pineapples

Leading Ecuadorean pineapple shipper Hubimeza has turned to active atmosphere and supply chain management expert Purfresh to optimise the quality of its fruit as it moves to markets across the world.

Hubimeza has deployed Purfresh's active atmosphere solution to protect its pineapples as they are shipped from Ecuador to Denmark, with the technology resulting in reduced decay and mould.

'Today is about the appropriate use of advanced technologies that deliver the best product to the market, and the Purfresh system has helped us to better preserve colour and freshness of our pineapples,' said Katherine Ubilla, export manager for Hubimeza. In particular, with Purfresh, we have gained batter quality and appearance of our fruit along with less mould and longer shelf life.

'We anticipate deploying the system for future, longer voyages to reach high demand markets that were previously unattainable via ocean,' he added.

Pineapples are at risk of diminished quality during ocean transport, with mould and pathogens, as well as colour change, all threats to the fruit. Purfresh's active atmosphere solution and cargo-monitoring software intellipur helps to minimise these risks and ensure quality.

'Shippers of fresh produce choose our patent-pending technology to mitigate risk, open new markets and reduce transport costs – all while protecting valuable cargo,' said Miguel Gómez, sales manager for México, Central America and Ecuador at Purfresh. 'Given the global pressure that fruit growers and shippers are experiencing today, along with the shortcomings of traditional alternatives, everyone – from the exporter to the consumer – benefits from safer, higher-quality produce, reduced losses, and a more sustainable global food supply chain.'