Felix Instruments Enters MAP Market With Handheld Ethylene Analyzer

Camas, WA, USA – Felix Instruments-Applied Food Science announces the release of the F-950 Handheld Ethylene Analyzer, a new quality assurance tool for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) quality assurance. The F-950 instantly measures the 3 gases critical to MAP: C2H4 (Ethylene), CO2 and O2, as well as Relative Humidity (RH), temperature, date, and time. Managing C2H4 has been especially challenging for fresh-cut produce packagers, where natural ethylene emissions result in lower product shelf-life and early spoilage. Portable ethylene measurement addresses that knowledge-gap, and also enables those with ethylene-control protocols to be able to measure their efficacy.

The F-950 Handheld Ethylene Analyzer measures C2H4 with a resolution of 0.1 ppm and a measurement range of 0 – 200 ppm, ideal for a wide range of produce types. The handheld instrument weighs less than a kilogram and can be scaled to many environments, from an individual package of salad to transportation containers and cold storage warehouses.  The F-950 premiered at PMA-Fresh Summit last weekend, and pre-orders are shipping this week.

Supporting Information About Ethylene (C2H4):

Ethylene production is a natural part of the plant life cycle. Whenever plant tissue is injured it begins producing more ethylene, which promotes faster decay in adjacent plant tissues. Processed produce emits much higher amounts of damaging C2H4 compared to intact produce, an effect that can last continuously up to a week after cutting. Ethylene emissions affect adjacent plant tissues, speeding spoilage and decreasing the shelf-life of the entire container. C2H4 particularly spikes in cut kiwifruit, winter squash, tomatoes, papayas and strawberries according to research presented in Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables: Science, Technology, and Market (ed: Lamikanra, 2002).

Additional F-950 product information available:

http://www.felixinstruments.com/products/f-950

About Felix Instruments:

Felix Instruments – Applied Food Science is a subsidiary of CID Bio-Science, Inc., which has been providing research scientists with plant science tools since 1989: www.felixinstruments.com, www.cid-inc.com

Source: Felix Instruments