While fruit is one of the most common items people find in grocery stores to buy for consumption, it’s also one of the most delicate kinds of cargo to transport. Generations of cargo and logistics operations have turned the shipping of fruit into a well-understood science, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy; it just means that the challenges are well-understood, and the solutions have to be smoothly implemented such as using a thermal blanket for food transportation.
Some of the considerations that need to be factored in when shipping fruit include:
Gas
Not all fruits can be bunched together when shipping due to the threat of gas. Once picked and packed away, all fruits will emit ethylene gas. Ethylene, like oxygen, is harmless to people and is not a safety issue; however, it does present a threat to other fruit. Some fresh produce, such as tomatoes and peppers, have an extremely lower tolerance for ethylene and will chemically react to higher amounts of it, degrading faster than normal.
In other words, shipping product that creates high amounts of ethylene in proximity to produce with a low tolerance for it can shorten the lifespan of that food. It may even make it unsuitable for sale by the time it arrives at its destination.
Relative Humidity
Different types of fruit have different concentrations of moisture, which is a function of the relative humidity that is good for fruit to preserve its condition while shipping. Strawberries and watermelons, for example, have high amounts of moisture inside and thus need higher relative humidity to avoid drying out. This is crucial for high moisture fruits since charging by weight can result in food weighing significantly less on arrival than on shipment due to drying out, resulting in arguments about how much should be paid for if strawberries charged by the pound arrive at the destination weighing several pounds less, or even shriveled in appearance due to water loss.
Relative humidity goes the other way, as some fruits react badly to being exposed to higher amounts of water, leading to accelerated degradation. This is another area where using a thermal blanket for food transportation can make a difference in fruit preservation.
Temperature Protection With Thermal Blanket
Finally, the temperature is another important factor in preserving the fruit’s integrity. Different fruit has different ideal temperature ranges, and exceeding these can lead to the premature rotting of fruit as bacteria gets the boost it needs to be more active. Apples, for example, should be kept relatively cool during shipping to preserve their freshness. On the other hand, tropical fruits like bananas require a higher ideal storage temperature of 50-60℉ to remain viable. Anything below this can damage the fruit and even make it unsafe for consumption, let alone purchase.
This is where using a thermal blanket for food transportation can be crucial. While powered solutions such as refrigeration units can solve this issue, it is not cost-effective and isn’t technically viable for longer logistics routes. 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.
