AgroFresh announced as one of keynote speakers at new Asia Fruit Logistica Business Forum

The General Manager for AgroFresh EMEA & ASIA, Peter Vriends, will be one of the keynote speakers at the new Business Forum organized by Asia Fruit Logistica next month (September 4 -6). In his presentation, Mr Vriends will look at solutions for reducing food waste during the supply chain, including the issue of shrinkage at retail.

AgroFresh is a leading company in post-harvest quality and management advice, and has developed a strong reputation in technical storage support internationally with innovative products like SmartFreshSM Quality and SmartTabsTM.

“The reduction of food waste and the interrelated issue of Food Security are challenges that every country is grappling with, but it is also an area where the fruit industry – by market and globally -can make a significant positive contribution”, said Peter Vriends. “The reduction of waste is a key metric of food sustainability. For the fruit industry, waste occurs at all stages of the supply chain, and while there is a continuing search for new solutions, including by AgroFresh, technologies already available should not be overlooked.
In complementing traditional storage platforms, RA and CA, we are confident that the SmartFresh Quality System has made significant contributions through improving in fruit texture, firmness and overall quality. This is what our customers in dozens of international markets are confirming.”

The benefits of SmartFresh in the delivery of superior quality fruit were demonstrated in an AC Nielsen study of apple sales in 24 Dutch supermarkets. There was a reported 25% overall reduction in shrinkage and a 12% increase in sale during the test period, attributable to the better shelf life of the SmartFresh Quality apples.

“But even with these successes, the fruit industry is a long way from the end-game. The solution to fruit quality management starts with growers and farmers and does not finish until the fruit is consumed and not discarded because of quality issues.
In the face of these challenges more and more consumers are enjoying access to quality fruit and coming back for more. Collectively this is our ultimate goal.”

AgroFresh has operated in the region for 10 years and remains committed to developing further technologies to help the industry – along the supply chain and at retail - to overcome the losses from quality incidents due to harvest issues, storage disorders and disrupted cool chain management.

Mr Vriends said he valued the opportunity to share knowledge with fellow industry members at the Business Forum at Asia Fruit.