SmartFresh
Encyclopedia
SmartFresh is a brand of a synthetic produce
quality enhancer based on 1-methylcyclopropene
(1-MCP). It is marketed by AgroFresh Inc.
is via a preferential attachment to the ethylene receptor
, thereby blocking the effects of both endogenous
and exogenous ethylene. It is applied in storage facilities and transit containers to slow down the ripening
process and the production of the ethylene
in fruit
. Ethylene agent is not useful for ripe postharvest
s. The method of prolonging produce lifetime in this way was approved by the EU
in 2005.
1-MCP can be combined with the Controlled Atmosphere
technology which has been standard industry practice for the past 50 years.
As of 2006, retailers are split on whether this quality enhancer should be used. In a True Food Network publication of Greenpeace
, Apple & Pear Australia business manager Tony Russell claimed that prolonged lifetime of produce is necessary to deliver edible fruit during the whole year, and that these fruits are still healthy. He was countered by Sydney Postharvest Laboratory director Dr Stephen Morris in that Vitamin C
and antioxidant
levels may still decline, a concern also shared by others in the industry.
There are neither absolute certitude nor extensive studies about the health risk of using this product which is destined for a mass distribution scale. It is perceived by Susan Kegley, a senior scientist at the San Francisco-based Pesticide Action Network North America, as being “likely to be very low-risk to consumers”. Other scientists see 1-MCP as "most likely harmless to humans".
As of 2009, this product is allowed in more than 26 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, and from the European Union, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, and United Kingdom. The largest customers for this product include Whole Foods Organic Markets and organic produce companies which supply them.
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
quality enhancer based on 1-methylcyclopropene
1-Methylcyclopropene
1-Methylcyclopropene is a cyclopropene derivative used as a synthetic plant growth regulator. It is structurally related to the natural plant hormone ethylene and it is used commercially to slow down the ripening of fruit and to help maintain the freshness of cut flowers.-Chemical...
(1-MCP). It is marketed by AgroFresh Inc.
Function
1-MCP’s mode of actionMode of action
Historically, pesticides have often been classified according to their chemical groups and this is useful for understanding the properties of a given compound. However, it is the Mode of Action group which possibly represents the most useful pesticide classification for biologists...
is via a preferential attachment to the ethylene receptor
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...
, thereby blocking the effects of both endogenous
Endogenous
Endogenous substances are those that originate from within an organism, tissue, or cell. Endogenous retroviruses are caused by ancient infections of germ cells in humans, mammals and other vertebrates...
and exogenous ethylene. It is applied in storage facilities and transit containers to slow down the ripening
Ripening
Ripening is a process in fruits that causes them to become more palatable. In general, a fruit becomes sweeter, less green, and softer as it ripens. Even though the acidity of fruit increases as it ripens, the higher acidity level does not make the fruit seem tarter, which can lead to the...
process and the production of the ethylene
Ethylene
Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest alkene . Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and is also a plant hormone...
in fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
. Ethylene agent is not useful for ripe postharvest
Postharvest
In agriculture, postharvest handling is the stage of crop production immediately following harvest, including cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing. The instant a crop is removed from the ground, or separated from its parent plant, it begins to deteriorate...
s. The method of prolonging produce lifetime in this way was approved by the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in 2005.
1-MCP can be combined with the Controlled Atmosphere
Controlled atmosphere
A controlled atmosphere is an agricultural storage method. An atmosphere in which oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen concentrations as well as temperature and humidity are regulated.Two major classes of commodity can be stored in controlled atmosphere:...
technology which has been standard industry practice for the past 50 years.
Health concerns
The method came under scrutiny by the press during late 2005, and it was revealed the method is occasionally used to inhibit ripening of fruit by even a year, causing consumers to purchase year-old fruit without being aware of it. Fruits which have been treated with 1-MCP do not underlie any labeling regulations and are therefore non distinguishable from non-treated products.As of 2006, retailers are split on whether this quality enhancer should be used. In a True Food Network publication of Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
, Apple & Pear Australia business manager Tony Russell claimed that prolonged lifetime of produce is necessary to deliver edible fruit during the whole year, and that these fruits are still healthy. He was countered by Sydney Postharvest Laboratory director Dr Stephen Morris in that Vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
and antioxidant
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
levels may still decline, a concern also shared by others in the industry.
There are neither absolute certitude nor extensive studies about the health risk of using this product which is destined for a mass distribution scale. It is perceived by Susan Kegley, a senior scientist at the San Francisco-based Pesticide Action Network North America, as being “likely to be very low-risk to consumers”. Other scientists see 1-MCP as "most likely harmless to humans".
As of 2009, this product is allowed in more than 26 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, and from the European Union, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, and United Kingdom. The largest customers for this product include Whole Foods Organic Markets and organic produce companies which supply them.
External links
- Smartfresh.com
- 1-Methylcyclopropene (MCP) Fact Sheet at the EPAUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
- "A Brief History of 1-MCP," HORTSCIENCE VOL. 43(1) FEBRUARY 2008