Bielefeld, Germany – Fresh-cut, ready-to-eat bananas could soon be available on supermarket shelves thanks to a ground-breaking shelf-life extension treatment developed by FOOD Freshly®, the German specialist in Bio-preservation for fruits and vegetables.
The product, O Plus Ultra-7, is an antioxidant which is able to add approximately eight-10 days of shelf-life without using preservatives, genetic modified organisms (GMO) or other harmful substances. Fully compliant with EU, US, and Canadian food safety legislation, O Plus Ultra-7 is, in common with all FOOD freshly® products, applied as an aqueous solution in which bananas are dipped for 1-2 minutes.
Natural banana flavours are preserved following treatment, while structure and colour are retained without becoming soft. Processors also do not need to use modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or other special cost-adding packaging.
“Bananas are not to be found in the fresh-cut landscape as of yet, since they turn brown immediately,” explained Benjamin Singh, Director of Technical Sales at FOOD Freshly®. “Current antioxidants on the market were not able to handle these sensitive fruits until now.”
FOOD freshly® is dedicated to helping fresh-cut processors grow sales by introducing new, innovative fresh-cut products. Along with naturally flavoured apples, fresh-cut bananas are the next useful step to help expand fruit processors’ market share and to grow their business.
“We are glad to be able to offer the unique opportunity of being first-to-market with a fresh-cut banana product to our customers,” Singh added.
FOOD freshly® exhibits at Fruit Attraction in Madrid from 5-7 October.
Source: FOOD freshly®
