Avocado supplier AVANZA has completed a proof of concept with Daikin Reefer for a 6,500kg shipment of Hass avocados between the ports of Tauranga and Busan.

According to AVANZA, the trial took place in December, towards the end of the avocado season in New Zealand. Using Daikin’s Active Controlled Atmosphere technology, the ageing process is slowed down and the fruit can be transported in better condition for longer periods of time.

“Controlled atmosphere reefer technology is essential to our business as avocados are a high-respiring cargo and need precise optimal atmosphere levels throughout transit to safeguard quality over long distances,” said Colin Partridge, technical manager and representative of AVANZA. “As the only active, rather than passive, system in the market, we wanted to trial Daikin’s Active CA technology to see if the benefits of an active system are genuine. We’re delighted with the results and are now discussing the use of Daikin’s system for next season’s shipments.”

Daikin’s new Active CA technology is based on vacuum pressure swing adsorption, an active atmosphere separation technology which can create the optimal controlled atmosphere very quickly. VPSA uses the mineral adsorbent zeolite to capture a large quantity of nitrogen from the air and transfer it into the reefer container, allowing oxygen levels to be quickly reduced, without the need for additional nitrogen gas injection. The fresh produce is put to sleep to minimize loss of water content in a day or so, less than half the time of passive systems.

For the AVANZA trial, Daikin’s engineering team installed an Active CA kit onto a 20-foot ZeSTIA unit which had been CA provisioned.

“Daikin’s Active CA represents a new and innovative approach to cargo care, which is providing both shippers and shipping lines an opportunity to provide new services and added value to their customers,” said Ah Huat Goh, general manager of global marketing and service at Reefer Container Department. “For produce such as avocados and apples, food scientists and growers alike understand the benefits of consistently low oxygen and low carbon dioxide settings during transit. Thanks to the positive inside pressure created by the nitrogen gas injection, which prevents the ambient air from entering the container, Daikin’s Active CA system can reliably maintain low O2 and CO2 levels. With Passive CA, the pressure inside the container is negative which makes it is easier for oxygen to ingress, especially as the box ages, potentially causing damage to cargo.”

Active CA is not only suitable for high-respiring produce, but also low-respiring leafy vegetables and fruit such as grapes and berries that have been traditionally difficult to ship over long distances, according to Daikin.