FRESH

FRESH is a post-harvest technology that helps reduce large tons of fruit waste and increase growers' opportunities for exporting their products.

Today, about 45% (1.3 billion tons) of the world's fruit and vegetable production is wasted, producing millions of tons of CO2 being the main greenhouse gases. A major factor is not only food spoilage but the often unconscious decision of shoppers to select only the freshest looking produce in the store; not to mention the loss of natural resources used for growing, processing, packaging, transporting and marketing food. 

This mainly affects small farmers, who are forced to make little or no profit from their production. 

When fruits are exported, they must be in storage; in transport, distribution centers and domestic consumption, refrigeration and/or controlled atmosphere are used as a means of preservation. However, it presents five main problems:

• It represents an excessive use of energy that translates into high costs, in addition to involving the exaggerated use of CO2.
• Once the fruits are out of the cold chain, they cannot be stored again;
• The nutritional content of fruits decreases significantly. 
• Reduction of organoleptic properties such as flavor, texture, color and aroma.  
• Loss of weight and therefore loss of monetary value.

FRESH is a post-harvest technology capable of delaying the ripening process of fruits for a longer period of time, maintaining their texture, firmness, color, odor, flavor and nutrients, meeting quality standards and obtaining the necessary time to sell your product.  

They provide extra protection against fungal and bacterial diseases that can appear in fruits, act in a natural and specific way, so it is not toxic to humans or the environment, and does not generate any residue. Extending the shelf life of fruits is 2.2x over their outdated and often wasteful preservation methods, which often leave a layer of wax on the product that needs to be washed off more carefully by the end user.  

Our technology is a powder, its application process is simple: first the product is separated to receive the treatment in a closed chamber, which can be a cold room or a sealed truck. Then, the powdered solution is dissolved in water and then undergoes a gasification process and is left to settle for 6 to 12 hours (depending on the fruit). This process is applied in the export, storage or transport stages. Only a single application of the product is required, allowing all the participants in the fruit logistics to benefit. Fresh has a shelf life of 1 year, preserving all its properties.

FRESH offers technologies that, with a single application of the product, allow all participants in fruit logistics to benefit. However, to date, only 4 archetypes can be helped: 

• At home and supermarkets, preservation and a shelf life of up to one month. 
• Producers, time needed to sell at the best price without the need of an intermediary.
• Distributors, reduction of the percentage of waste in their logistics by using technology. 
• Exporters, to be able to send accelerated ripening fruits to different countries by sea.

FRESH is accessible to everyone and is easy on the pocket of its buyers. A bag of only 200gr of FRESH, allows the treatment of about 19 tons of fresh produce.

FRESH has been in the field for almost a year and a half helping traders and farmers, through volunteering that helped me believe in helping and providing a solution to a problem that we have today at a global level. We are interested in helping more farmers and merchants, to implement the prototype of the exporters which requires a capital which FRESH is working on it.

Behind the creation of FRESH there is a long investigation of people affected by the loss of their products, being me one of them; surveys, practices and volunteering which helped me to see the great need of the producers. Creating small prototypes that were successful. So far I have only helped traders and farmers who reduced their losses up to 3%, but all my projects are supported by research and small prototypes.