Posts Tagged “Apio”
In 2014 TransFresh Corporation introduced the Tectrol Storage Solution utilizing BreatheWay Technology by California produce company Apio to provide more reliable storage for fresh blueberries. While the produce trucker hauling these berries may never see the process, that driver should benefit from it.
Rich Macleod, TransFresh vice president, pallet division, based in Salinas, CA, says, “There’s a reason we call it a storage solution….blueberry growers store their blueberries (in a controlled atmosphere bag) prior to shipping. The storage bag is removed before being shipped.”
He adds the bag is dynamically different from modified atmosphere for which TransFresh has built a name with strawberries.
Macleod points out blueberries after harvest are sometimes stored as long as four to six weeks as a way of balancing the market.
“To the driver that means that load will be available on a scheduled basis,” Macleod relates. “For example, he will know he needs to be in the Northwest every Tuesday to pick up six pallets of blueberries. It won’t be this frantic thing like picking up and delivering strawberries or cherries.”
Additionally, Macleod sees the Storage Solution as reducing the chances of quality problems at destination, which could lead to claims or deductions from the freight rate.
“When the market is orderly, that’s good for everybody,” he says.
Looking to the future, Macleod notes they are starting to solve the blueberry storage solutions for international transportation. If the shipper is an exporter, when those berries are loaded into a 40-f00t sea van, the product is placed in a controlled atmosphere. He also sees the day when this could be applicable for blueberries and other items being imported to by US companies from countries such as Chile and Peru.
“I don’t see this replacing containers,, but it could certainly impact the number of containers used. I see them being used side by side,” he says.
In the controlled atmosphere systems there is a device that records the atmosphere for the entire container. However, Macleod sees this being cost prohibitive to something like that in each pallet. However, there is research being conducted in this area.
Salinas, CA – TransFresh® Corporation reports that its custom tailored Tectrol® Storage Solutions for fresh blueberries has gained strong acceptance by the Grower-Shipper community following its fall 2014 debut.
TransFresh’s unique Tectrol Storage Solutions was launched following a multi-year research and development initiative and features Apio’s patented BreatheWay® Breathable Membrane Technology married with an easy-to-use zipper-sealed pallet system.
Tectrol Storage Solutions’ distinctive zipper-sealed all-in-one pallet bag ensures a secure seal with easy, efficient single-zip operation. It features a careful adaptation of Apio’s patented BreatheWay® Technology, creating an adjustable breathability to manage just the right rate of oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer required by the fruit.
According to TransFresh, the breakthrough sealing process delivers to customers an easy storage solution with minimal impact to the other aspects of their processes.
“What’s so remarkable about Tectrol Storage Solutions for fresh blueberries is that the innovative zip-sealed pallet system combined with the patented breathable membrane allows just the right amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer needed by the fruit, for the storage of blueberries,” said Rich Macleod, TransFresh vice president. “Customers who have struggled in the past to meet the specific atmosphere needs of fresh blueberries are finding they have a new solution available for storage,” he said. “It’s the cost-effective storage tool they’ve been looking for.”
Macleod further commented that customers are reporting much more confidence in their storage solutions because they are able to more effectively match supplies with market demand. A pallet-sized atmosphere package such as the Tectrol Storage Solutions gives suppliers the flexibility to market a quality product through the peaks and valleys of the distribution system.
Customers who are interested in more information may contact Reilly Rhodes, TransFresh at (949) 279-5084.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services markets and supports the Tectrol pallet systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as an industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
About Apio
Apio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Landec Corporation (LNDC). Landec, through Apio, is a market leader in the commercialization of specialty packaged vegetable products using Apio’s BreatheWay® patented technology. Landec also develops and commercializes injectable medical materials for ophthalmology and orthopedic applications. Landec’s Apio food subsidiary sells its products nationwide under the Eat Smart® and GreenLine® Brands. For more information visit www.apioinc.com.
By TransFresh Corporation
Salinas, CA — TransFresh Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands, has announced that its flagship technology, Tectrol® Modified Atmosphere Packaging Systems, recognized worldwide for delivering an added level of protection to help ensure the quality and marketability of fresh strawberries, has now significantly modified the Tectrol System to help deliver more consistent supplies of fresh blueberries.
TransFresh has successfully completed a multi-year research and development initiative resulting in a unique Tectrol Storage Solution that utilizes Apio’s patented BreatheWay® Technology to deliver a sealed package system with adjustable oxygen transfer rates that react dynamically to changes in temperature and berry respiration for more reliable fresh blueberry storage. Apio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Landec Corporation.
According to TransFresh, the breakthrough sealed pallet process delivers to customers a unique storage solution with stable oxygen and carbon dioxide. “What’s remarkable about the Tectrol Storage Solution for fresh blueberries is that the innovative zip-sealed pallet system combined with the patented breathable membrane allows just the right amount of oxygen transfer needed by the fruit, resulting in greater atmosphere control than previously possible and a virtually fool-proof packaging operation,” stated Rich Macleod, TransFresh Corporation vice president (in photograph). “Customers who may have struggled in the past to meet the specific atmosphere needs of fresh blueberries are now finding they have a new solution available with higher consistency and a more stable atmosphere for greater storage reliability,” he said. Macleod further commented that customers may now have much more confidence in their storage solutions by being able to more effectively match supplies with market demand. TransFresh expects that its new storage solution can be adapted to other commodities such as fresh cherries and grapes.
