Jan 26, 2018: At the International Green Week 2018 Berlin (Jan 19-28, 2018), ATB presented smart energy-saving concepts for the storage of fruit and vegetables ...
Fruits and vegetables are stored for months in large cold stores in batches of several hundred tons. Up to 40% of the electrical energy needed is consumed by the coolers for air circulation. High energy consumption as well as quality and mass losses are the central cost factor for machine-cooled fruit and vegetable storage. As part of the special exhibition by the German Ministry for Food and Agriculture ATB presented results from the research project COOL. The centerpiece is a new user software that helps to optimize storage rooms with regard to dimensioning, box design and stacking, as well as fan technology in terms of energy and quality. This enables energy savings of more than 20% ......
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ATB also presented new approaches for the residue-free removal of the ripening gas ethylene from storage rooms. One of the most promising solutions is the photocatalytic removal using titanium dioxide as a catalyst, which is currently being developed at ATB ...
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In addition to clever and energy-saving storage concepts for commercial application, discussions at the ATB booth focused on the proper storage of fresh fruit and vegetables at home: where and how should fruits be kept so that they stay fresh for as long as possible? Which fruits influence each other in terms of maturation and spoilage? What role does the ripening hormone ethylene play? Proper storage at home helps to minimize the spoilage of fruits and vegetables and to reduce food waste.
According to an FAO estimate, the share of fruit and vegetables (including root crops) in global food losses is currently 45-50%.
Contact: Ulrike Praeger