Moisture Control Technology increases shelf-life
control free moisture found in stored or transported fresh food,
enabling food to stay fresher for longer.
Moisture Control Technology is potentially suited to a wide range of fresh fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. The active packaging senses a change in the internal package or the external environment and responds by altering its properties to accommodate the change.
CSIRO's Moisture Control Technology manages the water vapour content of the atmosphere around the produce using a new type of liner, which can be placed inside any standard fiber-board or polystyrene box.
"Moisture loss during storage and long distance shipping reduces produce quality and saleable weight and leads to discarded produce," says CSIRO's Dr Rob Walker.
MCT liners reduce moisture loss especially during long sea voyages by maintaining high humidity inside the box. The design of the MCT liner also prevents any condensed moisture, which may have formed inside the bag as a result of temperature fluctuations during transport, from finding its way onto the produce.
CSIRO has tested the MCT liner with both fruit and vegetables and in the laboratory storage trials a shelf life of 28 days was achieved at 2°C for cauliflowers and 6 days at 25°C. In the case of oranges the shelf life was 56 days at 3°C and 21 days at 21°C.
The technology can be incorporated into current export systems and has the potential to improve returns for exporters of fruit and vegetables.
MTC is an outcome of a joint project supported by CSIRO, The Western Australian Department of Agriculture, the Warren Cauliflower Group Inc., the Murray Valley Citrus Board and CSIRO's Food into Asia initiative.
