Citrosol shares its advances in avocado preservation at the 7th Latin American Avocado Congress in Peru

Citrosol, a leading company in the development and commercialization of postharvest technologies and solutions for fruit and vegetables, played a prominent role at the 7th Latin American Avocado Congress, held from 17 to 19 November 2025 in Lima, Peru.

The company participated with a corporate stand in the commercial area of the event, where it presented its innovations for avocado preservation and met with growers, packers, exporters and technicians from across Latin America and other countries interested in extending the shelf life of the fruit from the postharvest process onwards, in order to reach international markets with the best possible quality.

Specialized presentation

During the congress, Citrosol delivered a technical presentation focused on its advanced solutions to extend the commercial life of avocados, improve food safety and reduce losses during transport.

The presentation addressed key aspects such as the control of stem-end rot and the improvement of food safety through the application of the Citrocide® System technology, as well as the use of the innovative PlantSeal® Tropicals coating, which makes it possible to optimize the condition of export avocados on arrival. These solutions are already being applied at industrial scale in Peru, Chile and Colombia, countries of great importance for this crop. Dr. Martín Mottura shared results from experiences carried out with customers who currently have these technologies installed.

Citrocide® AVO System

Hygienic washing of avocados using the Citrocide® AVO System makes it possible to reduce the incidence of stem-end rot with efficacies above 90%, while also increasing the fruit’s food safety. This system is presented as an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to the application of fungicide treatments. Washing with the Citrocide® AVO System achieves levels of stem-end rot control that are similar to or even higher than those obtained with fungicides, but without leaving residues on the fruit. Citrocide® is certified as an input for organic agriculture, so its use does not present any kind of restriction.

PlantSeal® Tropicals

The plant-based PlantSeal® Tropicals coating reduces the weight loss caused by dehydration along the avocado supply chain, allowing significant quantities of product to be saved in each shipment. Even more importantly, this coating minimizes symptoms of chilling injury that the fruit may suffer during storage and transport, reducing internal browning due to this damage by up to 84% and thereby lowering claims related to this issue.

The performance of this coating, certified with the V-Label vegan seal, does not end there. Recent studies carried out by IVIA (Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research) have shown that the application of PlantSeal® Tropicals on avocados improves the postharvest life of the fruit, extending its shelf life at retail without interfering with ripening. The results of these studies indicate that, in fruit coated with PlantSeal®, less internal browning is observed at the shelf-life stage, which helps maintain quality and can lead to lower rejection by the final consumer, supporting sales and reducing waste.

The image shows part of the results obtained by IVIA in Lamb Hass avocados, where it can be seen that fruit treated with PlantSeal® Tropicals has a longer shelf life and less internal browning compared to uncoated fruit, even after 9 days at 20 °C.

A space for innovation and technical partnerships

The 7th Latin American Avocado Congress brought together researchers, growers, exporters and specialists from around the world to exchange knowledge on crop management, technology, sustainability and postharvest. In this context, Citrosol reinforced its commitment to applied innovation, sustainability and technical support for the avocado industry in the region.

About Citrosol

Founded in 1964 as Productos Citrosol, S.A., the company’s activity in postharvest treatments and technology began in the 1960s within Electroquímica del Serpis, S.A., both based in Potries (Valencia, Spain). As a result of significant organic growth over the last 10–15 years, Citrosol currently has 136 employees, 12 of whom are based in different countries and in its subsidiaries in South Africa, Peru and Uruguay, as well as its own staff in Egypt. At its Potries facilities, the company has an R&D&I laboratory and a pilot plant of just over 1,200 m². Its growth has been driven by a strong innovative character, recognized with the CEPYME Innovation Award in 2015 and 2020, and with the 2020 Business Innovation Award from the Valencia Chamber of Commerce.

Citrosol was founded as a specialist in postharvest treatments and technology for citrus, but for more than 10 years, as a result of its R&D&I work, it has developed solutions to extend the commercial life of avocados, peppers, tomatoes, peeled garlic and other fruit and vegetables. The company is currently rolling out its solution for fresh-cut produce, the Citrocide® Fresh-Cut System, which significantly reduces the water and carbon footprint in the production of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. With all its treatments and technologies, Citrosol makes a substantial contribution to reducing losses and food waste in fresh fruit and vegetables.