Want your avocados to stay fresher longer? Katy Perry’s here to help

Liza VoloshinKaty Perry is literally putting her money where her mouth is:  She’s investing in a company that’s developed a natural way to make fruits and vegetables last longer. Fast Company reports that Katy is participating in a $250 million…

By ABC Audio on May 28, 2020

Liza VoloshinKaty Perry is literally putting her money where her mouth is:  She’s investing in a company that’s developed a natural way to make fruits and vegetables last longer.

Fast Company reports that Katy is participating in a $250 million funding round for Apeel Sciences, which has created a natural, plant-based coating for avocados, asparagus, citrus and more.  The coating extends the food’s shelf life, which prevents food waste.  Oprah Winfrey is also an investor in this round.

Katy, who also invested in the company that makes the Impossible Burger, tells Fast Company she decided to invest after she met the CEO of Apeel, James Rogers, and toured their offices and labs.

“I…was just so blown away I thought it was witchcraft—in the best of ways,” she explains. “This is one of the definitions of sustainability…It gives farmers a chance. It gives us more options as a consumer. It takes produce shipping off of planes and back onto shipping containers, so it lowers our CO2 emissions.”

Apeel’s website notes, “Produce with Apeel stays fresh two to three times longer, which promotes more sustainable growing practices, better quality food, and less food waste for everyone.” 

In fact, a March 2020 study found that one-third of the world’s food never gets eaten, which means all the resources that went into growing it were wasted.

So, does Katy plan to use her fame or her social media following to spread the gospel about Apeel? Not necessary, she says.

“They just are the magic,” she says, “and when something is such a solution, you don’t have to push it on people.”

By Andrea Dresdale
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