A journey through the ripening of fruit, in permanent improvement

The ripening of bananas is a necessity for international trade and has given rise to a constantly improving technology. The company INTERKO, a main worldwide player in the business, celebrated its 50th anniversary in Fruit Logistica. A Tech Stage conference by Chris Maat, Managing Director/Partner, shared the wide experience of the company. Interko, specializing in ripening and cooling, has original installations still in operation and continuously develops improvements that facilitate the management and profit of its customers around the world. Chris Maat toured the world of maturation, constantly advancing. The creator of the company, an aeronautical engineer, used his deep knowledge of air flows to apply them to the ripening of bananas; Chris Maat, added his deep knowledge of the world of maritime transport and the requirement of the markets. The desire of consumers for more tasty fruits, together with the incorporation of exotic products, and new markets, are at the base of the current “ripening boom”. Avocados, mangoes, papayas, kiwi, etc. have been added to bananas ... and in a self-sustaining process, the resulting better fruit quality encourages greater consumption. A significant number of variables influence the ripening process and have to been controlled, and each product has its own specificities. The packaging boxes must allow an adequate circulation of air, as well as the ripening chambers and the arrangement of the pallets. The ULTIMO ripening chambers take into account to achieve a homogeneous ripening of batches of fruit, avoiding dehydration and at the lowest cost. The incorporation of fruits that are sold in smaller volumes than bananas, as well as the interest for fruits marketed at its optimum ripeness point, have given rise to developments such as AXESSO, which allows access to any pallet inside the chamber, while the rest of the fruit continues to ripening in the chamber. The reversible EC energy-saving REVERSO fans, standard incorporated in the cooling system of the ripening rooms, can be turned on and off individually and have a minimum power consumption of less than 100 watts per pallet in maximum air flow. In addition, the air cooler runs along the chamber to reduce dehydration and weight loss of the product; this maximizes cooling and maintains a constant temperature. The proper use of side curtains ensures a constant air flow through each box. These technologies can be applied to single cameras or with shelves that add up to two stacks of product. The ripening equipment, facilities and technology by Interko are in constant evolution, adapting and anticipating the market requirements.Pictures1 - Chris Maat, Interko´s Managing Director/Partner, during the conference2 - Great interest after the conference to talk to Mr. Maat.