Sweet cherry freshness with Vidre+™ Technology

The latest scientific study confirmed the impact of Vidre+™  1-MCP stickers on sweet cherries.

The benefits of usage of timed and gradually released 1-MCP Vidre+™ stickers  included:

• reduced weight loss/dehydration, improved fruit quality, 
• less stem browning, and enhanced firmness. 
• retained Vitamin C and antioxidants 

The study also revealed positive effects on the dynamics of changes in the chemical composition.

Cherries business

The demand for fresh cherries is growing worldwide as consumers become more health-conscious and seek healthier food options. The fresh cherry market size was valued at USD 58 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 95 billion by 2030, according to Verified Market Research.

Cherries are popular for their sweet taste, nutritional benefits, and versatility in various culinary applications. The downside of storing and transporting cherries is their limited shelf life, which is further affected by weather conditions such as excessive heat.

Context and key assumptions of the study

The primary aim of the research was to examine the impact of 1-MCP in Vidre+™ technology on the post-harvest quality and shelf life of cherries. The study focused on sweet cherry cv Kordia and Regina, assessing their quality over time. The comprehensive research was conducted by a team of experienced scientists led by Dorota Wichrowska, PhD from the University of Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz, Poland in the summer of 2022.

Four groups of fruits were used for the experiment.

The first group served as the control, and the cherries remained untreated. The other 3 groups of cherries were treated with different concentration rates of 1-MCP.

In each trial, freshly harvested cherries were placed in 1-liter clamshells. After that, Vidre+™ stickers were placed in the clamshells, which were then closed for 24 hours to expose the cherries to the 1-MCP. After that, the clamshells were transferred to a storage chamber with a temperature of 2-3°C.  The fruits were monitored for 21 days during the experiment.

There are four distinct benefits associated with the application of Vidre+™ in the freshness protection of sweet cherries. Benefits are dependent on different doses of 1-MCP.

Weight loss key takeaways:

• The research shows that the samples treated with Vidre+™ stickers had the least weight loss compared to the control group over the 21 days evaluation period.

Fruit quality and nutritional value key takeaways:

• Regardless of the doses of 1-MCP used, the fruits maintained good eating quality. 
• The untreated fruit began to lose quality at 3 days, while the Vidre+™  protected fruit started losing quality after 9 days of storage.  

Stem browning key takeaways:

• Stem color was fully maintained for 13 days in Kordia and for 21 days in Regina vs. the untreated, which lost the bright green color rating after 9 and 13 days, respectively.

Fruit firmness key takeaways:

• Vidre+™ treated fruit showed improved firmness over the untreated cherries. beginning 6 days after harvest, with the differences increasing over the course of the experiment

During the study, scientists analyzed seven other factors and observed positive effects when using Vidre+™ stickers. For example, Vitamin C content at 9 and 21 days of storage was always higher in the treated samples by up to 9.7%.  While anti-oxidant levels at 9 days were 28% and 10% higher than the untreated with Vidre+™  for Kordia and Regina, respectively. 

Conclusions

The research conducted by  Dorota Wichrowska, Ph.D., and her team have shown the effect of using Vidre+™ stickers on protecting fruit quality in cherries as measured by several important factors. The study revealed that Vidre+™ prevents weight loss and stem browning even after 21 days of storage.

Preserving fruits with Vidre+™ stickers helps farmers and producers reduce waste by extending the shelf life and protecting them during shipment. This provides for less waste at the retailer and a higher quality eating experience for the consumer.