Better market life for plums treated with AgroFresh’s SmartFresh

The University of California, Davis conducted a new research, founding significant quality benefits for plums and pluots using the SmartFresh™ Quality System by Agrofresh, one of the leaders in produce freshness solutions. SmartFresh is an industry-trusted solution that allows growers, packers and retailers to better manage ripening from the field to the consumer.

Dr. Carlos Crisosto, director of fruit and nut research and information center at the University of California, Davis, said, “Through this research we were able to investigate the effectiveness of AgroFresh’s SmartFresh Quality System on plums and pluots. In addition to extending shelf life, SmartFresh-treated fruits maintained optimal flavor and visual characteristics, as well as a reduced incidence of disorders that enhance market life and reduce waste.”

The UC Davis study confirms the commercial practice in many countries where packers rely on SmartFresh to extend the marketability of their plums.

The research demonstrated five benefits using SmartFresh for plums and pluots: extend market life by six to nine days and preserve firmness, which is notably superior versus untreated plums (24 days for plums and 15 days for pluots), providing an opportunity for growers to target overseas markets, as well as delay softening and skin color changes after the fruits are removed from cold storage. Additional, the quality system maintain the ability to ripen properly and maintain flavor (organic acids) at the “ready-to-eat" stage by reducing titratable acidity and reduce the incidence of cold storage disorders such as flesh browning, flesh bleeding and flesh translucency.

The results from this study further signify why customers collaborate with AgroFresh. The SmartFresh Quality System provides a range of post-harvest benefits even for vulnerable, highly perishable fruits. We’re continuing to invest in the expansion of solutions across various crops, so the produce industry has access to proven solutions that extend shelf life, help deliver optimal taste and texture, and reduce food loss and waste,” said Fernando Edagi, North America business development manager at AgroFresh.

AgroFresh is one of the leading global innovator and provider of science-based solutions, data-driven technologies and experience-backed services to enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of fresh produce. For more than 20 years AgroFresh has supported growers, packers and retailers by providing near- and post-harvest solutions across the industry to enhance crop values while conserving the planet’s resources and reducing global food waste.

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