How COVID-19 Changed Food Sampling + Apeel’s Plant- Based Produce Coating

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way brands and retailers hand out food samples? In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney discusses how food sampling has changed in retail settings and at home, with many companies shifting to e-commerce or online grocery orders as a means to send out samples. The team discusses whether in-store samples will return to their pre-pandemic state and why sample booths are crucial for small and emerging businesses.

Also, in this episode, Mira introduces the team to Apeel Sciences, a food-safe coating company that raised $250 million in a Series E funding round. Apeel uses materials that exist in peels, seeds and pulp, allowing produce to last longer in order to reduce food waste. The team compares Apeel’s plant-based coating to other produce coatings and discusses whether Apeel produce would come at a higher cost to consumers.