Fruit is something most of the public takes for granted when it comes to shopping in grocery stores. However, most of the fruit found in these outlets is not delivered from nearby farms, which rely on local seasons to safely grow and gather their harvests. Most fruit comes from other locations worldwide, where warmer temperatures favor growing throughout the year. But getting that fruit safely to a destination across oceans means needing the right protection, such as thermal quilt insulation.
Protecting fruit during transport is crucial because of a few factors that drastically affect their condition, including:
Temperature
Of course, temperature is one of the most crucial factors for preserving fruit. Fruit exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time will degrade and begin rotting faster than fruit stored at cooler temperatures. One of the worst things that can happen to any shipment of fruit is improper temperature control, so that the fruit, when it finally arrives at its destination, is already rotted to the point where it is unsafe, inedible, and inappropriate for sale.
Gas
Another factor that can affect fruits, which can be negated by proper use of thermal quilt insulation, is gas dispersal. When fruit is picked, even if it doesn’t degrade right away, a natural result of storage is gas emission. In the case of most fruit, ethylene is leaked out in small, natural amounts, although it is not harmful to humans, so it doesn’t present any medical risks.
However, just because ethylene isn’t harmful to humans, the same isn’t necessarily true for other types of fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes and peppers, for example, have a much lower tolerance to ethylene than some fruits, and exposure to ethylene can accelerate the ripening and decay process.
Relative Humidity
All fruit thrives on moisture, and the presence of water is necessary for growth. However, things change once the fruit has been picked and stored for shipment. Different fruits require different amounts of moisture, which is why relative humidity for individual shipments is essential. Watermelon and strawberries, as one example, contain high levels of water, and so, to preserve their freshness during shipment, they require high levels of relative humidity to maintain their integrity. This can even be an important economic aspect, as food weighed upon shipment can change and lose mass if the water essential for freshness dries out. It creates an untenable position where a buyer receives less fruit per pound than originally agreed upon, and looks dried up, withered, and not necessarily in sellable condition.
The Best Protection With Thermal Quilt Insulation
Protection like thermal quilt insulation can be essential to preserving fruit. Retaining the initial relative humidity a shipment requires also prevents that humidity from spreading to other cargo, protecting additional freight.
Thermal quilt insulation is an ideal, cost-effective, passive form of temperature control. While it’s true that refrigeration units can do the same thing, this is a more expensive, more delicate solution that also requires more maintenance. If you’d like to know more about protecting your fruit shipments to preserve their freshness, contact us and let us know your needs to help you find a cost-effective solution.
