Fresh produce can be kept even fresher, thanks to an Israeli invention. Photo: Wikipedia.

JNS.org – A young Israeli student living in Shanghai has developed a product derived from essential oils that preserves fruits and vegetables three times longer than normal.

“These oils have been known about for thousands of years, but they are very volatile and evaporate very rapidly so their effectiveness disappears very quickly. The researchers wanted to transform the preservative properties into a liquid or powder and then release it very slowly and therefore multiply its effectiveness,” Amit Gal-Or, founder of Phresh Organics, told Tazpit Press Service.

Twenty-year-old Gal-Or, originally from Ra’anana, utilized past research and Israeli research to create a powder called Food Protectors that any household can use.

“Strawberries, for example, usually go bad after three days, and yet we can keep them good for consumption for another four or five days. At the other extreme, there are things like eggplant and potatoes that last weeks. We can expand their life by months. Then you have everything in between,” he added.

Phresh Organics is raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign to finalize production and delivery of the powder.