Controlled humidity technology specialist Optiguide was on hand to showcase its Tabor Atomizer, due to be installed at UK potato company MBM in two weeks’ time via UK distributor Omex.
“The atomiser, which is manufactured in Israel, controls related humidity in storage with a high degree of accuracy, preventing weight loss from the fruit or vegetable in question by evaporating water before it hits the product,” said marketing manager Elad Yahalom. “It takes just a few months for the company to receive a payback on its investment. The fruit or vegetable looks better and has a longer shelf life.”
The atomiser has a 1.5mm orifice, into which compressed air is injected to create a vacuum, and water is atomised to droplets inside the chamber. One atomiser provides six litres an hour and can support around 80sqm of normal coldstorage. The product was invented 12 years ago, and Optiguide recently started expanding its reach into Israel and beyond. The application is already installed at UK company JEG Farms.
Export manager Eyal Manor explained that agricultural institutions across the globe are using the application, and the product is currently employed for potatoes, oranges, lemons, grapes, stonefruit, kiwifruit, apples and pears. “With sweet potatoes, the atomiser can prevent weight loss by up to 20 per cent,” he said. “We have also recently trialled the technology with pomegranates.”
Optiguide supplies technology to aid and control related humidity in closed structures, and currently has 82 different applications available, mainly for post-harvest fruit and vegetable storage and wine cellars. The technology is largely used in western Europe, the US and South America, and well-known clients include PepsiCo and McCain.
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