Forever Fresh | Radiolab Podcast

In this episode of Radiolab, Latif Nasser interviews science writer Nicola Twilley about her book "Frostbite," which explores the technologies used to preserve food. The conversation begins with refrigeration as a "time machine" that slows down biological processes. They discuss the discovery of ethylene's role in fruit ripening and its use in the food industry, from ripening bananas to controlling fruit and vegetable responses. The discussion then shifts to the technology behind salad bags, which use differentially permeable membranes to control the atmosphere around the lettuce, and a new spray-on lipid technology that could extend the shelf life of produce without refrigeration, potentially revolutionizing food storage and transportation.