Produce shelves in supermarkets across the Netherlands are more and more commonly coated with 'dry mist', a solution provided by Dutch technology company Contronics, reports the European Supermarket Magazine.

Grocers have turned to this kind of technology in order to ensure that their fruits and vegetables are properly hydrated - cutting potential food waste. Contronics told the magazine that the process seeks to "keep fruit and vegetables fresh for longer, and ultimately reduce food waste, as well as plastic waste".

In contrast to systems that are commonly used in places like the US, 'dry misting' involves no added wetness onto the produce. While you see automated water sprays in use at some supermarkets, it is becoming more common in the Netherlands to "make fog, not rain".

A year ago, Dutch retailed Albert Heijn rolled out the dry mist technology in its stores. Following that, Jumbo, Plus and Dekamarkt adopted the solution in various stores.

"In the past year and a half, we have installed our "Dry Misting' solution, as we call it, to more than 500 stores here in the Netherlands," Rogier Klein Sprokkelhorst of Contronics was quoted saying.

Fruit and veggie dehydration is a big problem for retailers. Sprokkelhorst pointed to green beans as an example, saying, "it is shocking to learn that 10% of their weight literally evaporates out of a supermarket's front door. The remaining product quickly becomes wrinkly and limp, and too often ends up in the bin. This is what retailers want to counter with Dry Misting".

The company's technology pushes filtered water through aerosols to release a layer of humid air above the produce which evaporates immediately. This way, fruits and vegetables can retain moisture longer.

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Photo: Contronics