Colin Winslow and John Newton have developed a new product which can keep fruit and vegetables fresh and help to cut household food waste.

The Fresh Pod contains granules which absorb the ethylene gas given off by ripening fruit and vegetables.

The inventors claim this could extend the life of the food by up to four times longer than usual.

Mr Winslow said: "It is amazing how much waste we throw away.

"There are an awful lot of air miles that go into our food, just for one third of it to be thrown in the bin."

As supporters of environmental issues, the pair were keen to develop the product, which has been used commercially in America for the past 20 years.

Originally used in bulk, Colin and John devised the idea of miniaturising it for domestic use, in small child-proof sachets to sit in a fridge or fruit bowl.

Mr Winslow said: "People are fed up with going to the fridge, only to find their lettuce is limp and their food has gone off.

"The Fresh Pod is so convenient and it saves going to the supermarket every few days so it also saves money."

With Britons wasting 6.7 million tonnes of household food each year, Mr Winslow hopes the new device will help to cut down the waste.

Entirely biodegradable, the granules can also be used as fertiliser for pot plants when they have expired after six months.

With growing concern about food miles and carbon footprints, Mr Winslow is confident his new venture will strike a chord with the consumer.

"These are very exciting times for us," he said. "The phone has not stopped ringing and we are getting a lot of interest.

"We are all responsible for cutting down waste and this is our way of doing our bit."

Website: http://www.freshpod.co.uk/