How do Ethylene Absorbers Help In Food Preservation?

Ethylene, a hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C2H4, is a colourless gas under standard conditions. As one of the smallest and most basic alkenes, it has a double bond between its two carbon atoms, responsible for many reactivity characteristics. This unsaturated nature makes ethylene highly reactive, and it’s widely used in the industrial production of polymers and other chemicals.

Plants produce ethylene in response to various environmental triggers, including stress, mechanical damage, and, most notably, during specific stages of growth and development. This hormone plays a central role in various processes such as seed germination, flower senescence, and, most relevant to our discussion, fruit ripening.

When fruits mature, they produce increasing amounts of ethylene. This ethylene, in turn, signals the fruit to ripen further, creating a positive feedback loop. This is why others quickly follow when one fruit ripens in a bunch. The ethylene they produce accelerates the ripening process in neighbouring fruits.

Ethylene can accumulate in a controlled storage environment, like a packed crate or a sealed storage room. Elevated gas levels can cause fruits and vegetables to ripen faster than desired, reducing shelf-life. Recognizing and managing ethylene’s influence can help everyone in the food supply chain, from farmers to retailers, aiming to provide fresh and quality produce to consumers.

Ethylene Absorbers in Food Packaging

Ethylene, a natural part of the ripening process for many fruits and vegetables, can become a problem in confined storage environments. When produce that emits ethylene is stored alongside sensitive items, it can trigger an accelerated ripening process.

This is particularly problematic in confined spaces like cold storage, shipping containers, or packaged environments where the gas concentration can build up. The result is over-ripened or spoiled produce, often before it reaches the market. The rapid ripening induced by ethylene affects the texture and taste of fruits and vegetables and can affect their nutritional quality.

Over-ripened produce can lose essential nutrients, making them less beneficial for consumption. Furthermore, when fruits and vegetables ripen too quickly, they become susceptible to mould and bacterial growth, posing potential health risks to consumers.

By effectively controlling ethylene levels, the shelf-life of produce can be extended, reducing wastage. These absorbers can maintain the desired storage environment, ensuring that produce remains fresh for longer, retains its nutritional quality, and is safe for consumption.

Benefits of Using Ethylene Absorbers

The use of ethylene absorbers in food storage and packaging brings a host of advantages, ensuring that consumers receive fresh, flavorful, and safe produce. By effectively regulating and reducing ethylene concentration in storage environments, fruits and vegetables remain in their prime state longer. This extended shelf life ensures produce remains marketable and appetizing for extended durations.

Maintaining the Flavor, Texture, and Color of Food Items: Ethylene doesn’t just speed up the ripening process; it can also alter the intrinsic qualities of food. Using the absorbers, the original flavour, crisp texture, and vibrant colour of fruits and vegetables are preserved. This means strawberries remain juicy, leafy greens stay crisp, and tomatoes retain their rich, red hue, enhancing the overall eating experience for consumers.

Reduced Food Waste: By slowing down the ripening process, ethylene absorbers help reduce the amount of produce discarded due to over-ripening or spoilage. This not only promotes environmental sustainability but also translates to significant cost savings for businesses throughout the supply chain and, ultimately, consumers.

Prevention of Early Mold Growth and Spoilage: The rapid ripening or decay of fruits and vegetables creates a conducive environment for mould growth and bacterial proliferation. By curbing the undue hastening of the ripening process, ethylene absorbers indirectly deter the early onset of mould and spoilage, ensuring that the food reaching consumers’ plates is not only fresh but also safe to consume.

Applications of Ethylene Absorbers

Use of ethylene absorbers by understanding and managing the ripening process. Their ability to effectively manage and neutralize ethylene gas, a primary agent in the ripening of fruits and vegetables, has made them suitable in several sectors.

Supermarkets and Grocery Stores

Freshness on Shelves: Supermarkets and grocery stores can incorporate ethylene machines in storage areas and display shelves. This ensures that fruits and vegetables remain fresh for extended periods, thus reducing spoilage and wastage.
In-Packaging Solutions: Some retailers can use produce packaged with small ethylene-absorbing sachets. This not only prolongs shelf life but also allows consumers to continue benefiting from the technology even after purchase, keeping the produce fresher at home.
Cold Storage Enhancement: Cold storage slows down the ripening process, and the absorbers further enhance this effect by neutralizing ethylene, ensuring optimal freshness for sensitive produce like berries or leafy greens.

