Hazel Technologies’s tiny life-extending produce sachets are the latest in a burgeoning category of agtech products that promise to keep fruit and veggies fresh along the supply chain.

But while most solutions more closely resemble wax coatings or an eco-friendly plastic wrap and require producers and distributors to buy equipment, train workers, then burn time applying them, Hazel’s inconspicuous sachets are designed for the supply chain as it is.

The size of a sugar packet, they can simply be dropped into produce boxes during the routine packaging and shipping process. The components inside the packet temporarily block ethylene receptors in fruits and veggies, keeping the inflow and outflow of O2 and CO2 gases at optimal levels. That puts the produce “to sleep”—while the Hazel sachets make no contact with the produce itself.

In 2023, Hazel expanded the technology’s reach to more than 15 types of produce, from apples to avocados, berries, figs, and kiwis as well as leafy greens, tomatoes, and melons.

It estimates that its technology has accompanied 5 billion pounds of produce in transit so far, helping to eliminate 400 million pounds of waste.