Taiwanese academics and Hiwin Technologies Corp have developed a new technique to extend the shelf life of lychees to 30 days. Lychees exported to Japan and South Korea previously underwent vapor treatment to eliminate pests, but this darkened and dried the fruit’s skin and made it less attractive, Taichung-based Hiwin said. They added that the new technique they have developed with National Chung Hsing University horticulture professors Hsieh Ching-chang and Lin Hui-ling can help keep the fruit fresh, as it retains its moisture for 30 days.
Last Monday there was an event marking the export of nearly 1,500 boxes of lychees treated with the new technique. President Tsai Ing-wen said the new process allows the fruit to be exported fresh, calling it a testament to Taiwanese agriculture’s global competitiveness.
