It's Fresh!, part of the Food Freshness Technology Group (FFT), has welcomed the results of a major study into the impact of its patented ethylene removal technolgy on shipments of avocados into Europe.
During a four-year period, extensive independent trials were carried out by a team from Cranfield University in the UK on avocados handled by leading importer Worldwide Fruit using FFT's e+ ethylene adsorber.
The results, which are understood to have confirmed major improvements to the condition of the fruit on arrival, coincided with the delivery and market debut in late October of a new speciality, supersized Argentine variety called Torres for National Avocado Week on 24-30 October.
Torres will in fact be available until December, aided by the It's Fresh! technology.
According to the report, It's Fresh! increased coldstorage by over 30 days and further extended shelf-life in store for up to six extra days.
Shipped in a standard box with an It's Fresh! sheet below the fruit, Worldwide triggered and then repacked the fruit into cell liners within a Tesco crate.
'We have been working with It's Fresh! for nearly two years and, after completing several commercial and scientific supported trials we are convinced it will significantly help improve our handling process,' confirmed Tony Harding, the company's technical director.
'We know the technology dramatically reduces the level of ethylene being produced, and we have seen that we can extend both shelf-life and extend the storage period,' he added.
'We are very confident that this will help reduce any quality issues by improving the overall consistency of the product that we are selling.
Support from Worldwide's customers, many of whom have apparently shown considerable interest in the technology, has been encouraging, Harding said.
'We expect that it will give us the ability to manage our stocks with greater flexibility and extend the shelf-life even when fruit is being sold unripe.'
Retail reaction
Steven Deeble, technical manager at Tesco, said his team had been encouraged by the results of the trial shipments.
'We are really pleased to see the It's Fresh! ethylene remover being used within the avocado supply chain by Worldwide Fruit, especially on such an exciting and unique variety like Torres,' he commented.
'Worldwide has been working hard with the It's Fresh! team over the last two years to perfect the protocol for inclusion in this difficult product category.
'We expect that through the inclusion of the It's Fresh! technology, Worldwide will be able to extend their sales of Torres to Tesco by an additional 4-6 weeks.'
The next step for Tesco, Deeble revealed, would be to extend the technology at retail level for its loose and Perfectly Ripe ranges, with the overall objective of increasing shelf-life as well as providing a more consistent eating experience.
Simon Lee, director of FFT, added that It's Fresh! trials had also been successful with pears, a product for which he said ripening was 'notoriously difficult to control'.
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