Innovative technology extends rambutan shelf-life by 5 days
One typical characteristic of tropical fruit is their short shelf life, especially the discolouration (skin browning) and deterioration in ambient condition.
Lack of ambient shelf life has always been the major draw back for retailers in promoting exotic tropical fruit, especially those with attractive colour, like lychee, longan and rumbutan.
Growers and shippers had been using CO2 to preserve the colour which is very annoying in the trade for its allergic risks.
Lately, an innovative postharvest technology has been developed to allow good quality preservation along the supply chain and the last mile of it. This new technology would able to retain the attractive colour to 4-7 days at the end of the cold chain. Pictures here give comparison of treated and untreated fruit 5 days into normal temperature which resembled retail conditions.
With extended shelf life, it is than possible for wholesalers and retailers to retain more inventory and do bigger displays than they used to do thus would directly increase the movement of the products.
This new technology uses all GRAS food additives that are permitted by USDA FDA and EC SANCO.
According to Mr. Edward Jih, Chief Engineer of Agrifresh Biotech Co., Ltd. Taiwan, the technology is technically and economically feasible and practical. As long as there is adequate cooling facilities, no special modifications are required.
Agrifresh Biotech is a Taiwanese company specialized in postharvest treatment in preservation of quality, taste, and microbial contamination control, especially for tropical fruit and fresh cut items. In specific, their anti browning technology is at the leading edge of the industry. Working in the center of South East Asia subtropical region over decades, Agrifresh team had gained abundant experience in practical field application with moderate or minimum equipment investment. After all, most of the tropical fruit production come from less develop regions.
For more information:
Edward Jih
Agrifresh Biotech Co.
Email: jihedward@gmail.com