TransFresh announces Tectrol Storage Solution for Fresh Blueberries
TransFresh has successfully completed a multi-year research and development initiative resulting in a unique Tectrol Storage Solution that utilizes Apio’s patented BreatheWay® Technology to deliver a sealed package system with adjustable oxygen transfer rates that react dynamically to changes in temperature and berry respiration for more reliable fresh blueberry storage. Apio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Landec Corporation.
According to TransFresh, the breakthrough sealed pallet process delivers to customers a unique storage solution with stable oxygen and carbon dioxide. “What’s remarkable about the Tectrol Storage Solution for fresh blueberries is that the innovative zip-sealed pallet system combined with the patented breathable membrane allows just the right amount of oxygen transfer needed by the fruit, resulting in greater atmosphere control than previously possible and a virtually fool-proof packaging operation,” stated Rich Macleod, TransFresh Corporation vice president. “Customers who may have struggled in the past to meet the specific atmosphere needs of fresh blueberries are now finding they have a new solution available with higher consistency and a more stable atmosphere for greater storage reliability,” he said.
Macleod further commented that customers may now have much more
confidence in their storage solutions by being able to more effectively match supplies with market demand. TransFresh expects that its new storage solution can be adapted to other commodities such as fresh cherries and grapes.
To develop the unique Tectrol Storage Solution for fresh blueberries, TransFresh
looked more closely at storage needs versus shipping needs. According to Reilly
Rhodes, TransFresh Tectrol business manager for fresh blueberries who spearheaded
the multi-year development project, the “A-ha” moment came when the pallet sealing method used for fresh strawberries was “turned on its head.” “We redesigned our seal system for the fresh blueberry market and then married the redesigned seal and bag with the Apio BreatheWay® technology,” he explained. The new Tectrol Storage Solution for blueberries is not only high-performance operationally, but is also fully “adjustable” to blueberries and their storage conditions. “At that stage,” Rhodes said, “we were no longer simply adapting a successful program for fresh strawberries to fresh blueberries, we were actually creating a new and highly adaptable solution designed specifically for fresh blueberries.”
In completing the initiative, TransFresh drew upon the extensive expertise of
Apio’s BreatheWay® Technology team and also worked alongside several of the key
customers who participate in the fresh blueberry industry. BreatheWay® Technology is a trademark of Apio, Inc.
Domestic markets have sold 15 percent more blueberries this year than last and
represent a fast growing berry segment. As these markets have grown, the demand for a more effective storage solution has accelerated. Because blueberries are grown in a variety of countries and districts, and varieties tend to have steep production peaks, the ability to hold blueberries in modified or controlled atmosphere conditions helps to smooth out the bumps in market supply and demand. A pallet-sized atmosphere package such as the Tectrol Storage Solution gives suppliers the flexibility to market a quality product through the peaks and valleys of the distribution system.
Customers who are interested in more information may contact Reilly Rhodes, TransFresh Corp., at (949) 279-5084.
