Zespri chooses EMS for ethylene control in kiwi shipments

Zespri, New Zealand has chosen Environmental Monitoring Systems (EMS), The Netherlands, as a supplier of ethylene analyzing equipment. Zespri headquarters in NZ is working closely with EMS to trial and optimize the ethylene analyzers, with the potential to use them throughout their supply chain. 

Background:

In 2015 Zespri’s technical team and Everfresh NZ, represented by Ernst Slabbekoorn (EMS NZ and AUS representative), identified a clear need for a rugged and reliable analyser to monitor ethylene in the post-harvest and transport of kiwifruit.

Jan-Kees Boerman from EMS was convinced that the analysers designed could perform under extreme conditions and able to measure very low concentrations (parts per billion, ppb range) required to store kiwifruit.

Zespri chose to put the EMS analysers through a thorough test in an independent lab. For the test in the field a number of analysers were placed on board different vessels to monitor ethylene levels and ethylene production and the additionally these analyzers were fitted with O2 and CO2 to monitor respiration.

Zespri Technical Manager, Frank Bollen, with more than 20 years of experience with ethylene measurements, mentioned the outcome of the reports and the results of the field test "a fantastic job" referring to the level of detection of EMS ethylene analysers.

Both tests have had outstanding results according to Zespri, and they are now in the process of investigating the potential for a further trial. 

The EMS MACView can be used everywhere to keep track of the valuable product throughout the supply chain wherever location. EMS analyzers can be used for cool store, reefer and warehouse monitoring even in the middle of the ocean. Data is synchronized to a web portal which is enables global access to all data.

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