As the southern Hemisphere fruit export season starts, growers and exporters are looking at how to optimise the freshness and ripeness of that fruit when it arrives in the Northern Hemisphere markets. Rypen supplies products that capture and moderate ethylene both post-harvest and during transportation and storage, helping exporters get their fruit through the long journey in better condition and with as little waste as possible.
© It's Fresh
Two images of grapes were taken 74 days after harvest (60 days at -0.5 deg C, and then 14 days at 7.5 deg C), the one on the right using the Rypen technology
"We are more established in the Southern Hemisphere, where Rypen is used for products such as grapes, stone fruit, blueberries, avocados, and raspberries," explains Tristan Kaye, Business Development Director at It's Fresh. "One of the major challenges for exports is logistics. There are delays caused by various factors, ships are now often having to use alternative routes, first due to low water levels through the Panama Canal and the conflict in the Red Sea, which severely limited traffic through the Suez Canal, and ports such a Cape Town have a long history of troubles."
"All of these factors can mean that the fruit is on the ships for longer than planned or is left in storage at the port until the ship can dock. In addition to this, we now have the US tariffs, which may make that market less appealing for growers from countries like South Africa and Latin America, and they may choose to send some fruit elsewhere this season. This only adds further to the uncertainty."
© It's Fresh
Rypen is not just about extending the shelf life of the product, but also maintaining the condition, according to Tristan. "If your product arrives in poor condition, it will have to be regraded and repacked; this can be a very costly exercise. We have also seen that, for example, in raspberries, from Morocco to Europe or Mexico to the US, we can get 2-4 days' extra shelf life, but we are seeing some of our big berry customers now leaving the fruit on the cane for longer to achieve better flavour and bigger sizes, and more robust berries. Using Rypen, growers can do this without creating more food waste as the riper berries are being protected from the effects of ethylene once packed."
Labour is a huge cost for any growers, so if the process can be made more efficient, then it is a win.
"Ethylene is widely seen as a foe in the fruit world, but it can also be a friend," explains Tristan. "It can be seen as a conductor in an orchestra, signalling a huge array of biochemical processes that enhance the flavour of the fruit, amongst many other things. If it is blocked, the fruit won't ripen properly. How often have you gone to the supermarket and bought a peach that never ripens at home? Our tech can allow the fruit to be picked more mature, and then to gently and naturally ripen on its journey to market, giving a much higher eating quality. The moderated exposure to ethylene can also help the fruit fight pathogens, too, further reducing potential for losses."
Rypen is now also working with blueberries. "The category has seen massive growth, and we are helping growers and shippers to maintain the crunchy firmness of the berries through the shipping process. A big part of our mission is to reduce food waste while allowing the natural potential of fresh produce to really shine."
For more information:
Tristan Kaye
RYPEN
Tel: +44 7823 403408
[email protected]
www.itsfresh.com
