Tossing out fresh fruits and veggies that have gone bad can feel like throwing money down the drain.
So, Consumer Reports tested a new product called FreshPaper, which claims to keep produce fresh for up to four times longer.
Freshpaper costs $6.95 for a package of 8 sheets.
"It's made from a mixtures of spices, including fenugreek, which supposedly inhibits bacteria growth," aid Consumer Reports' Gayle Williams.
Testers placed two sets of blueberries and strawberries with FreshPaper in a refrigerator.
One set was in its original store packaging and the other in airtight plastic containers.
In a different fridge, they put the same berries without FreshPaper.
They checked the fruit every day. The FreshPaper did not appear to have any effect on the blueberries. After two weeks, they all looked the same.
The strawberries in original packaging without FreshPaper showed some mold growth. The strawberries with FreshPaper did not have mold, but were starting to spoil, the same as the berries without paper.
As for the strawberries in airtight containers, nearly three weeks later, the ones with FreshPaper and those without shows signs of spoilage.
"Your best bet to store fresh produce is to put it in a cool, dry place. And, no matter how good it looks in the store, resist the urge to buy more than you need," Williams said.
