SOUTH KOREA: New device keeps fruit and vegetables fresher for longer

In conjunction with a research team from Chungnam National University, the South Korean company KAVO Tec has developed a method to remove ethylene, a growth hormone that promotes aging, from fruit and vegetables, thereby keeping them fresher for longer. Less prone to decomposition, decolourising and disease, the company claim that without the ethylene, produce can stay fresh two or three times longer than normal. Having announced the invention of the "Ethylen Stop" product yesterday (18 October), KAVO Tec has applied for a patent. Successful field tests of the device, which is installed in storehouses and containers and also works as an air purifier, have already prompted demand from many fruit research centres and wholesalers. Its inventors hope that the global face of the fresh produce market can be changed. Company CEO Im Jae-shin explained: "The device will help boost exports of food and vegetables by dramatically reducing losses during shipment."