In 2003, AgroFresh first launched its flagship SmartFreshTM solution, the leading post-harvest ethylene management tool for fruits, vegetables and flowers. SmartFresh puts the ripening process “on pause” so that softening and over-ripening occur much more slowly, as part of their normal freshness cycle. Since then, AgroFresh has pioneered numerous scientific and commercial applications of SmartFresh to keep produce fresher for longer.
For the past 20 years, growers and fruit and vegetable producers have relied on SmartFresh's revolutionary technology to deliver the freshest produce to consumers around the world, while maintaining optimal quality and freshness and avoiding problems that affect the shelf life of fruit.
For operations of all sizes and in all fruit and vegetable growing regions of the world, SmartFresh
It optimizes producer resources while offering greater strength and sustainability, resulting in a better return on investment for producers, mills and distributors.
Today, thanks to many years of close collaboration with researchers, universities and international customers – as well as an investment in seven global innovation centres and strategic partnerships – AgroFresh has extensive knowledge of fresh produce quality management. Its innovative team continues to expand the possibilities by offering new formats of the SmartFresh Quality System to suit multiple crops, in the field, in warehouses and in transit.
Duncan Aust, AgroFresh’s Chief Technology Officer, oversees research and development, regulatory and external innovation. Aust explains why SmartFresh, the original 1-MCP technology that revolutionised the apple industry, has had such a positive impact: “AgroFresh prides itself on working with the grower and the fruit and vegetable plant to really understand what their needs and challenges are, and therefore the opportunities, with the aim of delivering a better experience for the consumer,” says Aust. “We like to work closely with the scientists we have at AgroFresh, with the technical team at some of the larger operations and with the grower in the field.”
1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), the substance behind SmartFresh solutions, was discovered nearly 30 years ago in 1994 at North Carolina State University by biochemist Edward Sisler and horticulturalist Sylvia Blankenship, opening up new possibilities for the fresh produce and floral industries.
When asked about bringing the technology to market and the long-term vision for 1-MCP, Blankenship shared several insights and stories. From his perspective, he could only dream of the impact his discovery has had. “I never in a million years thought things would end up the way they are,” Blankenship said. “My goal since I started working was to help the fresh produce industry. My goal was to get a better quality product that would save time and money.”
For both Aust and Blankenship, it's about supporting the industry they share a passion for.
The benefits of technology across the global supply chain have continued to grow from Sisler and Blankenship’s lab to Aust’s innovative solutions to solve the global problem of food loss and waste. To learn more about what Aust and Blankenship had to say at SmartFresh’s 20th anniversary, read their interviews here.
Link to Duncan Aust's video.
Link to Sylvia Blankenship's video
