Africa-Press – Uganda. Now without refrigeration, food can be stored at room temperature for up to six months following a new preservative powder innovated by a student.
Jean Nageri, the founder of Sio Valley, explained that his innovation dubbed “KaFresh”, which is in powder form, will help to address food wastage in the country.
Explaining his motivation, Nageri said in 2020, his father lost more than an acre of bananas after delaying to deliver them to the market.
The graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship from Uganda Christian University (UCU) recalls how his father, then tasked him to come up with a solution to the food spoilage.
Nageri recalled suggesting cold rooms as a solution to the food spoilage, but his father did not approve of the idea.
“I had to look into nature to solve this problem using organic means. I did research and found out why oranges tend to last longer than avocados. That was how I came up with KaFresh,” Nageri explained.
KaFresh is a plant-based organic powder that forms an edible coating that slows down the rate of respiration and maintains the quality of the product.
The Kafresh powder is mixed with water and sprayed on the produce to increase its life span under room temperature.
Speaking at the Swarm Summit organised by Hive Colab and Youth Startup Academy Uganda last Friday, Nageri said they have been able to increase the lifespan of tomatoes to one month, sweet potatoes to three months, avocadoes to two months, and bananas to one month.
“We have conducted trials with two of the largest fruit exporters in Uganda and they have yielded results,” he said.
Just like with other innovations, Nageri’s team has, along the way, encountered some difficulties. They include lack of resources, funding, and trust in the product by customers who fear trying out new products.
“Raising capital has really been challenging, especially for an idea of this nature,” said Nageri, adding: “Just because you have an idea doesn’t mean you will receive funding.”
Ms Barbara Mutabazi, the co-founder of Hive Colab, urged the government to invest more funds in such innovations to help in curbing the rampant youth unemployment in the country.
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