In Colombia, at ‘Territorio Aguacate Medellín 2021’ Citrosol presented its range of ecological solutions to double the commercial life of avocado, using the Citrocide® Palta System and Plantseal® Tropicals. This event added to two other international activities developed by Citrosol in recent weeks, the XX International Peruvian Mango Congress and the Global Citrus Congress, where the Valencian company was engaged as a platinum sponsor.
The first of these events – attended in person and held earlier this month in Medellín (Colombia) – Citrosol was present as a sponsor alongside our distributor for the country, West Química. Jennifer Oliver, Citrosol’s international coordinator, and Juanjo Ferrandis, our Easy Kit® team manager and international technician, gave talks on postharvest innovations for avocado such as the Citrocide® Palta System and Plantseal® Tropicals.
Citrocide® Palta
The Citrocide® System for avocado comprises a hygienic wash offering a food safety guarantee that removes all coliform bacteria and mold from the fruit’s surface. Now Citrosol has gone further in Colombia, presenting its great effectiveness in mitigating and even fully controlling pedicle mold.
“Treatment with Citrocide® PC does not leave any type of residue on the fruit. Furthermore, it is certified as an input for organic farming”, pointed out Juanjo Ferrandis.
Currently, Prochloraz fungicide treatments are applied and are highly effective, but their application prevents export to some countries where residues of this active material are not permitted, such as the USA. Furthermore, the prohibition of Prochloraz in the European Union is expected soon. “In light of this situation, Citrosol has been researching and testing our Citrocide® Palta (Avocado) System as a solution to control pedicle mold for some years. We started the trials back in 2018 and can now confirm that with the implementation of the Citrocide® Palta System we have achieved the control of pedicle mold”, commented Jennifer Oliver.
By way of results, semi-industrial tests carried out in Peru and Chile showed that whilst Prochloraz controls the appearance of pedicle mold with 79% effectiveness, the Citrocide® Palta System has an increased effectiveness of up to 84%.
Plantseal® Tropicals for avocado
In the Latin American avocado exhibition, held in Colombia’s Medellín, Plantseal® Tropicals was also showcased as a great new product, which can mitigate weight loss by up to 40% as a function of travel time and storage temperature, and can reduce internal necrosis caused by chilling injury by 84%.
This new, plant-based, organic coating (application pending) for avocado increases the useful life of the fruit during transport and prolonged storage up to 48 days after harvest, with excellent control of weight loss.
“Plantseal® Tropicals does not interfere with the natural color change of the fruit during maturation with ethylene and it maintains the firmness of the pulp at a satisfactory level“, stated Juanjo Ferrandis following his presentation of the results from a commercial maritime shipment from Peru to the Netherlands where avocado pallets both with and without coating were compared.
Citrosol’s recommended strategy for doubling the shelf life of avocado combines this coating with the Citrocide® Palta wash system.
Mango
Another important event that Citrosol attended recently was the XX International Mango Congress of Peru, in this case in digital format. Aside from the golden sponsorship of the same and the virtual exhibition where one could access our catalog and guide to solutions for mango, Citrosol also participated with a presentation entitled ‘Postharvest Solutions to guarantee food safety and reduce losses at destination in mango’, given by Jennifer Oliver Chirito.
As with the avocado, Citrosol offers a special wash to improve food safety and a coating to reduce weight loss and chilling injury for mango.
The Citrocide® Mango System is a new technology for the hygienic washing of this fruit. “We have managed to convert the processing water into a Critical Control Point, a barrier that prevents cross contamination, minimizes surface contamination and the internalization of pathogens into the mango “, outlined Oliver Chirito.
Citrocide® Mango prevents the formation of residues derived from disinfection (DBPS) such as chlorates and trihalomethanes.
Citrosol AK Tropicales EU, has been specifically developed to augment the commercial life of tropical fruits, such as the mango. A coating that reduces chilling injury, whose lesions may otherwise end up offering a penetration path for pathogenic fungi and in consequence reduces the incidence of decay.
“It reduces weight loss and the shriveling of mango whilst maintaining its firmness, without altering the organoleptic quality of the fruit”, added Oliver.
Global Citrus Congress
The third major event in which Citrosol participated in recent weeks was the Global Citrus Congress, where Citrosol were platinum sponsors, this event was developed virtually with the assistance of Benito Orihuel at one of the round tables where he expanded on the concept of ‘precision postharvest’ promoted in recent years by the Valencian company from Potríes.
“Our solutions reduce environmental, water and carbon footprints and along with reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, we are also reducing energy usage; we have developed plant-based coatings and a complete range of products for organic farming. We are green, sustainable and innovative“, summed up Orihuel, a Citrosol postharvest expert and consultant. “With our postharvest tools, we also contribute to reducing food waste, an ever increasingly significant problem “.
The Global Citrus Congress was broadcast live from London, Los Angeles and Melbourne, connecting citrus growers, exporters, importers, retailers and service providers from all around the world.
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