers who shop at Kroger every day,"
said James Rogers, CEO of Apeel
Sciences. "We're excited to expand our partnership with Kroger to
further prevent food waste while simultaneously giving families
more access and time to enjoy healthy fresh produce."
The Kroger expansion follows a pilot of Apeel avocados the
retailer launched one year ago in 109 Midwest stores that
significantly reduced category food waste. Apeel avocados,
asparagus and limes maintain their just-harvested quality longer
than produce without Apeel and are less reliant on refrigeration,
reducing food waste and extending customers' access to fresh fruits
and vegetables.
Kroger and Apeel's retail partnership focuses on tackling the
country's increasingly urgent food-waste paradox. Today, 40 percent
of the food produced is thrown away, yet 1 in 8 Americans struggle
with hunger. Redirecting even one-third of this food would help
feed everyone in need. Additionally, food waste contributes roughly
8% of annual greenhouse gas emissions and is considered a top cause
of climate change.
Apeel's partnership with Kroger is expected to prevent millions
of pieces of produce from ending up in a landfill every year,
resulting in:
- Millions of avocados "rescued" from going to waste
- Dozens of acres of farmland preserved
- Emission reductions of thousands of metric tons in greenhouse
gases
- Over a billion gallons of water use savings
- 100,000+ GJ of non-renewable energy reductions
To discover stores that carry Apeel produce, please visit
Apeel.com. For photography of Apeel products, visit here.
ABOUT THE KROGER CO.
At The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the
Human Spirit®. We are nearly half a million associates who serve
over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping
experience and 2,759 retail food stores under a variety
of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and
uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To
learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor
relations site.
ABOUT APEEL PRODUCE
Every plant on earth has a peel or
skin that protects it. From oranges to apples to tomatoes and
raspberries, the materials found in the skins, peels, and seeds of
plants are ubiquitous and consumed in the human diet in high
quantities every day. Apeel's plant-derived technology provides
produce with a little extra "peel" that slows the rate of water
loss and oxidation — the primary causes of spoilage. Apeel doubles
to triples the shelf life of many types of produce, maintaining
freshness and reducing food waste for everyone. For more
information, see the Apeel FAQ.
ABOUT APEEL SCIENCES
Apeel Sciences is a company
that's fighting the global food waste crisis by utilizing nature's
tools to prevent waste in the first place — a sustainable approach
to the world's growing food demands. The company's plant-derived
technology helps USDA Organic Certified and conventional fresh food
growers, suppliers, and retailers improve produce quality and
extend shelf life, which minimizes food waste from the farm to the
retail shelf to the kitchen table.
Apeel Sciences was founded in 2012 with a grant from the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation to help reduce postharvest food loss
in developing countries that lack access to refrigeration. Today,
Apeel formulations have been proven effective at reducing the rate
of spoilage for dozens of USDA Organic Certified and conventional
produce categories, and the company works with partners ranging
from smallholder farmers and local organic growers to the world's
largest food brands and retailers.
Founded by CEO James Rogers,
Ph.D., Apeel Sciences partners and investors include Andreessen
Horowitz, Viking Global Investors, Upfront Ventures, S2G Ventures,
Powerplant Ventures, DBL Partners, The Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, UK Department for International Development, and The
Rockefeller Foundation. The company is recognized as a World
Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, a Friend of Champions 12.3 and a
2018 & 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.