Keeping the crunch in Ontario apples – Storing Apples in CA stores is not new in South Africa and is the reason why we can buy fresh crunchy apples throughout the year. Oxygen is reduced by replacing it with additional nitrogen effectively sending the apples to sleep a bit like what happened with Snow White.
However tests have been ongoing in Ontario, Canada, on an innovation called SafePod which may be of interest to local deciduous fruit producers.
This testing device, which is left inside the CA store, records how low the oxygen levels can go without “stressing” the fruit. It appears that apple varieties have different stress points below which they switch to anaerobic respiration, starting fermentation and compromising quality.
In Ontario, for example, Empire apples are commonly stored in a controlled atmosphere of 2 to 3% Oxygen. The Safepod has shown that oxygen levels can be significantly reduced to 0.6% Oxygen before the Empire apples begin to stress, measured by apple respiration in terms of CO2 and oxygen.
As lower oxygen levels mean firmer better quality fruit, and longer storage times, the Safepod could have significant potential.
If anyone is interested please get in touch and we will gladly provide more details.
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