Citrosol and Jaguar remove plastic from the pomelo supply chain

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in a global context. In this regard, reducing the use of plastic has become the responsibility of all companies in the agri-food sector. To address this challenge, CITROSOL, the European leader in technology and post-harvest treatments for fruit and vegetables and Jaguar The Fresh Company, a globally operating fresh produce marketing company have been collaborating to identify the best alternative for using plastic film in the supply chain for fresh produce. For this project, the project partners used PlantSeal®, Citrosol’s own range of plant-based coatings that guarantees that fruit reaches its destination with the maximum quality. The use of plastics in the food industry is widespread, mostly to extend the commercial life of fruit by avoiding weight loss. However, with sustainability at the center of attention, these days more and more markets are restricting its use due to the waste problem it generates. For this project, Citrosol and Jaguar removed plastic wrapping from Jaguar’s pomelos that are exported from China to global destinations. Traditionally, most Chinese pomelos are wrapped in plastic film, and with each container holding 17,000 kg of fruit, approximately 40 kg of plastic film is used. Raul Perello, International Operations Director of Citrosol: “This collaboration has enabled Citrosol to undertake extensive scientific studies, the results of which were presented at the first Circul-A-Bility Conference. Through the project ‘Advances to save the packaging plastic film in grapefruit’ we have demonstrated the advantages of PlantSeal® as the best solution to replace the plastic film that is used to extend the commercial life of Chinese pomelos”. Sven Thomas, Technical Manager of Jaguar The Fresh Company: “Our Group has a firm commitment to all aspects of sustainability. For decades we have placed product quality at the heart of our strategy. With this development we are now able to combine environmental aspects of removing plastic from the supply chain for pomelo, whilst maintaining the quality of the product. Together with Citrosol we have created a solid win-win situation. For every 100 containers of pomelos we are now able to remove 4000kg of plastic waste from the supply chain”. Plantseal® is suitable for vegan consumption, and does not contain any plastic components. The product achieves a high degree of weight loss control, minimizes rind disorders due to chilling injury, and delays the aging of fruit by reducing transpiration and respiration in a way that the quality of the fruit remains intact. Furthermore, it addresses the need to employ new methods to tackle export challenges with guaranteed results. PlantSeal® is currently in use at an industrial level, with the first containers arriving soon at different destinations. For growers, a main benefit of PlantSeal® is that it creates access for fruit into markets that have limitations and requirements in the use of plastics. About CitrosolCitrosol was founded originally in 1994 as Productos Citrosol. The post-harvest treatment and technology activity began in Potríes, Valencia in the 1960’s. As a result of significant organic growth in the last 10-15 years, Citrosol currently has 109 employees in different countries, including South Africa. At its Potríes facilities, the company utilizes a fully equipped R&D+i laboratory plus a pilot plant of just over1,200 m2. Citrosol’s organic growth has been largely due to its strong innovative character. In addition to its specialist involvement the post-harvest treatments and technology for citrus fruits, for the past 10 years the company has been developing solutions to extend the commercial life of avocados, peppers, tomatoes, peeled garlic and other fruit and vegetable produce. Citrosol is currently introducing Citrocide® Fresh-Cut System, a solution for fresh-cut and minimally processed ranges of fresh produce. With Citrocide®, the water and carbon footprint in the production of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables is considerably reduced. Through all its treatments and technologies, Citrosol contributes to reducing food loss and waste in fresh produce. About Jaguar The Fresh CompanyJaguar is a sustainable fruit specialist with offices in South Africa, Egypt, Peru, China and the Netherlands. The company maintains a transparent supply chain that delivers a wide range of fruits to global retail, food service, wholesale and food processing customers. Sustainability has always been an integral part of Jaguar, and this has certainly contributed to the company’s long-term success. The focus of Jaguar’s sustainability strategy is to keep increasing the impact it makes on a social, environmental, and governance level. All offices are staffed by fruit experts who guide customers and growers every step of the way. Realtime information directly from the source enables intelligent decision-making, and facilitates efficient direct shipments all over the world. Jaguar is part of the Greenfood Group, a leading food and fresh produce innovation company with headquarters in Helsingborg, Sweden.