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.