A plug-and-play container, its size determined by the number of pallets that will be disinfected inside it every day, was developed by agronomist Helmut Leili. The amount of food waste in the system and the contamination of fresh produce as an increasing food safety challenge irked him and he realized that fruit and vegetables unsuitable for washing were not being served by current ozone technologies.
As Leili pursued the idea he came to the realization that every type of fruit or vegetable behaves differently in the presence of ozone, and the research and development included pinpointing the perfect dose for every type.
"The uniqueness of our ozone technology is that it penetrates into packaging which is well-ventilated. I've developed the tech to take into account that factor. We're the only company that can also disinfect fruit and vegetables that cannot be washed and that are already packed and palletized," he says.
Moreover, minimal training with no extra labour is needed to use Flavour Shield technology. "Ozone disinfects and extends shelf life. That makes us different. A lot of companies extend shelf life but they do it with chlorine, other chemical compounds, or waxes."
Postharvest fungicide use, they say, can be eliminated when disinfecting with ozone.
A Flavour Shield ozone treatment unit installed at a packing plant (photos supplied by Flavour Shield)
The company sees much potential in South Africa. "South African produce is shipped across the world and that takes time. We help exporters protect the farm-fresh quality of the fruit that's produced in South Africa, produce in which consumers can have confidence and whose flavour is maintained, without chemicals. This also creates the opportunity for increased commercial opportunities for the exporters, including preferred supplier status with their customers."
There's no question that coatings and atmospheric packaging extend shelf life, Leili adds, but those products cannot disinfect to the same degree as ozone. "If exporters combine our technology along with those solutions, we're giving them the ability to make that packaging more valuable."
"It's a 1 + 1 = 3 scenario," remarks Flavour Shield's Martin Rohleder. "The optimal solution is to combine the two to extend shelf life. Preventing food waste, in addition to food safety, is very much on the radar, also for retailers and consumers."
25% to 30% increases in shelf life
Leili: "We were able to double the shelf life on avocados. It also shows a big difference between blueberries and blackberries. We've been able to show a clear 25% to 30% increase in shelf life."
They've done work on broccoli, pears, tomatoes, zucchini, bananas, peaches and guava.
Strawberries disinfected with ozone versus non-treated fruit: the prevalence of mould in the control group stands in strong contrast to disinfected fruit
Adds Rob Kooijmans, Flavour Shield co-founder: "The big setback to chlorine is that it leaves residues. Even if you wash the fruit there are always molecules sitting on your fruit and it's not good for you." Kooijmans points out that the European Union, after many years of reflection, has set limits on the amount of chlorine, a chemical product that does not quickly degrade and remains in the water system for years.
On the contrary, the only residue left by ozone is oxygen. So why hasn't ozone become the automatic choice for disinfection in the packhouse? "Because ozone is very specific and you have to generate it on site," Leili explains. "Ozone generation technology has come a long way. It's a matter of the correct application, whether wet or dry, which are two very distinct methods of application."
A rendering of the latest version of the Flavour Shield unit
Minimal electricity requirement
Direct inhalation of ozone would be detrimental, but Flavour Shield's method is fully safe for employees because staff cannot enter the container until the ozone has been 100% depleted and converted into oxygen.
The electrical usage requirements are in fact minimal, as the equipment that requires electrical energy during each disinfection cycle operates for only a few minutes, they explain. It is designed so that if a customer requests solar panels for the unit if used outdoors, we can accommodate that.
"The system functionality is all cloud-based," says Kooijmans. "Whenever an issue comes up, we can immediately resolve the problem remotely if it involves any software-related actions that the unit needs to function. We can measure the usage of the important equipment components relative to wear and tear. By having this capability, we can provide preventative maintenance information to our clients automatically well before problems occur."
For more information:
Flavour Shield
Tel: +31 6 52764050
Email: info@flavourshield.com
https://flavourshield.com/