US-based post-harvest companies AgroFresh Solutions and Zest Labs have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at strengthening their end-to-end solutions.
According to a press release, AgroFresh is set to incorporate Zest Labs’ Zest Fresh solution into its FreshCloud Transit Insights platform.
The agreement will pool the companies’ resources and strengths to offer customers a comprehensive solution to improve operations, increase visibility concerning shelf-life and reduce food waste.
US-based AgroFresh’s FreshCloud platform is a data-backed, insights-driven solution for monitoring the quality of a product through the supply chain, with the ability to predict produce freshness, quality and optimal consumption timing.
Zest Fresh is a post-harvest freshness management solution that manages the handling of each pallet from the field, matching the industry’s freshness needs with the product’s actual freshness and monitoring adherence to the grower’s processes.
“As we continue to prioritise data and technology to enhance produce freshness and minimise food waste, this strategic collaboration will strengthen our existing portfolio, particularly our data-centric FreshCloud platform,” said Jordi Ferre, CEO of AgroFresh. “Zest Fresh is a natural fit withourFreshCloud Transit Insightssolution and will accelerate the adoption of our technology to additional markets.”
“AgroFresh’s offering of Zest Fresh is significant as they are a trusted global expert in post-harvest science with over 3,500 customers worldwide and can quickly expand Zest Fresh into new markets and with new types of fresh produce,” said Peter Mehring, CEO of Zest Labs. “Our collective science-based, data-driven solutions and shared market vision for ensuring delivered freshness and reducing food waste provide a foundation for a successful partnership.”
Through the partnership, AgroFresh will offer the Zest Fresh pallet-level freshness management platform as part of its FreshCloud Transit Insights solution, while Zest Fresh provides growers, distributors and retailers with autonomous, field-to-shelf product visibility, reducing waste and retail shrinkage by up to 50 per cent.
“As a result of this collaboration, the expertise and insight embedded in AgroFresh’s FreshCloud solution will benefit more customers across more crops,” the company stated.
