Poland’s Fresh Inset, a tech company focused on harvest freshness preservation, has tested in a trial its characteristic Vidre + product on blueberries to lengthen their life span in packaging.
The results of trials conducted on blueberries after using innovative technology with a patented 1-MCP delivery system indicated a slower ripening effect. Treated blueberries kept very good eating quality and firmness for the full 49 days of the test.
Vidre+™ technology is a patented system for 1-MCP to begin release 1-2 hours after packaging and gradually release within the packaging itself over 30 hours via a simple-to-use sticker. The release of the product is triggered by humidity within the packaged product. This cutting-edge technology can now protect ethylene – a gas and natural plant hormone that plays an important role both in ripening and fruit softening/degradation. It is already used in Argentina and is awaiting regulatory approval in key food production markets including the Americas.
The trials were commissioned by Fresh Inset and led by Dorota Wichrowska, Ph.D., from the University of Science and Technology in Poland during the summer season of 2022. Results have demonstrated the impact of Vidre+™ technology on blueberries.
Treated fruits maintained excellent eating quality throughout 35 days of the experiment and kept very good eating quality for the full 49 days of the test. The untreated fruits began to soften after 21 days whilst the treated ones softened after 35 days. Likewise, the treated blueberries had 83% more Vitamin C and 33% higher antioxidant levels after 28 days.
“Research underscores the potential of the Vidre+™ technology, which can bring time management flexibility and the ability to deliver fresher blueberries across extended supply chain routes. The technology has demonstrated a positive impact on freshly harvested blueberries, which is marked by reduced weight loss, improved overall quality, extended fruit firmness, and better retention of essential elements like Vitamin C and antioxidants.” – says Tim Malefyt, Ph.D., CTO at Fresh Inset.
