Stixfresh : Fruits Shelf life Backer

Stixfresh was invented and introduced to the food industry by a Malaysian innovator Zhafri Zainudin. It was established in the year 2017. Stixfresh was nominated for three leagues at The World Food Innovation Awards in 2019 and won the award for Best sustainability initiative and Best packaging technology. The reports show that that 50% of the food produced around the world goes to trash. Fruits and vegetables are accountable for 52% of the total food wastage. It takes longer-term for the products to reach the retailer, this increases the risk of spoilage of fruits and vegetables during transportation. While we cannot preserve food forever although we can extend their shelf life, the various other technologies are not very proficient in preserving fruits and vegetables especially when exporting. Stixfresh is a simple sticker that is scientifically proven to extend the shelf life of fruits to 14 days.[1][2]

What are the ingredients present in it? And how does it function?

Stixfresh stickers is claimed to be a 100% natural. It has all natural compounds that form a protective cover on the fruit surface. The sticker is coated with a mixture of bee wax, Sodium chloride and a few other natural ingredients. The Stixfresh stickers are manufactured using natural components that the plants have to protect themselves from environmental threats. The ingredients used in the sticker meets GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) criteria in accordance with the FDA.

The sticker, once attached to fruits, spreads its chemicals all over the fruit surface in the vapor phase and forms a protective coat. It has a defense mechanism against microbial reactions, slows down the production of ethylene gas  and retains the freshness of the products for a longer period. It can be adhered on the products ant any stage of post-harvest chain at the time of packaging, distribution, transportation and it can be even used in the home kitchen. Generally, it is recommended to use the sticker when the fruits are green, a phase when it is slightly unripened. [3][4][6]

Advantages of Stixfresh

Simple technology- It is a simple sticker and doesn’t require any complicated procedures to be used. It can be used by anyone 

Effective- The sticker was introduced for commercial use after several studies and trials. Stixfresh has proven to have potential effects in all trials. 

Convenient- It is not an expensive technology to be installed. The manufacturing expenses of Stixfresh is not expensive either. It is cost-effective and affordable for all the small-scale and large-scale food production companies. It can also be easily used by consumers.

Safe- Stix fresh is made of natural ingredients, meets GRAS requirements, doesn’t contain any chemicals and keeps fruits fresh. If you ate a part of sticker, no worries at all. It is all natural and don’t cause any harm.

Improve quality- Scientific Observations showed that Stixfresh stickers help moisture retention in fruits enhanced sweetness and the firmness increased as the cellular structure was held compactly.

Reduce food wastage- Fruits and vegetables are the major contributors to the total food wastage worldwide. Stixfresh can minimize the massive loss of fruits. There by contributing to the reduction of food wastage.[4][6]

Limitations of Stixfresh

• While the sticker is on, the fruits still continue to ripen. But the process of ripening occurs 2-4 times slowly as the effect produced by the sticker.
• Until the consumers want to consume the fruits, the sticker shouldn’t be removed. If the sticker is removed anywhere along the food supply chain, the product will not attain desired outcome.
• The sticker can’t be reused. When reused it doesn’t stick well and the formulation lose its effects once removed. It is recommended to apply a new fresh sticker to each new piece of fruit for good results
• The formulation on the sticker starts slowing down its effects after several weeks once taken out from the packaging. 
• The effect of Stixfresh is limited to only several fruits that have thin outer surfaces and doesn’t work on veggies. The Companies are experimenting on diversifying formulations that can work on all fruits, vegetables and other food products. Stixfresh is tested to show its effect on mango, kiwi, apple, pear, avocado, dragon fruit and citrus fruits like oranges and lemon. [1][6]

International Market Analysis

Stixfresh is one of the best innovations made in the recent years. The scientists are currently working on formulations for hard surface fruit like melons, vegetables, grapes, berries, other food products such as milk, meat and even flowers. Stixfresh USA is exporting the stickers to India, Indonesia and the US. The company is gaining attention from  Japan, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and in the Middle East countries well. Stixfresh was introduced to India in September 2019 at the Agri Asia, Dairy Livestock and Poultry Expo Asia 2019 and also at the 2019 Grainmach Asia in Gujarat.

Stixfresh and Ritz Global (Hong Kong) Ltd in India have tied strategic partnership. But the lack of investment for R&D, marketing the product and the scaling of its production facilities and gaining regulatory approvals in the countries the product wants to enter the industry are the challenges that needs to be overcome by the companies working on Stixfresh.[1][5][6]

References:

1. foodingredientsfirst.com/. 2022. Magic stickers: StixFresh breathes longer life into fruit with novel technology. [online] Available at: <https://m.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/magic-stickers-stixfresh-breathes-longer-life-into-fruit-with-novel-technology.html> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

2. Lee, J., 2022. So There’s A M’sian-Made “Magic Sticker” That Will Keep Fruits Fresh For Up To 14 Days. [online] Vulcan Post. Available at: <https://www.google.com/amp/s/vulcanpost.com/652246/stixfresh-stickers-prolong-fruits/amp/> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

3. Atlas of the Future. 2022. Solving food waste one sticker at a time | Atlas of the Future. [online] Available at: <https://atlasofthefuture.org/project/stixfresh/> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

4. Prnewswire.com. 2022. Using Nature’s Gifts as the Future of Technology: StixFresh’s Easily Applied Sticker Can Extend the Freshness of Your Fruit Via an All-Natural Process. [online] Available at: <https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/using-natures-gifts-as-the-future-of-technology-stixfreshs-easily-applied-sticker-can-extend-the-freshness-of-your-fruit-via-an-all-natural-process-300818137.html> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

5. The Edge Markets. 2022. The formula for success. [online] Available at: <https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/formula-success> [Accessed 31 July 2022]. 

6. Stixfreshindia.com. 2022. FAQ. [online] Available at: <http://www.stixfreshindia.com/faq.html> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

7. Cdn01.vulcanpost.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://cdn01.vulcanpost.com/wp-uploads/2018/11/comparison-of-avacados.jpg> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

8. Resource.innovadatabase.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://resource.innovadatabase.com/admin/editor/6023ce14-ca89-4521-b161-33c2e941583eMango_day_7_Extended.png> [Accessed 31 July 2022].

9. Globalaspect.files.wordpress.com. 2022. Today’s world: Image. [online] Available at: <https://globalaspect.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/graph-2.gif> [Accessed 31 July 2022].