AgroFresh's RipeLock™ Technology Adds Value and Freshness to Banana Market
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The banana industry is about to get a lot more fresh, at least if AgroFresh Solutions and its new RipeLock™ Quality System have anything to say about it. The recently introduced RipeLock quality management system promises to help keep optimal banana quality during every process in the supply chain, from shipping and distribution, all the way to the retail display.
“AgroFresh has been developing the RipeLock system over several years, making sure it would bring both operational and commercial value to the banana market,” said Evan McCaskey, RipeLock's Business Leader from AgroFresh. “RipeLock benefits everyone from brand owners, wholesalers, ripeners, foodservice distributors, and retailers, to the consumers who demand bananas with fresh taste, creamy texture, and an appealing bright-yellow color.”
The patented RipeLock system works through two components—a laser microperforated Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) bag and a proprietary 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) formulation from AgroFresh. The company says that the two technologies work in concert to maximize pre- and post-ripening freshness, prevent dehydration, and limit the risk of rots and molds during transport, ripening, and distribution. Then, in the ripening room, the RipeLock application works synergistically to help ripeners and retailers deliver bananas with greater consumer appeal and a broader window of freshness.
AgroFresh confirmed to me that RipeLock technology fits within industry best practices for packing, shipping, and ripening. On the processing side, the RipeLock bags are packed with freshly harvested bananas, which then remain closed until the moment the fruit is ready for either retail display or consumption. The company credits the unique bag design for the bananas’ more consistent color on the pallet and in the box, as well as its handling weight loss better than other bagging options.
For its customers, AgroFresh remains on hand to provide product training and customized service when implementing RipeLock technology. RipeLock is now available with 40-lb bags, 10-lb bags, and multiple cluster bag sizes, with the company noting that it can create smaller formats and new product concepts depending on customer needs.
Want to learn even more about AgroFresh’s RipeLock Quality System? Visit www.agrofresh.com/ripelock for more about the system or go to www.ripelock.info/media to see RipeLock in action.
