Postharvest produce freshness and quality solutions provider AgroFresh Solutions and Nabaco, a materials science company, have reached an exclusive distribution agreement for Nabaco’s NatuWrap fruit protection technologies.
NatuWrap, is a food-grade, temporary barrier designed to protect fruits and vegetables during processing and storage. Its products are made from USDA National Organic Program-listed ingredients and are Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certified.
Nabaco CEO Jamie Strachan says he understands the pain points that growers face when seeking postharvest solutions in part due to his previous role as CEO of Green Giant Fresh.
“I had 36 hours from cut to ship on 40 different commodities, 365 days a year,” Strachan says. “It was really rough. I would have loved an extra day or two. This solution gives growers and packers considerably more time to manage their crops under variable quality conditions.”
What attracted AgroFresh to Nabaco’s NatuWrap is its ease of use, says Duncan Aust, chief technology officer for AgroFresh.
“There are many solutions out there that sound great and are really fancy, but they require a whole rejigging of the existing operations,” Aust says. “And they’re just not practical. This was a very simple, elegant and practical solution.”
And as Strachan explains, growers or packers dispurse NatuWrap into the water systems where it forms a gentle, protective temporary barrier that helps reduce scuffing, bruising, chill damage and other harm caused by oxidation or microbial activity during handling and storage.
“It performs like virtual modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on each fruit, moderating gas exchange through the washable residues on a temporary basis during storage and processing. This helps reduce multiple forms of damage and ultimately enables growers to deliver higher quality fruit to market,” Strachan says.
Apple, pear and citrus growers have used NatuWrap, and AgroFresh says it has been shown to reduce pitting and maintain greener and fresher-looking stems in cherries.
“What excited me so much about this technology — coming from the industry — is that it’s supplied through water,” Strachan says. “That means you can run it through a hydrovac, a cooling tube, chiller, drencher, dip tank, wash line, spray bar — anything. It functions across a wide pH range, improves the performance of other chemistries, and is easily removed before entering the market.”
As for the future, Aust says this is one of many strategic moves AgroFresh has made to offer more sustainable postharvest solutions, including a collaboration with with Rubens Technologies and Escavox to enhance its FreshCloud digital platform. And Nabaco’s technology could be integrated into more crops in the future.
“We try to be the partner of choice for these companies offering unique technologies,” Aust says. “AgroFresh is interested in taking those solutions to the marketplace globally.”
