From harvest to the consumer's plate, the preservation and perfection of fruits and vegetables is an area we feel strongly about.

Major developments over the past 60 years have occurred in the field of refrigeration. While maintaining the cold chain is fundamental, it cannot be considered in isolation. In fact it is the base from which one achieves greater goals.

Various technologies are at hand. Some more common ones, such as humidifiers, allow to maintain the look of the vegetables as if it were barely picked. Innovative technologies

Degreening

Some fruit can be harvested in a condition where they are perfectly edible, but whose appearance is not 'definitive' nor that expected by the consumer. This process allows to harvest at opportune moments for having proper taste, but will optimise the look via treatment in the storage/handling facility.

Maturation

Other foods, to reach the consumer need to be harvested before the moment of optimal taste and edibility. Maturation techniques can be applied in these instances.

Modified Atmposphere (M.A.)

The air that envelops produce during storage and distribution plays its role in keeping optimal post-harvest conditions... up until it reaches the end-consumer's hands! The atmosphere can be controlled and modified to generate greater freshness and longer shelf life. It is possible to apply modified atmosphere conditions in closed volumes (storage facility, transportation or individual packaging) by altering the percentage of gas make-up of the surrounding air. Again, all the while ensuring that non chemical residues are left behind via fully natural technological processes.

De-tannification

This recent technological process creates new markets for persimmon (or kaki) fruit. Until recently, the only way to enjoy this fruit was to harvest it and bring it to a plate very swiftly. De-tannification allows earlier harvesting to maintain the firmness of this fruit, by processing the fruit in such a way that it removes the harshness (astringency) that exists at that point of harvesting. Easier handling and distribution creates new development and appreciation opportunities for persimmon.

We've dedicated an entire site to the post-harvest technologies: postharvest.it +