What if fruits and vegetables had an invisible protective shield?

Swedish start-up Saveggy's CTO and Co-Founder Arash Fayyazi discusses an innovative bio-based, invisible solution protecting fruits and vegetables without plastic packaging.

Image by Saveggy

No Plastic, No Waste: How Saveggy Is Rethinking Fresh Produce Protection

Every year, Europe throws away millions of tons of edible fruits and vegetables — not because they’re bad, but because they spoiled too soon. And ironically, our best-known solution to preserve them? Wrapping them in plastic.

But what if we could keep cucumbers crisp and broccoli green without a shred of fossil-based packaging?

Swedish startup Saveggy has developed a game-changing solution: a 100% plant-based coating that extends the shelf life of fresh produce without using plastic, wax, or petrochemicals. It’s edible, invisible, and already changing the way retailers think about food waste and packaging.

The Freshness Dilemma

Here’s the problem: fruits and vegetables are still alive after harvest. They breathe, transpire, and ripen. That makes them incredibly vulnerable to spoilage, especially during transport and storage. In the EU alone, around 90 million tons of food are wasted each year, and a big portion of that comes from fresh produce.

Supermarkets try to solve this with single-use plastic. It's cheap, it's functional, but it's also a major contributor to plastic pollution. And consumers are getting fed up. Packaging-free aisles are on the rise, but often come at the cost of shorter shelf life.

A Natural Shield for Fruits and Vegetables

Saveggy’s edible coating solves this tension. Made from side streams of plants and vegetables, the coating creates a thin, breathable layer that slows down dehydration and oxidation, the two main causes of spoilage.

The science is clever: by mimicking the plant’s natural skin, the coating helps it retain moisture while still allowing it to breathe. The result? Fresher produce for longer, without the need for plastic wrapping or synthetic preservatives.

Unlike wax coatings (which often contain palm oil, allergens, or require labeling), Saveggy’s formulation is free from common allergens and doesn’t require a warning. It’s vegan, safe, and tasteless.

A Drop-In Upgrade for the Supply Chain

One of Saveggy’s biggest advantages is that it works with existing processing infrastructure. Farmers, packers, and distributors don’t need to change how they operate, they simply replace plastic wrapping machines with a coating machine. That makes it easy to adopt and scale.

Their first target? Cucumbers. One of the most commonly plastic-wrapped vegetables in Europe. Saveggy’s pilot showed they could match or even exceed the shelf life of plastic-wrapped cucumbers, without any plastic at all!

From Greenhouse to Grocery Store

Saveggy is currently working with greenhouse producers, retailers, and packers across Scandinavia to roll out their coating more broadly. The long-term goal is to expand to other high-waste crops like zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus.

By reducing waste at the retail level, they’re not just helping the environment, they’re improving margins for retailers and making it easier for consumers to eat sustainably.

The Bigger Picture: Fighting Waste with Innovation

Food waste is a climate issue. If it were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. By preventing waste at the source and eliminating unnecessary packaging, Saveggy is hitting two major problems with one clean, plant-based solution.

And as the EU tightens regulations on single-use plastics and packaging waste, innovations like this are no longer just nice to have. They’re necessary.

Conclusion: Rethinking Freshness Without Plastic

Saveggy is proving that we don’t need to choose between shelf life and sustainability. With a plant-based coating that’s scalable, safe, and effective, they’re giving the food industry a real alternative to plastic, one cucumber at a time.

Main Takeaways:

• Saveggy developed a plant-based, edible coating that extends shelf life of vegetables without plastic.

• Their first use case, cucumbers, showed shelf life equal to or better than plastic-wrapped versions.

• The coating is safe, vegan, allergen-free, and compatible with existing infrastructure.

• Food waste and single-use plastic are major climate issues Saveggy addresses simultaneously.

• With EU regulations tightening, scalable packaging alternatives like Saveggy’s are becoming critical.

Listen to the full interview with CTO Arash Fayyazi on the bioCircular Loop Podcast!