Proexport tests new transport system to cut food waste

Murcian grower-exporter association Proexport is testing is a new transport solution called BulkBox as part of the Sisters initiative, a European project to reduce food waste at every stage of the supply chain.

It consists of a semi-hermetic container that regulates the exchange of air with the outside atmosphere. The box includes probes to determine temperature, humidity, CO₂ and O₂ inside the container, which can be accessed from the cloud in real time.

Abelardo Hernández, Proexport’s technical director and head of the project, commented: “The BulkBox passively creates a modified atmosphere, with a slight increase in CO₂ and, above all, a higher relative humidity”.

So far, the system has been shown to help reduce dehydration in leafy products such as spinach, although in other products like strawberries it can encourage the development of fungi. Hernández noted that positive results have been obtained for longer journey times, while for transportation of two to four days, “the benefits may not compensate for the additional cost of the system”.

Another innovation being tested by Sisters is the StoreBox, designed for use at the point of sale and in supermarkets. Like the BulkBox, it incorporates probes to measure readings such as CO₂ and O₂ that can be transmitted in real time, monitoring product quality and allowing action to be taken if necessary.

Proexport tested the BulkBox with grower members Verdimed and Agrar Systems; while the StoreBox was tested with Looije.

“The main tool we have in the conservation of fruits and vegetables is cold. We have made a great effort to extend the cold chain to all phases of production, avoiding its rupture, from the widespread use of vacuum cooling to state-of-the-art refrigeration facilities, with pre-cooling with forced air and humidity control,” Hernández said.

“The systems are adapted to each product, to the optimal conservation conditions of each vegetable, but it is true that this specialisation is an added difficulty.”