Transportation and Logistics

Extended Transit Times: Logistics companies transporting perishable goods, especially over long distances, can use ethylene rod filters or pallet covers to extend transit times. This particularly benefits exports or travel through varied climatic zones, ensuring the produce arrives optimally.
Cost Savings: With reduced spoilage during transit, companies face fewer losses. This means they can transport larger quantities with confidence, leading to more substantial bulk shipments and cost savings.
Global Distribution: Tropical fruits, for instance, which would previously ripen (and often over-ripen) quickly when shipped to colder countries, now have a more extended shelf life, allowing consumers worldwide to enjoy them at their best.

Ethylene Absorbers vs. Other Preservation Methods

Each preservation method has its unique advantages and challenges. While ethylene absorbers play a vital role in managing the ripening and ageing of certain produce, they often work best in conjunction with other methods. The choice of preservation technique depends on the specific needs of the produce, the desired shelf life, economic considerations, and the end consumer’s preferences. Combining multiple methods—like refrigeration with ethylene absorption—can sometimes yield the best results, offering fresh, flavorful, and safe food options for consumers.

Refrigeration: By slowing down microbial growth and enzymatic reactions, it can significantly extend the freshness of most foods. Furthermore, the ubiquity of refrigeration technology makes it widely accessible to businesses and consumers. However, it’s not without its downsides.

While refrigeration slows the ripening process, it doesn’t halt it completely. It can be energy-intensive, leading to environmental concerns and higher costs. Additionally, certain produce, such as tropical fruits, might experience cold damage if improperly refrigerated. Moreover, despite the advantages, refrigeration only offers a limited extension to a product’s shelf life.

Canning: With the ability to offer a long shelf life, this method effectively kills harmful bacteria, ensuring the safety of the stored food. An added advantage is that the foods can be preserved without the need for additives, and once canned, they can be conveniently stored at room temperature.

However, canning is not without its drawbacks. The process can alter the texture of the food and sometimes even its flavour. There’s also a potential reduction in nutritional content due to the heat used in the canning process. Furthermore, the canning process, especially on a large scale, can be energy-intensive.

Drying: Drying is one of the oldest and most natural methods of food preservation. It offers a significant extension to the shelf life of foods and reduces their weight, making transportation more straightforward. Most of the nutritional content is retained in dried foods, ensuring they remain wholesome.

However, the drying process alters the texture of food completely. Some vitamins, especially those sensitive to air and light, can be lost during drying. Also, certain dried foods require rehydration before consumption, adding a step for consumers.

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP): By creating a controlled atmosphere, MAP can retain the food’s inherent freshness, colour, and texture. This approach ensures that the produce remains appealing and fresh for consumers.

However, the method demands precise control and monitoring. If not managed correctly, there’s a potential for bacterial growth. Additionally, while effective, MAP can be pricier than other preservation methods.

Ozone Treatment: As an effective microbial disinfectant, it acts swiftly and then breaks down, leaving no harmful residues behind. This ensures both the enhanced shelf life and safety of food items.

However, there’s always a potential for ozone to interact with certain food components or flavours negatively. The method requires specialized equipment, and if not handled with care, ozone can be harmful in high concentrations.

Ethylene Absorbers: This solution prolongs the freshness and aesthetic appeal of fruits and vegetables. Ethylene absorbers are simple to incorporate into existing packaging systems and are cost-effective for many applications.

However, while they address the ripening concern, they don’t tackle microbial spoilage. Their effectiveness is also contingent on the surrounding ethylene concentration, and they might be best suited for specific types of produce

Conclusion

By mitigating the effects of ethylene, these absorbers offer extended freshness and reduce spoilage, benefiting both retailers and consumers. In the broader picture, efficiently managing ethylene translates to decreased food waste and a more sustainable approach to food distribution.

Humi Pak offers an extensive selection of packaging solutions designed to safeguard fruits and vegetables from spoilage. Engage with our packaging engineers to delve deeper into the benefits of ethylene absorbers and tailor-fit solutions for your specific needs.