Keep fresh fruits longer cannot be transported easily over a large distance. Fruits are tender and soft and can spoil if they are treated roughly. They can get bruised, spoiled, or lose their taste if the temperature, the humidity of the atmosphere, or ventilation is not proper while transporting them.
No matter if you’re sending fruits to the next city or a foreign country, there is one thing that must be your priority first: the freshness of the fruits. If fruits reach their destination with bad quality, they can’t be sold, and all your efforts are wasted.
When applying long-distance charter transport (e.g., chartered trucks, trains, or aircraft for your cargo), more caution should be used. Short distances may do with little care, but longer distances require planning of air circulation, coolness, and packaging.
Easy Methods to Preserve Keep Fresh Fruits Longer
When transporting fruits locally or even globally, the following will maintain your fruits fresh:
Choose Fruits at the Right Time
Some fruits including bananas and avocados are most likely to get ripen once you pick them. On the other hand, some fruits such as strawberries and cherries should be picked ripen. Finding when to pick your first fruit is half the hard work of keeping it fresh on the trip to the market.
Refrigerate Fruits as Soon as They Are Harvested
You should always cool your fruits after picking them. Cooling stops them from spoiling. You can use air cooling, water chilling, or vacuum cooling relying on the fruit’s nature. Do not waste time, as some fruits get spoiled within few hours of picking.
Sort and Inspect Well
Dispose of any rotten fresh organic fruits and vegetables, including overripe, dented, or moldy ones. A rotten fruit will ruin the rest. Pack only the good fruits.
Make Air Flow
Keep fresh fruit longer with an ideal air circulation. Position boxes or crates in such a way that there is a good air flow surrounding them. This controls temperature and avoids moisture accumulation, which will ferment it.
Temperature and Humidity Monitoring
Fit temperature and humidity monitoring devices for the entire transport process. Some advanced trackers also give an alarm if the surrounding environment changes abruptly suddenly.
Ideal Temperature and Humidity to Keep Fresh Fruits Longer
Fruits are highly sensitive towards humidity and temperature. Each fruit needs special attention.
Ideal Temperatures for Most Fruits:
- Apples: 0°C to 1°C (32°F to 34°F)
- Bananas: 13°C to 15°C (55°F to 59°F)
- Citrus Fruits (like oranges): 5°C to 9°C (41°F to 48°F)
- Berries (like strawberries): 0°C to 1°C (32°F to 34°F)
- Mangoes: 10°C to 13°C (50°F to 55°F)
- Grapes: 0°C to 1°C (32°F to 34°F)
But if you are shipping various fruits in a bundle, use multi-temperature boxes or place them in individual compartments.
Optimum Humidity Range
Keep high humidity, 85% to 95%, to avoid desiccation of the fruits.
But beware! Too much humidity causes mold. Use dehumidifiers or moisture-wicking pads to keep things in balance.
Avoid Temperature Fluctuations
Temperature fluctuation will kill the fruits. Keep fresh fruit longer and ensure that the temperature is uniform at all times. Pre-refrigerate your containers before placing the fruits in them.
Don’t Mix Different Fruit Types
Fruits with significantly varying temperature or humidity needs should not be shipped together. Store them apart or ship them apart.
Easy Packaging Tips to Help Fruits Last Longer
Fruit packaging is more than simply placing them inside a box. It will preserve them in their original form and freshness for a long period.
- MAP: also known as Modified atmosphere packaging is a way of keep the freshness of fruit and vegetables transported exporting by changing the gas while wrapping. It is ideal for fruits such as grapes, cherries, and berries.
- Active packaging: Some ingredients or pads in these packages absorb gases, bacteria, or water. This helps to keep the inside of the box clean and fresh.
- Ventilated Boxes: Box has vents where air can flow through. It is extremely suitable for sea and air transportation. It keeps the fruits cool and fresh.
- Use Padding: Fragile fruits are most likely to become bruised soon. Pack them in foam nets, tissue, or soft trays in such a way that they will not be bumping against other fruits during transit.
- Perforated Plastic Wrap: Perforated plastic wrap contains small holes on it, through which air is permitted to pass. It would be ideal for fruits such as raspberries or strawberries.
- Strong Cardboard Boxes: Ship in corrugated cardboard boxes. They are light, stackable, and they can be stored in cold storage. And they’re environmentally friendly.
In a Nutshell
All in all, keep fresh fruits longer with these simple ways. Shipping fresh fruits to distant locations can be the key to a new market for your business. There are, however, legitimate issues at stake: fruits can go bad, lose their taste, or look beat when they arrive at their destination.
When your fruits are delivered fresh, your customers are happy, and your company prospers. Everybody in the world wants fruits that taste like they have been picked from the tree. If you can deliver it to them, then you are already ahead of the game.
Short of fresh fruit shipping, sourcing, and packaging? HNH Global Bridge Corp is your single-stop global fruit logistics partner. We make your fruits fresh, tasty and healthy.
Question Related to Help Keep Fresh Fruits Longer:
Most fruits are fresh between 0°C and 13°C, depending on the type.
Higher humidity (85–95%) keeps fruits moist during shipping.
No, various fruits require varying temperatures and must be handled separately.
MAP regulates air in packaging to reduce fruit ripening.
Employ correct cooling, grading, and intelligent packaging to prevent spoilage.
