For Lytone Enterprise, Inc., a Taiwanese company with 15 years of post harvest experience, this is a well-known problem. For this reason, they spent years researching to find a solution, and they succeed. They developed a tablet and sticker which blocks the ethylene gas adsorption and increases the shelf life of the perishable goods as a result. This tablet/sticker product series is called AnsiP® and can extend the shelf life of oncidiums up to 50 percent. Currently this AnsiP® products is used by 80% of the Taiwanese oncidium growers. This is explained by LytoFresh™'s Cherry Lin.
Cherry Lin at the IFEX in Tokyo, Japan.
How does it works?
Each tablet of LytoFresh™, called AnsiP®, may be used for one cubic meter. "Usually, after harvesting the flowers they go in to the cold room as a pre-chilling step. AnsiP® tablets can be dropped in a water bucket in the cold room as the pre-chilling begins after the cold room has been loaded. The gas released by the AnsiP® blocks the ethylene gas receptor on the plant material and the flower will be ready to ship after 4 hours. The water bucket can be emptied as regular sanitary waste," explains Lin. But what about growers who do not have a cold room? "Also for them, there is a solution. We developed a sticker which can be placed inside the box. This sticker can be in the box the entire trip and needs just a little bit of water to release the gas," says Lin.
Shelf life extended
Due to the fact that the emission ethylene gas is blocked, the shelf life of the product is extended. The shelf life of the oncidium, for example, can be extended by 50 percent. "The normal shelf life is 14 days and when it is treated, it can go up to 21 days. Therefore, increasingly more oncidium growers are using the AnsiP® tablet or sticker. According to Lin, 80% of the Taiwanese oncidium growers are using the AnsiP® tablet or sticker at the moment, regardless if their products are transported by air or sea. The shelf life of edible flowers can also be extended by an AnsiP® treatment. "The normal shelf life is 2-3 days but after treatment, this is extended to 14 days," explains Lin.
A presentation about the AnsiP® given by Dr. William T H Chang of Lytone Enterprise, Inc. at the IFEX in Tokyo, Japan.
Conquer the world
Lytone Enterprise, Inc.'s aim is to conquer the world with their AnsiP® products. Currently, they have a distributor in China, Thailand and Turkey. Soon, they expect to enter more countries. At the moment, they see a potential market in New Zealand and Australia. "The majority of the cymbidiums grown in these countries are meant for export," says Lin. Therefore, Lytone Enterprise, Inc. is testing their tablets and stickers on different cymbidium varieties all over the world.