Climacteric and non-climacteric fruits

2021-10-05 09:35:27

Most fruits ripen due to the action of ethylene. Ethylene is the hormone known as "the ripening hormone". It is produced naturally in fruits causing the color, firmness, flavor and characteristic aromas of each fruit to change.

However, once the fruit or vegetable has been collected, ethylene does not act in the same way in all cases. Depending on how ethylene intervenes on fruits, they are classified into two typologies:

Climacteric fruits have the capacity to continue ripening once separated from the plant. They are also characterized by a rapid increase in the rate of respiration and ethylene release.

The most common examples of climacteric fruit are: apples, pears, tomato, custard apple, avocado, banana, mango, papaya, kiwi,....

Non-climacteric fruits, on the other hand, undergo a gradual and continuous ripening process. Once collected, they do not ripen by themselves, so it is important to collect them at the right moment of ripening. Ethylene, in this case, acts in a way that accelerates fruit degradation and senescence.

Some non-climacteric fruits are: cherries, citrus fruits, red fruits, cucumber, pineapple, litchi, ...

In BION we have been working for 25 years hand in hand with producers and exporters of these fruits and thanks to the accumulated experience we have designed two formulas that allow us to stop in a natural way the effects of ethylene on the fruit.

ETHYL STOPPER has been designed and formulated to control ethylene and VOC's (volatile organic compounds) in climacteric fruits.

FUNGI STOP is specially designed and formulated to keep climacteric fruits free of fungi and bacteria.

All our post-harvest formulations are safe and suitable for organic crop products.

They provide permanent protection to the crop from the moment of cultivation to the final destination, maintaining the #air chain and protecting the agents involved from production losses.

They can be found in different formats, adapting to the needs of our customers.

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ETH Equipment

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Kiwi and Ethylene

There are more than 400 varieties of kiwifruit, the most common being green (HAYWARD) and yellow (GOLD). The demand for kiwifruit is increasing year after year due to the boom in consumption of the fruit and its high nutritional properties and pleasant taste. Kiwifruit is a highly sensitive climacteric fruit and as little as 5-10 PPB (parts per billion) of ethylene will induce general softening. This means that exposure of kiwifruit during harvest, transport and storage should be avoided. More and more producing countries are exporting around the world, posing a logistical challenge for a fruit that is extremely sensitive to ethylene. Scientific studies have shown that ethylene has negative effects on kiwifruit: - Accelerated ripening and overripening. - softening and loss of skin firmness - White central inclusions - Increased incidence of rots and mycobacterial infections. - Green core due to overripening - Aggravates pericarp translucency - Kiwifruit wilting and weight loss due to increased respiration BION with its TRANSPROTEKT filters and ETHYL STOPPER sachets delays ripening and increases the storage time and shelf life of kiwifruit. Utilize BION's ethylene and other volatile compound absorption technology: - Increases shelf life - Reduces waste - Eliminates odors - Maintains batch homogeneity - Maintains fruit color - Maintains skin firmness - Harmless to workers - It is compatible with organic farming as no additives are added. - It is disposable and recyclable once the product is used up. - Easy to handle and cheap

VOC's and Ethylene

Ethylene and Volatile Organic Compounds have a very close relationship with fruit ripening and skin weakening leading to significant yield losses. It is known that climacteric and non-climacteric fruits have a unique odor. These odors are actually Volatile Organic Compounds that are emitted by the fruit and become a signal that attracts pests and pathogens. The mixture of volatiles such as limonene, acetaldehyde and ethanol induce the germination of fungal spores such as Penicillium that attack the surface of the fruit. These different fungal species colonize the fruit and emit large amounts of ethylene. Ethylene is also a chemical signal that tells the fungi to attack the fruit, so the infection process feeds back and accelerates causing fruit degradation. An effective way to prevent this cycle of chemical signals from continuing is to adsorb the ethylene with products developed specifically for this function, such as BION's Transprotekt Sachets and Filters. In this way, the ethylene emitted is neutralized, the chemical signals that attract fungi are cancelled out and the firmness of the skin remains intact, allowing the shelf life of the fruit to be extended. Eliminating ethylene from fresh produce is crucial for extending shelf life during post harvest. BION’s wide range of products and technology can help you eliminating it from the environment.

What is Ethylene?

Ethylene is a Plant Hormone. A hormone is a substance that in very low concentration (0,015ppm) induces massive changes in produce metabolism. It regulates the processes associated with ripening and senescence. Being a gas, it can cumulate in closed environments: inside packaging, cold storage rooms and transport containers. The more ethylene cumulates in a closed environment, the more ethylene is produced, and the ripening process goes faster. Ethylene affects to fresh produce: Accelerating ripening Accelerating senescence Favors shriveling and weight loss Favors disease expression Increases the risk of physiological disorders Induces chlorophyll degradation Eliminating ethylene from fresh produce is crucial for extending shelf life during post harvest. BION’s wide range of products and technology can help you eliminating it from the environment.

Climacteric and non-climacteric fruits

In our blog...

Kiwi and Ethylene

VOC's and Ethylene

What is Ethylene?

Post‑harvest Care

Environment Care

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