BIG Interview: inside the proven technology that ripens the world’s bananas 

Ripening fruit is one of the most critical — and riskiest — steps in the fresh produce supply chain. For decades, many businesses relied on compressed ethylene cylinders: bulky, hazardous, and heavily regulated. They made ripening not only complicated but also dangerous and costly. Catalytic Generators changed that equation. By inventing a safer, on-site solution for ethylene generation more than 50 years ago, the company transformed ripening from a liability into a reliable, predictable process. Today, its technology is trusted by growers, distributors, and retail giants worldwide — delivering uniform quality fruit, without the headaches of handling cylinders, complex fire codes, or inconsistent ripening. 

In this interview with Fructidor, Catalytic Generators explains why it remains one of the safest and most efficient solution on the market, and how it continues to evolve to meet the demands of today’s global produce industry. From the story of its invention to its TÜV-certified safety features and new smart-control upgrades, the company shares insights into what makes ethylene generation simple, reliable, and more safe for fruit ripeners worldwide. 

Fructidor: Could you share how the company was founded and how it evolved over time? 

Catalytic Generators: In 1972, Jerry McDonnell, a young entrepreneur, opened a banana distribution business in Norfolk, Virginia, and used something called a “lecture bottle” as an ethylene source for ripening. This made the entire ripening process difficult, unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. Jerry knew there had to be a better way; something safer, more reliable and easier to use. So, with the help of some ingenious scientists, and extensive research and experimentation, they figured out a method to create ethylene from ethanol, in small quantities for use in commercial ripening rooms. In 1973, Jerry patented the Catalytic Generator and Ethy-Gen® Ripening Concentrate. 

Fructidor: For those unfamiliar with chemistry, how does your catalytic generator work? 

Catalytic Generators: The generator contains a reaction chamber that houses a specialized catalyst which, when properly heated, creates a dehydration reaction of ethanol to yield pure ethylene and water vapor. This is importantly not created under pressure, which makes it safer, and the ethylene leaves the reaction chamber and enters the ripening room with the assistance of process heat and the fact that it is slightly lighter than air. 

Fructidor: Is ethylene considered a hazardous substance? How do you ensure safety in your system? 

Catalytic Generators: Ethylene is a hazardous substance due to its explosive nature; Ethy-Gen II is also a hazardous substance due to its flammability. However, one of the outstanding advantages of Ethy-Gen II is that it cannot create an explosive amount of ethylene in commercial ripening rooms of 57 m³ or larger. As a liquid, it can be safely and easily stored at ripening facilities in a flammable storage cabinet/locker. 

Fructidor: In which countries is your Ethy-Gen II certified for use? 

Catalytic Generators: As a plant protection product, some (but not all) countries regulate ethylene products and require active ingredient approval and product registration. Currently, we are registered in the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Greece and Italy. We sell in many other countries where regulation is not in force, like Canada and Australia. We are in the process of adding registration in Spain, Portugal and others. As the only ripening/ethylene liquid for ethylene generators with these approvals, we have worked hard to achieve this status. 

Fructidor: Your generators are compact and portable. Why is that important? 

Catalytic Generators: Since ethylene application only takes 24 hours, not all rooms in a ripening facility will be under ethylene application at the same time. So, not every room requires a generator. A facility can therefore have fewer generators than the total number of rooms, and move generators from room to room as ethylene is needed. This saves money. 

Fructidor: Catalytic generation technology has existed for more than 50 years. Is it considered as "old technology" or simple and still reliable? 

Catalytic Generators: Just because we’ve been doing this for over 50 years doesn't mean it is old technology. For our generator, there’s still the original catalytic reaction to convert Ethy-Gen II to ethylene, but we’ve improved the process by researching ways to make this reaction more efficient and reliable. We have adapted to changing customer demands by creating several types of generators, including the XT model that allows for installation outside of the room, and a centralized ripening system (CRS) where Ethy-Gen II is distributed via pipe to each room. We are also developing technology that will allow users to see the status of their generators on an app or webpage, and even change production remotely. So, we like to say “simple” in that other systems can be quite complicated, whereas ours is easy to install, use, maintain, and extremely reliable. 

Fructidor: How much energy do the generators consume? 

Catalytic Generators: The electrical usage of our generator is miniscule. The 240V Easy-Ripe uses 3.84 kWh per 24-hour ethylene application. At EUR 35 cents per kWh, that’s €1.34 per day. 

Fructidor: Is there a little-known fact about your role in the industry? 

Catalytic Generators: We are the only ethylene generator company for banana ripening that’s part of the task force working to renew ethylene as an active ingredient for fruit ripening in the EU. This is very expensive and cumbersome, so the burden is shared among many that sell ethylene products. 

Want to simplify your ripening process and ensure consistent, high-quality fruit?

Send your inquiry for more information about Catalytic Generators.