Food for thought... Budding entrepreneurs pitch everything from ways to preserve fruit to a waterless car wash

26 March 2017 - 18:31 By Roxanne Henderson
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Rich in potassium, magnesium and manganese, banana has plenty of health benefits, especially for prompting digestion and helping you feel full.
Rich in potassium, magnesium and manganese, banana has plenty of health benefits, especially for prompting digestion and helping you feel full.
Image: ©letty17/Istock.com

You can’t see it‚ smell it or taste it.

So how do you know this life-extending food gel is really there? The proof‚ it seems‚ is in the apple pudding.

Students and academics from North-West University showed how imagination can be brought to life when they pitched seven innovative ideas last week to potential investors at the Standard Bank Incubator‚ an event aimed at start-up enterprises.

One of the concepts is an odourless‚ tasteless and transparent gel that extends the life of fruit and vegetables. It was invented by accident‚ born from a failed experiment‚ said biochemist Francois Taute.

“I was trying to invent something for 3D printing and one of my blends didn’t look suitable‚ so I decided to play around.

“I took my lunch box‚ took a few apples out‚ dipped it in and let it dry. By accident‚ I saw it keeping the fruit fresh.”

The gel is safe for human consumption and increases the life of fresh produce by about a week. It also adds a glossy shine.

The product has been tested on apples‚ oranges‚ tomatoes and grapes.

Taute expects to begin trials on red meat‚ chicken and fish.

“That’s how we know it works‚” said Johan du Toit‚ CEO of Kemajo Food Technologies‚ which plans to bring the gel to commercial markets.

“The amount of food that is wasted in the supermarkets and in our own houses is just astronomical. Through the chain‚ you should see a dramatic reduction in wastage (with the use of the gel).”

Kemajo will target fresh produce distributors‚ retailers and subsistence farmers.

Among the other ideas was a solution to prevent car accidents that kill animals.

Cows and donkeys with fur coats that glow in the dark could be the answer.

Moonshine Livestock Reflector‚ the brainchild of Taung local Morebodi Kaotsane‚ is a long-lasting reflective spray for livestock and game.

“In Taung we see a lot of accidents‚ mainly at night‚ caused by stray donkeys. The initial idea was to save lives‚” he said.

He is seeking investors to bring the spray‚ which is ready for mass production‚ to the commercial market.

Mzwakhe Sifuba and Kgaugelo Maripane pitched a business that can be squeezed into a bag.

The pair created their own waterless car wash detergent as a solution to water restrictions.

What they are really selling‚ though‚ is the business plan and entrepreneurial skills training included in the deal.

They are seeking corporate sponsors to help prospective car wash owners purchase the bags‚ which help two people go into a car wash business with all the required tools.

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