Ever wondered why the apples you cut up at home turn brown almost as soon as you put down the knife, while bags of pre-cut wedges on supermarket shelves and in children’s fast food meals keep their pearly white hue for weeks?
One man not only knows the answer, but 13 years ago he invented the magic coating that made possible those nature-defying apple wedges. And for that elixir, Attila Pavlath, now a Senior
Pavlath and his team first began working on ways to preserve fresh cut fruit in 1986. When cut, an apple undergoes a series of physiological changes. Its cells break down and the flesh is no longer protected from the atmosphere. Oxygen introduced to the cut surface and damaged tissue causes certain enzymes to oxidize phenolic compounds that are naturally present in the apple. This produces “o-quinones” which in turn react with proteins and amino acids to produce brown-colored compounds. Pavlath’s key discovery was that certain calcium salts protect cut apple flesh from color, texture or taste changes. Combining these salts with vitamin C, the researchers produced a carefully calibrated formulation that would serve as a rinse for fresh-cut apples. Once dipped or sprayed, the apple slices have a 21-day shelf-life without browning or losing their crispness.
Lest you think that staving off enzymatic browning in fruit isn’t worthy of such a lofty accolade as the one Pavlath recently received, consider this. In 2000, Pavlath’s invention made possible the first commercially viable cut apple product that didn’t leave a detectable residue. Today, industry estimates project combined retail and foodservice sales total almost $475 million annually. That’s nearly half a billion dollars a year in sales of pre-sliced apples that simply didn’t exist 13 years ago. It’s not just lazy snackers who can’t get enough of this handy treat relieving them of the exertions of chomping through a whole fruit. Think of the multitude of grateful chefs and caterers who can put apple crisps, pies and tarts on menus without fear of developing carpal tunnel. According to the USDA, in 2011 about 238 million pounds of apples were used for fresh slices, up from 146 million pounds in 2010.
The remarkable solution was born out of a cooperative research and agreement between ARS and Montrose-Haeuser, Inc. Once developed Mantrose licensed the technology from the USDA and marketed the product under the name “NatureSeal.” NatureSeal is sold commercially to food processors and retailers, and though it was initially developed to treat apples and pears, it has been expanded for use on 19 different produce items including sliced avocados, celery, potatoes, carrots, peaches and romaine lettuce.
Pavlath’s greatest achievement in devising the anti-browning coating however, is enabling the provision of easy-to-eat, cut fruit for kids. Since 2012, McDonald’s Happy Meals have come with a portion of sliced apples included. Several independent studies have shown that consumption of fresh fruit in school children increases when the fruit is offered in a sliced format. Some kids find it difficult to eat a whole fruit because of missing teeth or braces, older kids are embarrassed by the mess they might make. The reasons for turning down whole fruit are numerous. Fast food aside, NatureSeal is not only used by schools to treat apple slices on-site, but since 2009 pre-dipped wedges have been offered in the National School Lunch Program through the USDA fresh sliced apple commodity program. The cost of the apples, processing and packaging is fully funded by the USDA, participating schools only have to pay for the cost of the freight from the distributer to the school.
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