Fresh produce is a vital part of our daily diet, providing essential nutrients and contributing to a healthy lifestyle. However, the journey from farm to table can be a delicate process, as fruits and vegetables are prone to spoilage. One critical factor that significantly affects fresh produce’s quality and shelf life is the air flow within the refrigerated container.
In this blog, we will explore the effects of air on fresh produce and discuss strategies for maintaining optimal storage conditions to maximise the longevity and quality of these perishable goods.
The Role of Air in Produce Deterioration:
• Respiration:
Fruits and vegetables continue to respire even after harvest. This respiration process provides energy for maintaining cellular functions but also leads to the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Increased respiration rates can cause a faster depletion of essential nutrients, loss of texture, and a decline in overall quality.
• Ethylene Production:
Certain fruits, such as apples, bananas, and tomatoes, release a natural plant hormone called ethylene, which acts as a ripening agent. While ethylene is beneficial for initiating the ripening process, its accumulation in a closed environment and can hasten the ripening and subsequent decay of nearby produce, particularly ethylene-sensitive items like leafy greens or berries.
What is Recommended to Improve the Quality of Fresh Produce?
Introducing the RAFT Kit that can fit into any regular reefer container! The RAFT Kit is an air flow modification technology for refrigerated shipping containers that improves temperature consistency throughout the container, substantially reducing the rate of respiration and ethylene production. The outturn quality of fresh produce is improved, increasing profitability.
Air is “lazy” and will take the path of least resistance; as a result, most of the chilled air inside a container will move around the produce rather than through it, which has a detrimental effect on freshness and quality. The RAFT Kit forces the chilled air to follow a more horizontal path through the produce. This is achieved by covering part of the container floor with a floor liner and blocking the air space above and below the pallets of produce.
As the chilled air is delivered through a smaller cross-sectional area, the velocity of air increases, resulting in improved refrigeration efficiency reducing the required input energy.
Trials on stone fruit and citrus in containers packed with the RAFT Kit, compared to control containers on the same voyage, have shown that the RAFT Kit is able to reduce the temperature range significantly within the container, with a direct impact on quality on arrival.
Benefits of the RAFT Kit:
- Reduces temperature differentials throughout the container
- Improves the quality of all produce, particularly short-shelf-life fruits and vegetables
- Enables faster stabilisation of cold-steri temperatures
- Increases relative humidity. Relative humidity of >90% is desirable to decrease weight loss and shrivel
- The RAFT Kit is made of recyclable components and does not damage the container
- Commercially proven with a variety of produce
If you’re looking to minimise risk, improve profitability and deliver high-quality fresh produce, contact Reefer Air Flow Technologies today!