Three technologies helping fresh produce businesses cut operating costs

Fresh Produce Instruments will highlight three areas where fresh produce companies can reduce operating costs and product losses at Fruit Attraction 2026 in Madrid, the company announced.

More flexible ripening systems

One area is ethylene application for ripening rooms. Catalytic Generators offers an alternative to centralized gas distribution systems, which generally require piping, fittings and other permanent infrastructure.

The generators can instead be installed individually in ripening rooms, reducing the amount of infrastructure required at the outset.

Jakub Slezák, Quality Manager at Titbit, said the main advantage for operators was the simplicity of the system, as the equipment can be connected and put into operation without a complicated setup.

Simon Goisser of Fruchtimport vanWylick GmbH also pointed to the lower operational risk compared with centralized gas systems. He said a fault in a central supply valve could result in a substantial loss of gas and disrupt deliveries, while a problem with an individual catalytic generator would limit the amount of ethylene solution lost to around one or two litres.

Catalytic Generators is also preparing a new Smart-Ripe® upgrade for Easy-Ripe® users. Scheduled for introduction by the end of 2026, the system will allow ethylene application to be monitored and controlled remotely through a smartphone or web interface.

It is also designed to provide real-time alerts without requiring separate ethylene sensors or analyzers.

Air treatment aimed at reducing storage losses

Fresh Produce Instruments will also present technologies designed to control contaminants that can affect produce during storage.

Alongside temperature and humidity management, warehouse operators have to deal with airborne mould spores, bacteria, excess ethylene and volatile organic compounds, all of which can influence product condition and shelf life.

The company points to commercial applications involving Nemeskert Kft. and Ban Choon Marketing Pte Ltd., where air purification systems were used to support produce quality and storage life.

One of the systems on display, Jupitair, uses photocatalytic air purification and is designed to operate continuously without producing ozone or relying on disposable HEPA filters.

Airocide®, another technology in the company’s portfolio, will also be presented for applications in fresh produce storage and transport.

Faster quality control without destroying fruit

Non-destructive testing is another area where suppliers are looking to reduce both labour requirements and product waste.

Normec, for example, changed its avocado quality-control process by introducing non-destructive dry matter measurements. According to Fresh Produce Instruments, the change reduced a procedure that previously required around 3.5 working days to approximately two hours.

Because fruit no longer has to be cut open for testing, larger samples can be checked while the measured avocados remain available for sale.

Fresh Produce Instruments supplies non-destructive meters from Felix Instruments, Sunforest and Baxlo for parameters including dry matter, firmness, Brix and colour. The equipment can be used with commodities including avocados, berries, mangoes, kiwifruit, apples and tomatoes.

For laboratories, packing houses and quality-control departments handling larger volumes, the company also offers fruit testing and texture-analysis systems with automatic data transfer and storage.

Fresh Produce Instruments will exhibit at Fruit Attraction in Madrid from 6 to 8 October 2026 in Hall 6, Stand E04.

To book an appointment with Catalytic Generators at Fruit Attraction 2026, send you inquiry today.