Cucumber Coating Could Spell End to Single-Use Plastic Wraps on Supermarket Shelves

Akorn Technology, Berkeley, CA, has launched a breakthrough in sustainable shelf-life extension for cucumbers — an edible coating that is set to revolutionize the way cucumbers are packed, distributed, sold and consumed by replacing single-use plastic wraps.

Akorn Natural Advantage for English cucumbers and bell peppers, which forms a natural, invisible barrier that mimics the protective function of plastic, eliminates the need for single-use plastic on long English cucumbers, while maintaining freshness and quality. Akorn’s plant-derived coating has all the advantages of plastic wraps, but with none of the negative consequences and costs associated with single-use plastic pollution.

Hailed by retailers who have found it meets or exceeds the efficacy of plastic, the coating’s commercial potential is such that it has been selected for a grant from the 2025 Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator cohort, a program led by the Foundation for Fresh Produce (FFP) and the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA).