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Restaurants, farmers, and food businesses are turning to chemistry and physics to deal with the problem of food waste.
餐馆、农民和食品企业正在求助化学和物理学来处理食物垃圾的问题。
Some companies are testing coverings to slow the ripening process in fruit and packets to keep food fresh.
一些公司正在测试覆盖物以减缓水果的成熟过程，也在测试包装以保持食物新鲜。
Others are developing digital sensors that can tell when meat is safe to eat.
其他公司正在开发可以判断肉类何时可以安全食用的数字传感器。
Experts say growing awareness of the costs of food waste has led to more efforts to deal with the problem.
专家表示，人们对食物垃圾成本的认识不断增强，从而促使人们采取了更多措施来解决这个问题。
ReFed is a group that studies food waste.
ReFed是一个研究食物垃圾的组织。
It says new businesses have raised $300 billion in 2021, double the amount raised in 2020, to deal with the problem.
它表示，为应对这一问题，新企业在2021年筹集了3000亿美元，是2020年筹集资金金额的两倍。
The group estimates that in 2019, around 35 percent of food available in the U.S. — worth about $418 billion — went unsold or uneaten.
该组织估计，2019年，美国约35%的可用食品——价值约4180亿美元——未售出或未被食用。
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that food waste is the largest kind of material placed in local waste areas.
美国国家环境保护局表示，食物垃圾是放置在当地垃圾区的最大的一种材料。
And the agency notes that rotting food releases methane, a gas that is not good for the environment.
该机构还指出，腐烂的食物会释放甲烷，这是一种对环境不好的气体。
ReFed estimates 225,000 kilograms of food could be kept out of waste areas each year with special, high-tech coverings.
ReFed估计，利用特殊的高科技覆盖物，每年可以避免22.5万公斤食物进入垃圾区。
Many companies are working on ways to help reduce food waste.
许多公司都在研究帮助减少食物垃圾的方法。
Sweden-based Innoscentia is developing a sensor that can show if meat is safe to eat by measuring the buildup of microbes inside its container.
总部位于瑞典的Innoscentia公司正在开发一种传感器，该传感器可以通过测量肉类容器中微生物的积聚数量来判断肉类是否可以安全食用。
And Ryp Labs, based in the U.S. and Belgium, is working on a sticker for fruits and vegetables that would release gas to slow ripening.
总部位于美国和比利时的Ryp Labs正在研究一种用于水果和蔬菜的贴纸，这种贴纸可以释放气体来延缓成熟。
SavrPak has developed a plant-based packet that can fit inside a container and take in moisture, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier.
SavrPak开发了一种以植物为基础的包装，这种包装可以装在容器里并吸收水分，帮助保持容器内的食物更热、更脆。
But the cost can be a barrier for some companies and shoppers.
但对于一些公司和购物者来说，成本可能是一种障碍。
Kroger, the largest food-store company in the U.S., ended its deal with Apeel Sciences this year.
美国最大的食品商店公司克罗格今年终止了与Apeel Sciences的交易。
The deal ended because Kroger said shoppers were not willing to pay more for fruits with Apeel’s special covering to keep them fresh.
终止这笔交易是因为克罗格表示，购物者不愿为带有Apeel特殊覆盖物的水果支付更多费用，这种覆盖物是用来保持水果新鲜的。
Apeel says its special covering is made of common food additives.
Apeel表示，其特殊覆盖物是由常见的食品添加剂制成的。
It says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while treated oranges can last for several weeks.
它表示，经过处理的牛油果可以多保存几天，而经过处理的橙子可以保存几周。
The company says that it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology.
该公司表示，它将会继续与克罗格就其他未来技术进行谈判。
Another big issue is how to deal with different care requirements for different kinds of food to prevent waste.
另一个大问题是如何处理不同种类食物的不同护理要求，以防止浪费。
“There is no one major change that can improve the situation,” said Randy Beaudry of Michigan State University’s school of agriculture.
密歇根州立大学农业学院的兰迪·博德里说：“没有一项重大改变可以改善这种情况。”
Beaudry said the complexity of the issue has caused some food waste projects to fail.
博德里说，这个问题的复杂性导致了一些食物垃圾项目的失败。
He added that it is also hard to sort out which technology works best since new companies do not always share data with outside researchers.
他补充说，也很难找出哪种技术最有效，因为新公司并不总是与外部研究人员共享数据。
Some companies find it better to use proven technology in new ways.
一些公司发现，以新的方式使用成熟的技术会更好。
For example, Chicago-based Hazel Technologies has been selling a chemical compound, called 1-MCP, that is used in a room to slow the ripening process in fruit.
例如，总部位于芝加哥的Hazel Technologies一直在销售一种名为1-MCP的化合物，这种化合物用于减缓室内水果的成熟过程。
The company now sells packets that can slowly release 1-MCP into small containers of fruits.
该公司现在销售的包装可以将1-MCP缓慢释放到小的水果容器中。
Mike Mazie oversees BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan.
Mike Mazie负责监管BelleHarvest，这是一家位于密歇根州贝尔丁的大型苹果包装厂。
He ordered around 3,000 of the packets this year to use for apples that could not fit inside rooms treated with the compound.
他今年订购了大约3000个包装，用于包装那些无法放入经过化合物处理的房间的苹果。
“If you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldn’t you?” he said. “It absolutely makes a difference.
他说：“如果你能把一蒲式耳的苹果再放一个星期，你为什么不呢？这绝对是有意义的。”
The science is promising, but it is only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera.
伊维特·卡布雷拉说，科学是有希望的，但它只是解决方案的一部分。
She is the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
她是自然资源保护委员会的食物垃圾主管。
Most food waste happens at home, she said.
她说，大多数食物垃圾都在家里产生。
Reducing food sizes, buying smaller quantities, or improving the accuracy of freshness date could have even more effects than new technology.
减少食品分量、减少购买量或提高保鲜日期的准确性都可能比新技术产生更大的影响。
“Overall as a society, we don’t value food as it should be valued,” Cabrera said.
卡布雷拉说：“总的来说，作为一个社会，我们没有足够重视食物。”
I’m John Russell.
约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
