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'Functional Ice' Shows Food Industry How to Keep Cool and Reduce Loss

Over 133 billion pounds of food per year is lost due to waste at different stages in the farm-to-fork continuum. Functional ice has the potential to make a significant impact in reducing the amount of food wasted per year and can significantly improve food safety across the harvest, transportation, and pre-sale storage process.

Functional ice, an additive-enhanced product currently in field-testing, serves to enhance food storage and self-life by generating lower temperatures and melting slower than traditional water-based ice. Additional features allow the slow-release of antimicrobial solutions that protect raw food by eliminating the build-up of spoilage-causing bacteria.

Read the full story on the Land-Grant Impacts database website.

Want to read about more impacts like this? Check out Fresh from the Field, a weekly bulletin showcasing transformative impacts made by grantees funded by NIFA.

Farm Bill Priority Areas
Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;
Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health
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