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Now available in Italy
The New Way to Keep Apples at their Peak of Freshness
Paris, July 2006 - This year, Italian apple producers, packers, shippers and ultimately retailers can take advantage of an innovative quality management system, called the SmartFreshSM Quality System, a new technology that maintains the freshness, flavour and nutrition of apples. This is great news for consumers, who can enjoy better tasting higher quality apples throughout the whole year.
The SmartFresh Quality System works by boosting the apples natural resistance to ripening so apples stay fresher longer. When SmartFresh is used with just-harvested fruits as they enter the normal storage or shipping process, they conserve their peak quality and freshness. As SmartFresh guards against the natural elements that cause loss in quality and over-ripening, the nutritional benefit of the fruit is maintained over time: it meets consumers’ expectations and requirements for healthy, nutritious produce.
The science behind SmartFresh was the result of work done by North Caroline State University researchers, in the U.S., who studied the naturally occurring plant substance ethylene and its effects on the ripening process in the mid 1990’s. The experiments searched for ways to slow ethylene production and make plants less susceptible to its external sources that stimulate ripening. During this research, they discovered 1-MCP, the active ingredient in SmartFresh, which has been acquired by AgroFresh, who expanded it by offering not only the product but also a complete, reliable, service to growers, packers and shippers. Large-scale studies have shown that the SmartFresh Quality System is the most effective and efficient approach to maintaining produce quality over time. Furthermore, a battery of thorough tests and reviews have been carried out by independent research organizations as well as AgroFresh ensuring that SmartFresh is completely safe for consumers, workers and the environment.
A few of the many benefits growers and packers receive when storing their fresh apples with the SmartFresh Quality System are reduced shrink, marketing flexibility and increased pack out yields. SmartFresh also provides a buffer against breaks in the cold chain during distribution. These benefits offer many new opportunities for dynamic growth.
For retailers, SmartFresh Quality apples offer consumers a better eating experience so they’ll come back for more. SmartFresh makes it possible to sell top quality fruits and vegetables year-round with added confidence, therefore boosting both retailer reputation and profitability.
Recognizing the rising consumer expectations and the desire for healthy eating drive demand for the highest quality produce available, AgroFresh, the makers of SmartFresh conducts in-store consumer taste tests on a regular basis. These tests have proven so far that the SmartFresh Quality System satisfies high consumer expectations by improving taste, texture. This is delicious news for them indeed.
The SmartFresh Quality System is currently approved and has registration in over 25 countries including the European Union, Germany, France, UK, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.S., Canada, Chile, Argentina, and China.
For more information about AgroFresh and SmartFresh, visit the website at www.smartfresh.com
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