Scientists at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) have developed high humidity storage boxes that helps extend the shelf-life of leafy vegetables thereby cutting down the post-harvest losses.
It can extend the shelf-life of green vegetables by up to 48 hours at room temperature while retaining the freshness and without affecting the quality or nutrition of the stored produce.
Being airtight helps improve the humidity levels to up to 98 per cent in the storage box as compared to around 70 per cent outside, which, in turn, helps maintain the freshness.
IIHR has licensed the technology to Chennai-based Waycool Foods and Products Pvt Ltd, a supply chain company for perishables that also operates a vegetable retail chain SunnyBee, to manufacture the high humidity storage boxes.
A large farm-to-fork retailer is deploying these boxes across the Southern states for a large scale trial soon.