Experts from General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) were in Malaysia at end of April 2019 to audit and examine durian orchards and pack house facilities to pave the way for the final approval for Malaysia durian to be imported into China in the form of frozen whole fruit durian.
Malaysian durian
Datuk Vincent Chan who is the managing director of You Xiang Limited, which market their Malaysia durian brand under Royal Mas (expect for Malaysia), will be able to export its frozen whole durian into China in the next few months and this would be a breakthrough for Malaysia’s horticulture industry as durian is one of the bigger categories in China’s fruit bowl. The Chinese demand for durian has been growing in double digits each year and Thailand which is its biggest durian importer is working hard to fulfill the demand each season.
Malaysian durian
A significant difference between Malaysian and Thai durian is that Malaysian durian is only harvested at 100% maturity and full ripening stage where the taste & quality profile is at its best. Due to its uniqueness of harvesting at full maturity stage, Malaysian fresh durian does not have a long shelf life and this hampered its exporting potential. However, this changed when durian packing facilities in Malaysia started to use cryogenic nitrogen freezing technology to retain its freshness of the whole durian after harvesting and they were able to extend the shelf life from 5 days to 18 months. Cryogenic nitrogen freezing is a new method of freezing where the fruits and vegetables are exposed to an atmosphere below -60 Celsius through direct contact with liquidized gasses such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide which are common in our atmospheric air.
Malaysian durian
According to Datuk Vincent Chan, the whole fresh fruit durian can be frozen by exposing to liquid nitrogen at -80 to -100 for one hour and the frozen durian can be stored at -18 Celsius for up to 18 months without losing much of its original flavor, taste, golden flesh color and texture. The unique aroma of durian will resume and the fruit is ready to be eaten after 6 hours of defrosting in room temperature. “We have been preparing and in discussions with a lot of our wholesale & retail partners in anticipation of the arrival of frozen whole Musang King Durian into the market as the whole durian fruit will be needing special arrangement in term of supply chain & cold storage to ensure it retain its optimum taste and quality” as stated by Datuk Vincent Chan.
Malaysian durian
This new development and the renew focus of the One Belt One Road initiatives by both Chinese and Malaysian government will certainly be a major highlight for both growers in Malaysia and durian fans in China.
Contact person: Cai Fang - CEO
E-mail address: sophia.cai@sovininternational.com