Shelf life improvement for fruit and vegetables with suitable packaging technology: FRESHSAFE from MULTIVAC
Fresh fruit and vegetables are living products. These products need oxygen to live. This is because their metabolism remains active even after harvesting. The two most important processes in this are respiration and transpiration.
In the case of respiration or breathing, the plants absorb oxygen and give off carbon dioxide, water and heat. In the case of transpiration, which also takes place during the growth process as well as after harvesting, they only absorb oxygen. The consequences are ripening, fermentation, discoloration and then finally spoilage due to decay of the cellular structure, as well as the growth of mould and other undesirable microorganisms.