A kiwifruit producer has signed up to Novazone to help preserve its fruit and protect against botrytis.
California-based Golden Maid Packers, has deployed Novazone’s ozone-based cold-storage solution on its kiwifruit to extend the shelf-life and give protection.
Golden Maid Packers is a family farming company that harvests, packs and ships an average of 850,000 packages of plums, table grapes, persimmons and kiwifruit annually.
The company completed a new storage and shipping expansion in 2001, featuring state-of-the-art cooling and air management systems to more efficiently handle large volumes of fruit.
Novazone said its solution extends the benefits of the new storage facility by killing and controlling airborne and exposed surface pathogens such as Botrytis, also known as gray mold.
The ozone, delivered at precise concentrations into the storage atmosphere as a gas, kills pathogens quickly and reacts naturally with ethylene gases produced by the fruit to control ripening, leading to higher quality and extended shelf life.
“Our retailers and their customers want high quality produce that is exposed to fewer chemicals used on fresh produce,” said Bruce Myers, owner of Golden Maid Packers.
“With Novazone’s experience and focus in the food industry across a variety of commodities, we are confident that we will experience less decay and ultimately provide fresher and safer fruit to the consumer.”
