Purfresh has 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. These systems promote 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. They 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. They offer superior ripening control with residue-free decay prevention and enhanced food safety.
Sierra Kiwi, a leading 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 Tom Schultz of Sierra Kiwi. “After the first two weeks of deploying the Purfresh Cold Storage system, we experienced a 50% reduction in our ethylene levels—an extremely impressive number. In addition, we’ve been reinspecting 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.
Specifically engineered for refrigerated storage environments and long-distance ocean transport, Purfresh technologies combine plug-and-play ozone-based systems with Intellipur online analytics—an information service that includes environmental sensing, web-based monitoring, alerting, data reporting, and analysis along with remote control and diagnostics. These technologies allow growers, produce distributors, retailers, and shippers to enhance their food safety measures and effectively maintain post-harvest quality without using harsh, undesirable chemicals.
For more information, visit www.purfresh.com.
