New AgroFresh Tech Helps Protect Produce
AgroFresh Solutions Inc. has launched plant-based edible coatings for produce freshness under the VitaFresh Botanicals brand, the latest example of how food retail technology is playing a role in the produce world.
VitaFresh Botanicals is a proprietary plant-based portfolio of solutions for a wide variety of crops, from citrus to avocados to mangos. For coatings, the products employ “anti-thirst” technology to boost the skin’s natural protection, creating a “double skin” membrane that reduces dehydration, maintains weight and locks in produce freshness throughout the supply chain. AgroFresh provides customers with all of the necessary application equipment and expertise.
VitaFresh Botanicals coatings are sustainable and created using certified ISO 14001 “environmental management system” standards. Many products are packaged in reusable containers. Excellent crop coverage at low application rates offers better cost efficiencies to operators, and gives retailers a much stronger opportunity to market the best-quality produce using consumer-friendly claims while reducing food waste, increasing profit potential and adding the capability to reduce the amount of plastic packaging needed for the produce.
“AgroFresh has a long history of innovation and a well-earned reputation as a trusted leader in all science and application aspects of produce freshness,” said AgroFresh CEO Jordi Ferre. “VitaFresh Botanicals is an important next step for our customers, providing true edible coatings and technical performance, adapted to each crop’s unique physiology, in a flexible and operator-friendly format. We’re proud to provide innovative and effective ag tech solutions to the industry, and are excited to bring this powerful new brand to market.”
“Unlike coatings that require higher drying temperatures with 40% more energy usage, VitaFresh Botanicals products offer enhanced drying at lower temperatures,” said Ann Beaulieu, VP research and development and Regulatory at AgroFresh. “Our formulation stabilization process helps operators preserve produce, maintain freshness throughout the supply chain, and ship longer distances, generating cost efficiencies and helping growers and packers sell more produce worldwide. Further, because VitaFresh Botanicals are edible coatings, they can be used on crops where the skin is eaten, including in the European Union.”
The AgroFresh organization has 40 years of fruit protection experience across numerous crops, powered by a deep post-harvest portfolio. Philadelphia-based AgroFresh adds differentiating value by offering a comprehensive coatings portfolio, one-to-one problem-solving guidance and diagnostics, a high-touch service model, and a complete range of packinghouse equipment, all aimed at delivering the highest level of client confidence and trust in the industry.
