On May 8, Sanifruit held a meeting on sustainable solutions for post-harvest treatments for greenhouse vegetables at Coexphal's Technological Innovation Centre in La Mojonera, Almeria. The company invited several experts to the event to share their knowledge on innovative post-harvest treatments.
Antonio Mena, Almeria's regional delegate for Agriculture, opened the event, emphasizing that Almeria was the "fruit and vegetable garden of Europe", and that pepper, cucumber, and tomato crops are at the forefront of export and consumption. Last season, no less than 600 million kilos of peppers were harvested.
© Sanifruit
Mena highlighted the importance of biological and integrated crop protection strategies. He underlined the need for alternatives to chemical agents, such as Sanifruit's natural solutions for post-harvest applications, which help exporters extend the shelf life of products, prevent food waste, and reduce claims at destination.
Post-harvest needs and demands are evolving, as markets require products free of residues. Sanifruit's solutions are in line with these needs; the company applies innovation and biotechnology to benefit human health and the environment.
Juan Carlos Pérez Mesa, co-director of the Coexphal-UAL Chair, began his presentation by mentioning the need for environmental, economic, and social sustainability. He also spoke about the possibility of incorporating artificial intelligence, which is already a reality today. He also highlighted the number and importance of the sector's associations in Almeria.
Juan Luis Valenzuela Manjón-Cabeza, Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Almería, discussed the impact of post-harvest processes on the vegetable's quality, which customers value positively. He also said consumers lacked awareness about fruit and vegetable food waste, which, according to the FAO, amounts to around 6.1 million tons per year worldwide.
The fruit and vegetable supply chain's incorrect handling of the post-harvest process, such as storing or transporting the product at inadequate temperatures, can lead to product and economic losses, he added.
The product must satisfy every link of the production chain, from production to consumption. Quality must begin in the field; without a good pre-harvest, there can be no good post-harvest.
Sandra Mañas, Innovation Technician at Sanifruit and an expert in the tomato's post-harvest, presented a simulation of tomato and economic losses at a company with a 3.5% loss average. She then explained how Sanifruit tackles the fungi, bacteria, rot, dehydration, and cracking issues affecting tomatoes with Silcover (a biostimulant with a protective character based on orthosilicic acid) in the pre-harvest and SaniTomato in the post-harvest.
In a demo at Campojoyma, washing the tomatoes with water and applying SaniTomato led to a 50% inhibition of rot and a 45.5% reduction in dehydration.
Rebeca Ramos and Laura Hidalgo, from Tecnova's Technology Department, explained how to process peppers for a successful post-harvest. According to a study carried out for red and yellow peppers with SaniPepper, disinfecting, subsequently rinsing, and treating peppers with SaniPepper reduces Botrytis infection by 48.1% and Erwinia infection by 45.5%. Thus, Sanifruit recommends following these steps before applying SaniPepper.
Laura Hidalgo followed with a presentation on SaniCchini, the company's post-harvest solution for zucchini, a strategic crop for Almeria that the region exports to European markets. Zucchini requires appropriate handling because it is sensitive to physical and microbiological damage.
The company's SaniCchini treatment mitigates the zucchini's main post-harvest issues, i.e., fungal rot, bacterial infections, loss of firmness, dehydration, and cold damage.
Finally, Miguel Ángel Serrano, a sales technician from the Andalusian Delegation, and Javier Biel, Sanifruit's CEO, presented the company's post-harvest program. For 37 years, Sanifruit has been supporting growers and exporters in the fresh produce sector in extending shelf life, improving appearance, reducing customer complaints, and increasing customer satisfaction and profitability.
Javier Biel closed the event by inviting Almeria's export companies to try their solutions.
For more information, go to www.sanifruit.com, fill in the form, and a post-harvest technical advisor will contact you.
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