Features Production Research
Purfresh Transport outperforms gas injection controlled atmosphere

July 30, 2009, Calif. – Purfresh, released the results
of a comparative analysis confirming Purfresh Transport™ effectively
safeguards stone fruit during shipment.

July 30, 2009, Calif. – Purfresh, released the results of a comparative analysis confirming Purfresh Transport™ effectively safeguards stone fruit during shipment.  In side-by-side comparison of nectarine shipments, Purfresh’s active atmosphere consistently outperformed traditional gas injection controlled atmosphere (CA) system, indicating significant advantages in preserving produce quality as evidenced by measurable differences in firmness, weight and sugar content.
 
In the Purfresh study, Kay Pearl nectarines were transported by ocean from California to Taiwan, a 14-day voyage. The post-trip evaluation of the fruit surface and reefer environment revealed that Purfresh Transport outperformed the CA treatment on net weight loss, fruit pressure, Brix content, and microbial counts. By maintaining the freshness of the produce during transit, Purfresh Transport extends the shelf life of the fruit, minimizes waste and repack, and reduces costly waste-related claims processing.
 
“As the global food supply chain comes under new pressures from international and domestic regulations, shippers and retailers alike are searching for simple, cost-effective methods to ensure safety and maintain quality of fresh perishables during transport,” said David Cope, president and CEO of Purfresh. “The science behind our transport solution is designed to help ensure safe transit over long distances, sustain and increase revenue from each container, and support the growing demand for reduced chemical usage in processing and shipping. With Purfresh Transport everyone throughout in the food supply chain benefits from fresher, safer, higher-quality produce.”
 
The global market for stone fruit has grown steadily for the past five years, with production increasing by 6% in 2008 over the previous year.  Despite market growth, the industry continues to be plagued by losses of 10-30% due to ripening and turning in transit.  Importers and exporters have traditionally turned to CA technologies and fungicide treatments to maintain the quality of stone fruit during transport.  CA technology has been shown to slow respiration, but the science does little to prevent decay.  Alternatively, fungicides can be effective in combating molds, but they leave residues on the fruit that are undesirable to consumers, and resistance is increasing to such treatments. These shortcomings have prompted the industry to seek alternatives for maintaining the value of stone fruit during marine transport.

“The Purfresh Transport delivers a long anticipated remedy to some of the most daunting challenges facing the produce shipping industry,” said Vince Balakian, owner of Fruit Patch Sales LLC, Dinuba, Calif. “Nectarines are particularly delicate commodities, sensitive to temperature, decay, and many other variables that plague stone fruit transit. The Purfresh system enhances our control, simplifies logistics and preserves our premium quality shipments.”
 
Purfresh Transport, based on patented active atmosphere technology delivers continuous, low concentration doses of ozone into refrigerated containers to provide the unique combination of ripening control, decay prevention, and enhanced food safety. To manage the container’s atmosphere throughout the voyage, Purfresh Transport actively monitors and adjusts to changes in the organic load of the cargo, from causes such as microbial load, VOCs, and ethylene levels, as well as changes in the environmental conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity. Importers and exporters now have a proven method to extend shelf life, minimize waste, and maintain the quality of fresh produce during long-range transport without the use of undesirable chemicals. Purfresh Transport is available for use on new or existing reefer containers and is offered to shippers as a premium, per-trip surcharge.