Effective methods for increasing the shelf life of citrus, as well as new solutions for packaging and labeling, as well as tips for benefitting from growing demand for fresh-cut foods, were just some of the topics tackled during JBT’s recent one-day seminar in Cairo, Egypt, which attracted growers and packers from across the country.
The event – JBT’s first dedicated post-harvest seminar in Egypt – took place in the headquarters of the country’s Agricultural Export Council (AEC) and featured a range of top-level speakers from both within and outside JBT. Discussion subjects included citrus coatings, packhouse performance improvement and produce processing.
Among the speakers was Arno Erasmus, a Postharvest Plant Pathologist focusing on disease control and fruit quality management for major US-based grower-marketer Wonderful Citrus who examined the benefits of post-harvest fungicides for citrus.
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John Siddle, JBT’s Global Product Line Director for Fresh Produce Technologies, discussed the science of citrus coatings, including JBT’s innovative Endura-Fresh™ range, while techniques for effective tray top sealing were the focus of a presentation from one of the newest additions to the JBT family, Proseal.
Francisco Peris, JBT’s Sales & Business Development Manager for Fresh Produce Technologies said the seminar, which attracted 61 delegates from 25 leading packers, was aimed at helping meet the Egyptian produce sector’s high expectations for market growth. “Egypt has the water and the land, and we expect to see strong growth in the produce sector in the medium term,” he said. “JBT will be looking to support this growth with our post-harvest solutions, which can help improve the shelf life for citrus.”