PlantSeal Tropicals reduces avocado losses

Preserving the weight, firmness, and internal quality of avocados during long commercial journeys is crucial for protecting the value of each shipment. Trials featured in an article by Fresh Focus Avocado demonstrate that PlantSeal® Tropicals Citrosol’s plant-based coating helps reduce these losses and extend the fruit's commercial shelf life.

The report, authored by Maura Maxwell, presents results from a trial conducted by the Postharvest Technology Center at the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) using Lamb Hass avocados, alongside insights from Citrosol’s pilot plant studies and semi-commercial shipments involving Peruvian operators.

Greater firmness after 33 days of cold storage

One of the notable results comes from a simulated 33-day transport trial at 5.5°C. Under these conditions, avocados in the control group which underwent only washing and sanitization saw their firmness drop from an initial reading of 11 kg to 6 kg, as measured by a penetrometer. Fruit treated with PlantSeal® Tropicals maintained a reading of 11 kg.

According to Rafael Torregrosa, Citrosol’s Product and Process Manager (as cited in the article), this behavior may be linked to observed differences in ethylene production. In the IVIA trial, control fruit produced ethylene during cold storage, whereas no such production was observed in the coated fruit.

From a commercial standpoint, maintaining firmness during transport can help reduce the proportion of excessively soft fruit that ends up being discarded at the point of sale.

25-37% less weight loss and pulp browning

The results described for the Hass and Lamb Hass varieties also show a reduction in weight loss of between 25 and 37%, depending on the size and variety. In the case of Hass, the data came from a semi-commercial shipment made with a Peruvian operator.

Controlling this loss has a direct impact on the amount of product available for sale. According to Citrosol's calculations included in the report, the reduction could represent more than 800 kg of avocado per container upon arrival, after transport for 30 days at 4–5 °C.

The estimate reaches up to 1,200 kg when incorporating four days of stay at the point of sale. These figures correspond to the scenarios described by the company and depend on transport and marketing conditions.

The IVIA trial also recorded less internal browning in coated avocados during the shelf life after refrigerated transportation. This deterioration, associated with cold damage, affects the quality that the consumer finds when opening the fruit.

Comparison of the pulp of control and PlantSeal® Tropicals-treated avocados after four and seven days at 20°C, following cold storage. Source: Citrosol.

The images included in the report compare control and treated avocados after four and seven days at 20°C, showing differences in the condition of the flesh.

According to Benito Orihuel, a postharvest consultant and former CEO of Citrosol:

Reducing browning and maintaining firmness provide benefits beyond weight loss prevention by helping to reduce the amount of discarded fruit.

Preservation compatible with color development

The article notes that, in both Citrosol’s trials with Hass and the IVIA study with Lamb Hass, the coating did not alter color development or dry matter content during refrigerated transport and ripening.

Overall, the results described support the value of PlantSeal® Tropicals for companies needing to preserve avocados during long-haul shipments. Its commercial proposition focuses on preserving a greater volume of fruit and maintaining adequate internal quality and firmness through the final stages of the supply chain.

Source:

Maxwell, M. (s. f.). PlantSeal Tropicals shown to reduce avocado waste and extend shelf life. Fresh Focus Avocado, 18.

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