Avocados are known for their short shelf life. By the time the beloved fruit hits a grocery-store shelf, it will last about a week before it gets too ripe.
A Santa Barbara, California-based startup called Apeel Sciences has invented an edible coating that it says will double an avocado's shelf life. Food suppliers spray the product on the produce before it ships to grocers.
So far, the startup has developed products for more than three dozen crops, including asparagus, peaches, lemons, pears, and nectarines.
Before this week, Apeel had attracted at least $40 million in venture-capital funding from several high-profile investors, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
