RipeWise: Advanced Ripening Technology for Exotics
Ripening exotic fruit is an art in itself. Only highly experienced ripeners can consistently deliver batches of fruit that meet the quality expectations of end customers, day after day.
RipeWise aims to equip these professionals with a tool that enhances their precision and efficiency in the ripening process. The benefits are extensive, and this article highlights them all.
When De Laat Koudetechniek, a leading supplier of refrigeration and ripening solutions, learned how Experience Fruit Quality uses its EYE on Fruit platform and AVOS-mini device to track fruit quality evolution through historical data and real-time measurements, they saw an opportunity to collaborate. Together, they aim to address a pressing market need: developing a more data-driven ripening system.
The question driving this partnership was clear: how can De Laat’s hardware and EFQ’s software be further developed to deliver consistently high-quality fruit at the lowest production cost and with minimal waste?
THE SOFTWARE: EXPERIENCE FRUIT QUALITY’S EXPERTISE
EFQ’s strength lies in its ability to collect and integrate data from various stages of the supply chain. By combining historical information—such as variety, origin, grower, and harvest date—with storage conditions and non-destructive quality measurements, RipeWise software can predict ripening outcomes with remarkable accuracy.
This empowers ripeners to optimize lead times based on client demand. “For example, if a large order is expected in five days instead of three, the ripening program can be adjusted by manipulating variables,” explains Marco de Jong, founder of EFQ.
Additionally, the software makes ripening data accessible to the entire organization. Sales teams, for instance, can check fruit readiness without needing to contact the ripening team, streamlining operations and improving decision-making.
Marco also emphasizes the long-term value of RipeWise: “Currently, ripening expertise resides primarily in the minds of experienced professionals, making it difficult to transfer. By capturing this knowledge in the software, we can reduce business risk, ease training for new employees, and ensure a more consistent ripening process.”
While other software focuses on either ripening cell conditions or fruit measurements, RipeWise bridges this gap, combining all relevant data into actionable insights.
THE HARDWARE, CUTTING-EDGE REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGY
Ripening chambers traditionally use temperature, ethylene, and CO₂ to control ripening. However, De Laat is expanding this approach to include additional parameters such as humidity and oxygen levels, with plans to explore the influence of other gases.
“Avocado is one of the fruits that often disappoints consumers. It’s either too ripe or too hard, and much quality is lost in supermarkets due to squeezing,” says @Adriaan van Beek, of De Laat Koudetechniek.
The goal of the RipeWise system is ambitious: delivering predictable, high-quality fruit with precise readiness-to-eat timing. “If we can indicate the exact day a fruit will be ready to eat, we take a big step forward. This system not only enhances product quality but also offers a competitive edge in the increasingly saturated avocado market,” Adriaan explains. Plans are already in motion to expand this to other fruits like mangoes and
bananas.
THE TRIAL AT ASICA GROUP
The collaboration is being tested at the Asica Group, a leader in exotic fruit ripening, sorting, packaging, and logistics. A custom container equipped with six mini-ripening chambers was installed, and various trials are underway. Each chamber is used to test different parameters on the same batch of avocados, with the results carefully measured and evaluated.
This trial, which began in early September and will continue until the end of the year, is paving the way for fine-tuning both hardware and software to ensure optimal ripening outcomes.
Asica’s team is enthusiastic about the potential of this development. “We’re testing how different parameters—such as CO₂, ethylene, and temperature—affect ripening outcomes” says Rick Post, a representative from Asica. “Our goal is to extend shelf life, reduce waste, achieve uniform ripening, and enhance color development in fruits.”
Rick also highlights the complexity of ripening, noting that variables such as origin, harvest timing, and even tree exposure to sunlight can influence outcomes. RipeWise’s ability to account for these nuances is a game-changer for the industry.
THE LAUNCHING
De Laat and EFQ plan to launch the system early next year, just in time for Fruit Logistica in Berlin. At the event, the developers of this project will share the system’s benefits: improved support for ripeners, time savings and reduced food waste, enhanced product homogeneity, lower input and energy usage, greater accessibility of ripening information and, ultimately, better alignment of supply with demand.
The future of ripening is data-driven, and RipeWise is leading the charge.
