An alternative to petroleum wax coatings to make fresh fruits last longer is now available from local startup HS InnoTech, Inc. (HSII). Manufactured by University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)-based inventors who founded HSII, Fruitect® consists of agricultural waste-derived edible coating formulations that delay the ripening of mangoes and bananas. With its Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) supported HSII to start the operation of its pilot plant located in UPLB, Los Baños, Laguna. Awarded in 2022, the SEARCA grant funded the fabrication of…
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