Apeel Sciences is currently undergoing rapid international expansion and has plans to launch new products in 2020.

The company has created plant-derived technology that is applied to the outside of fresh produce post-harvest. By essentially creating an extra thin layer of skin, Apeel keeps the moisture inside and minimizes oxidation.

This can increase the shelf life of the product three-fold, according to Natalie Shuman, director or trade and retail marketing.

At PMA Fresh Summit last month, FreshFruitPortal.com caught up with Shuman to hear about what the company is up to.

"The product is currently on distribution on avocados, limes and organic apples," she said.

"We're got a very productive pipeline for 2020. We'll be looking at introducing plastic-free cucumbers in North America."

"We are also in a very accelerated international expansion mode. We're establishing entities in Mexico, Peru and the Netherlands, and that is to support with boots on the ground our supplier network and retail relations."

She added that PMA Fresh Summit has been "absolutely fantastic" for Apeel Sciences.

"We were able to introduce a new benefit of Apeel with the plastic-free cucumbers. We've had the opportunity to engage with our international supplier community, as well as to move forward a lot of meaningful business discussions with a number of retail partners here in North America."

Apeel's mission, she explained, is to cut food waste and improve quality through a means that works with nature.

"When you look at technologies that are out there or coming to bear in the market place, we're really proud of the fact that we're plant-derived, we're edible, we're essentially using food to protect food, which I think a lot of people feel really good about," she said.

"That is really helping us to create value throughout the entire supply chain, from farm to shelf to consumers kitchens around the world."