Naturipe Berry Growers, an owner partner of Naturipe Farms, has rolled out a new in-field cooling system in collaboration with American Cooling to streamline its pick-to-cool time span.
Following successful tests, the company claims its Cold@field concept can deliver strawberries quicker to customers, thereby extending product shelf-life by one to two days, according to a press release.
“In 2010 we conducted several research projects to address the areas where we could positively impact strawberry quality, condition, shelf life and most importantly the taste and eating experience,” said Rich Amirsehhi, CEO of Naturipe Berry Growers.
“As growers we have long known that quickly removing the field heat from a harvested strawberry is crucial to preserving berry freshness and quality.
“In collaboration with American Cooling, we took a different approach to berry cooling and developed new technologies for strawberry cooling that can start as soon as 30 minutes after harvest.”
Under the system, the strawberries are cooled to 32oF in a self-contained, portable Cold@Field berry cooling plant, which is placed at the entrance to the Naturipe Berry Growers field.
The customer’s trailer pulls right up to the temperature-controlled loading dock, eliminating storage time, reduced handling and temperature variations, and speeds up loading, the company said.
With early results surpassing expectations, Amirsehhi said Naturipe Berry Growers intends to expand the number of Cold@Field units in operation.
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