U.S.-based Apeel Sciences and Netherlands-based Nature's Pride have teamed up to roll out avocados with longer shelf life in the European market.

Apeel's food waste prevention technology will be integrated across Nature's Pride's entire avocado value chain.

A plant-derived coating is sprayed onto freshly harvested produce to reduce water loss and prevent oxygen from getting in. Apeel says this can double shelf life without refrigeration, controlled atmosphere or any kind of artificial preservatives.

As part of the partnership, Nature’s Pride and Apeel Sciences will introduce a co-branded label.

Avocado pilots are expected to start mid-year in select retail stores in Europe, subject to EU regulatory approval.

In a release, Apeel said this partnership comes at a time when food waste in Europe has reached 88 million tons annually. It also builds on its successful introduction into the U.S., where it says the technology has demonstrated a greater than 50% food waste reduction at the retail level.

James Rogers, chief executive officer and founder of Apeel Sciences said: "Nature’s Pride and Apeel have the same vision for a future where our food systems operate more harmoniously with nature, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to work with them to take the food waste fight to Europe very soon.”

“We look forward to reducing food waste, unlocking new value for everybody in the supply chain, and growing the fruit and vegetable business with all of our partners together,” said Adriëlle Dankier, chief commercial officer of Nature’s Pride.