NEW RELEASES
SWINGLOS™
Chemical-free storage is now possible
The need to store horticultural products without the use of added chemicals in order to guarantee more wholesome products, together with the greater demand from consumers with the same aim has pushed researchers to study and develop so-called “clean” technology which has now found widespread practical application .
Enormous interest has grown for this type of technology recently, also in consideration of the banning of certain chemical products demonstrated to be hazardous to health (i.e. DPA) widely used in the past to contrast physiopathologies such as scald.
The experiments carried out in the ‘90’s, (Truter in South Africa and Dillley in Michigan) gave Fruit Control Equipments the initial impulse for the study and elaboration of a new technology that represented the evolution of controlled atmosphere and successively UO formulae .
Over the last few years we have collaborated with the Istituto San Michele all’Adige (Trento province) to develop the technique, using “field” application of the system at the fruitgrowers’ Association AVN, part of the Melinda Group in Casez, Trento province (the structure where FCE made the first tests).
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the experience gained, and improving the initial technology, our company has patented the SWINGLOS™ method.
The SWINGLOS™ method corresponds to a cycle repeated over time (variable) of the initial oxygen stress phase followed by the ULO phase, placing great attention on the CO2 concentration variations inside the store depending on the variety of the fruit; combined with some quality control tests on the stored product .
The SWINGLOS™ application requires above all optimal gas tightness (checked with special gas tightness tests) and should be applied in cells containing the same variety of apples (Red Delicious When loading the fruit into the cells, a representative sample of the various lots inside the cell of 8-10 crates must be placed in front of the hatch (window) each containing 3-5 apples from each lot .
During the stress periods quality control checks should be carried out on these samples.
The successive gas stress periods and their conditions are decided on the basis of analytical results with particular reference to the apples’ ethanol content (samples of at least 8-10 fruits) which may be carried out with an easy to use kit by the fruit warehouse technician or Fruit Quality Control manager
The SWINGLOS™ system has a dedicated management programme that our company has developed with the GAC 5000 with specialized sensors. The programme, based on specific input regarding the fruits and other cell parameters, manages the plant machinery automatically.
WHY SWINGLOS™?
Excellent results can be obtained with this method in the prevention of scald damage over the long term (8 months and more of storage) and with a reduction of 20-25% of fruit firmness loss, maintaining top organoleptical quality even during the shelf-life period.
SWINGLOS™ application also represents “clean” technology, without the use of any chemical product in the post-harvest phase and hence safeguarding the final consumers’ health.
THE SWINGLOS™ SYSTEM AND SAFETY
The SWINGLOS™ system is unanimously considered a safe system, capable of avoiding the risks connected to uncontrolled accumulation of alcohol in the fruit (altering flavour), typical of those “dynamic atmosphere” systems which are based on other forms of monitoring.
It is fundamental that before placing the goods on the market, on opening the stores, the alcohol content be eliminated.
A controlled formation of alcohol during the O2 stress phase is a condition necessary for scald prevention.
The San Michele all’Adige Research Centre bases their “know-how” on this principle and have developed highly tuned quality control techniques in order to safeguard the wholesomeness of the produce for the Customers’ guarantee and satisfaction.
