AgroFresh announces further studies to proof measurable carbon footprint reductions with SmartFresh
Paris, February 2010 – AgroFresh, the company behind the innovative freshness protection technology, SmartFresh, has recently carried out studies in Germany and Italy, which clearly demonstrated that SmartFresh contributes to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints, while providing the same excellent quality benefits to the fruits.
Up to 35 % energy savings and 55% reduction in CO2 release during apple storage
The Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau-Bodensee (KOB) in Germany was able to proof that an increase of the storage temperature for Gala apples from 1.5°C to 4°C with SmartFresh, resulted in 35 % energy savings during a 5.5 month storage period. Around the same time, the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige in Italy has tested slow and exclusive night cooling of SmartFresh Fuji and Red Delicious apples in storage rooms and compared the reduction in energy costs to control rooms, which were cooled down according to standard procedures. In addition it monitored the carbon dioxide scrubbing during the all storage periods (respectively 7 and 6.5 months). The Italian trials, performed in two different cooperatives, did not only confirm 34% of energy cost reductions for the SmartFresh Fuji apples and 28 % for the Red Delicious, but they also proofed a significant decrease of the CO2 release during storage: as SmartFresh contributes to slow down naturally the metabolism of the apples, results indicated 55 % fewer emissions for Fuji and 29 % for Red Delicious.
Nathalie Gocha, Marketing Director for AgroFresh in Europe, is delighted about these first results: “We aim at bringing continuously strong value to our customers. Over the past years, the use of SmartFresh worldwide has broadly increased, because the fresh produce industry has realized the difference in quality, firmness, texture and shelf life, not to speak about the excellent disorder control on specific varieties. These promising new energy saving trials represent an additional, interesting value proposition to our customers and local communities: They will be able to reduce their energy costs, while still increasing their pack-out yields.” Due to the reduction of weight loss of SmartFresh apples (linked to the lower metabolism) the KOB study resulted in an additional weight gain of 630 kg of Gala apples stored with SmartFresh compared to the control room (1000 m3 each).
Energy saving studies undergoing in 8 countries
For 2010, AgroFresh announces further results, as similar trials have already been set up in France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, South Africa, UK and Spain. They will include a large variety of apples, which should allow producers and packers get a broad insight into the many possibilities this technology offers to reduce energy consumption and costs during storage. The company anticipates indeed further confirmation that SmartFresh Quality System can contribute to sustainable development: “In the past years, we were already able to demonstrate a positive impact on the environment by the simple fact that our storage management tool helps to reduce waste in storage rooms and along the supply chain up to retail stores,” says Nathalie Gocha. “With the possible increase in storage temperature, we can say today, that SmartFresh can help our customers to work toward a goal of stronger sustainable production. That’s why AgroFresh will continue also in the following years to invest in extensive research and development – in close cooperation with the industry.”
Your contact person:
Yvonne Harz-Pitre
Cell: 0033 6 75 08 65 97
yharz-pitre@agrofresh.com