To develop the unique Tectrol Storage Solution for fresh blueberries, TransFresh looked more closely at storage needs versus shipping needs. According to Reilly Rhodes, TransFresh Tectrol business manager for fresh blueberries who spearheaded the multi-year development project, the “A-ha” moment came when the pallet sealing method used for fresh strawberries was “turned on its head.” “We redesigned our seal system for the fresh blueberry market and then married the redesigned seal and bag with the Apio BreatheWay® technology,” he explained. The new Tectrol Storage Solution for blueberries is not only high-performance operationally, but is also fully “adjustable” to blueberries and their storage conditions. “At that stage,” Rhodes said, “we were no longer simply adapting a successful program for fresh strawberries to fresh blueberries, we were actually creating a new and highly adaptable solution designed specifically for fresh blueberries.”
In completing the initiative, TransFresh drew upon the extensive expertise of Apio’s BreatheWay® Technology team and also worked alongside several of the key customers who participate in the fresh blueberry industry. BreatheWay® Technology is a trademark of Apio, Inc.
Domestic markets have sold 15 percent more blueberries this year than last and represent a fast growing berry segment. As these markets have grown, the demand for a more effective storage solution has accelerated. Because blueberries are grown in a variety of countries and districts, and varieties tend to have steep production peaks, the ability to hold blueberries in modified or controlled atmosphere conditions helps to smooth out the bumps in market supply and demand. A pallet-sized atmosphere package such as the Tectrol Storage Solution gives suppliers the flexibility to market a quality product through the peaks and valleys of the distribution system.
Customers who are interested in more information may contact Reilly Rhodes, TransFresh Corp., at (949) 279-5084.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands, is a pioneering and established global company with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol Pallet Systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
About Chiquita Brands
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) is a leading international marketer and distributor of nutritious, high-quality fresh and value-added food products – from energy-rich bananas, blends of convenient green salads and other fruits to healthy snacking products. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita® and Fresh Express® premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of more than $3 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 20,000 people and has operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.chiquita.com.
About Apio
Apio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Landec Corporation (LNDC). Landec, through Apio, is a market leader in the commercialization of specialty packaged vegetable products using Apio’s BreatheWay® patented technology. Landec also develops and commercializes injectable medical materials for ophthalmology and orthopedic applications. Landec’s Apio food subsidiary sells its products nationwide under the Eat Smart® and GreenLine® Brands. For more information visit www.apioinc.com.
SALINAS, Calif. –TransFRESH Corporation has announced that in partnership with 
Landec Corporation, its Tectrol® Service Network storage solution for blueberries is now available featuring Landec’s BreatheWay® Technology supplied by Apio, Inc., offering growers and shippers further enhanced storage capability.
The specialized BreatheWay membrane technology delivers bag permeability characteristics that more precisely match blueberry respiration rates for better balanced atmospheres and storage stability.
“We are very pleased to introduce this further enhancement of the Tectrol Service Network storage solution for blueberries,” said Rich Macleod, TransFRESH vice president, pallet division North America. “With an increased interest from growers and shippers in blueberry storage capabilities, the application of the BreatheWay® membrane technology to the Tectrol blueberry storage solution now offers our business partners added storage benefits.”
The TransFRESH Tectrol team collaborated closely with Landec and its wholly owned subsidiary, Apio Inc., throughout the application of the BreatheWay technology to the Tectrol blueberry storage solution program.
TransFRESH also unveiled a pallet bag label for its blueberry program featuring a new contemporary blueberry image along with the TransFRESH logotype and Apio, Inc. BreatheWay® Technology identification and patent number.
About TransFRESH®
TransFRESH® Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands (NYSE: CQB), is a pioneering and established global company, with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFRESH® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFRESH®. The Tectrol® Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol Pallet Systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFRESH’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol® as the industry standard. For more information, visit the TransFRESH website at www.TransFresh.com.
About Apio, Inc.
Apio, Inc., founded in 1979 by five growers of celery in the Santa Maria Valley in the central coastal region of California has grown to become the leader in processing and marketing fresh-cut specialty packaged vegetables in the U.S. Headquartered in Guadalupe, California, Apio sells its specialty packaged vegetables in convenient bag and tray formats under the Eat Smart® brand. Apio’s fresh-cut specialty packaged vegetable products are unique in that they utilize the Landec Corporation BreatheWay® proprietary breathable packaging technology to extend the shelf life of specific produce. Landec acquired Apio in 1999. For more information about Apio visit Apio’s website at www.apioinc.com.
About Landec Corp.
Landec Corporation is a materials science company that leverages its proprietary polymer technologies, application development and innovation capabilities to develop and commercialize new products in food, agricultural and biomedical markets. Landec’s subsidiary, Apio, has become the leader in US fresh-cut specialty packaged vegetables by combining Landec’s proprietary food packaging technology with the capabilities of a large national food supplier, processor and distributor. Lifecore Biomedical, also a subsidiary of Landec, is a leading supplier of premium hyaluronan-based biomaterials for the ophthalmic and orthopedic markets. Landec’s Licensing Partnerships work closely with market-leading companies to develop and commercialize differentiated polymer-based products. For more information, visit Landec’s website at www.landec.com
News Release: TransFresh Corporation
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