May 19, 2022

SAVRpak extends shelf life of berries, grapes during trials

SAVRpak has released a new moisture-control technology that extends the shelf life of fresh produce by up to three times, trials have shown.

The Drop-In technology is a chemical-free, biodegradable pouch that is placed in produce packaging before being sealed. Within a minute, SAVRpak’s Atmospheric Control and Transmission (ACT) technology removes 50% of condensation and then continues to keep condensation from forming by absorbing excess moisture and purifying the atmosphere within the package to slow the aging process. By controlling the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, the moisture that leads to sogginess, mold and harmful microbial bacteria is eradicated enabling produce to maintain its freshness up to three times longer.

Successful trials have been completed with Divine Flavor, RCG Fruits and Agrovision. Frubana also is testing the product.

“We’re excited to be able to address an area of food preservation that has been unachievable to date, and that’s the ability to extend the life of peel-less produce, like berries and leafy greens,” SAVRpak co-CEO Grant Stafford said through a news release. “Building on our success in the foodservice delivery realm, we have successfully transformed the basic technology to address a category that lacked a solution to keep food fresh for longer while reducing food waste — a top culprit of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Drop-In solution will first roll out in the U.S. and Latin America with berry suppliers that have undergone trials. Trials took place with:

• Divine Flavor for table grapes
• RCG Fruits for blackberries
• Agrovision for blackberries, blueberries and raspberries
• Frubana, a farm-to-restaurant tech company, is testing the thermodynamic technology with intent to use for its Latin America customers

In preliminary trials, the technology has led to extension the shelf life of:

• Golden berries by 10 days
• Blackberries by seven days
• Raspberries by four days
• Strawberries by four days

“We saw the most amazing results through our berry trials with SAVRpak,” said Fernando Garibay, the general director of RCG Fruits. “Blackberries, in particular, are very delicate and often experience postharvest reddening and other changes in visual appearance and taste which reduces marketability and results in waste.”

Lettuce, cucumber trials

In a 2021 lab test at the University of California, Davis, romaine lettuce stored with SAVRpak had significantly less condensation and moisture in the bags, as well as lower water soaking, decay and wilting scores, compared to control samples. UC Davis also found that SAVRpak decreased bacteria found in lettuce across all storage protocols and evaluation days compared to control samples.

In the coming months, SAVRpak will begin cucumber trials with Agrizar.