Fremont, Calif. – Purfresh, a leading provider of clean technologies that purify, protect, and preserve the global food supply chain, today announced that kiwifruit growers and shippers are increasingly deploying Purfresh® Cold Storage and Purfresh Transport to maintain fruit quality in refrigerated storage rooms and containers for long-distance ocean transport. Outperforming alternatives in side-by-side comparisons, the Purfresh solutions promote higher quality and value by maintaining the post-harvest freshness, taste, firmness, and smell of conventional and organic kiwifruit.
Extremely sensitive to ethylene and susceptible to decay-causing pathogens, kiwifruit are at risk for quality degradation from the moment they are harvested and become even more prone to post-harvest decay as they ripen and soften. Unlike controlled atmosphere (CA) technologies, which do little to prevent mold growth, and fungicidal treatments, which can limit market opportunities, Purfresh’s engineered ozone-based technologies are ideal for decay-prone and ethylene-sensitive kiwifruit because they offer the unparalleled combination of superior ripening control with residue-free decay prevention and enhanced food safety.
Sierra Kiwi, the largest organic kiwifruit producer in California, selected Purfresh Cold Storage to protect fruit quality in two of its refrigerated storage rooms. “We chose Purfresh for its outstanding service, innovative technology, and outstanding reputation,” said Mr. Tom Schultz of Sierra Kiwi. “After the first two weeks of deploying the Purfresh Cold Storage system, we experienced a 50 percent reduction in our ethylene levels—an extremely impressive number. In addition, we’ve been re-inspecting our kiwifruit prior to exporting to Asia and very little mold on the fruit has been present.”
Similar results, using Purfresh Cold Storage, were reported by the Technological Educational Institute of Kavala in Greece. Purfresh outperformed ethylene scrubbers in maintaining firmness during a 150-day study. In addition, results showed that ozone treatments slowed the normal growth of Botrytis cenerea and prevented mycelia sporulation, without affecting the organoleptic properties and quality of the fruit.
“Growers and shippers continue to look for new technologies that are cost-effective, enhance food safety, maintain quality, and deliver where traditional solutions such as controlled atmosphere and chemical usage fall short,” said Mr. David Bouchard general manager, post-harvest and transport solutions for Purfresh. “The science behind our solutions is designed to help growers and shippers sustain and increase revenue while promoting the reduction of post-harvest chemicals. With Purfresh, everyone throughout the food supply chain benefits from fresher, safer, higher-quality produce.”
Specifically engineered for refrigerated storage environments and long-distance ocean transport, Purfresh technologies ensure an unprecedented level of food safety and quality by combining plug-and-play ozone-based solutions with Intellipur® online analytics—a powerful information service that includes environmental sensing, web-based monitoring, alerting, data reporting, and analysis along with remote control and diagnostics. These state-of-the-art technologies allow growers, produce distributors, retailers, and shippers to enhance their food safety measures and effectively maintain post-harvest quality without the use of harsh, undesirable chemicals.
About Purfresh, Inc.
An innovator and market leader, Purfresh offers a range of clean, science-based solutions for the global food supply chain. Designed to purify, protect, and preserve fresh produce, Purfresh’s crop management products and cold chain solutions couple proven science with advanced technology to optimize the quality and safety of produce as it moves from the farm to the consumer. Serving more than 1,500 customers in 50 countries, Purfresh and its global partners help companies maximize yields, reduce losses, expand market opportunities, and deliver safer, higher-quality produce to the market. For more information, visit www.purfresh.com. Follow Purfresh on Twitter and Facebook.
Source: Purfresh, Inc.
