Maersk removes the limits of the transport of bananas

For the world’s banana exporters, limits on how far bananas can be transported have traditionally kept distant markets out of reach.  Now, Maersk Line is knocking down these barriers with the introduction of StarCare, a new generation of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) containers.

StarCare containers are specially designed to carry bananas over longer distances, and are able to maintain outstanding product quality for up to 45 days. StarCare is a Controlled Atmosphere container, which means it regulates temperature, humidity levels and the mixture of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen to keep your product fresh all the way to the customer. The system even eliminates the need for Banavac bags – saving you time and money.

StarCare uses an advanced membrane to take advantage of the bananas’ natural ripening process. By controlling which gases are allowed to escape, the system maintains ideal atmospheric conditions inside the container. This postpones the ripening process and extends the bananas’ shelf life.

Because of the ability to now ship small volumes, exporters in Ecuador can now ship to the Middle East, Japan, China, Russia and the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and New Zealand. Costa Rican exporters now have access to valuable markets in Russia and the East Coast of South America. And Banana producers in the Philippines are now able to export their produce to the Middle East, while African exporters can now ship to the Mediterranean Sea and to Northern Europe.