RipeLocker is expanding the use of its senescence control and spoilage suppressant system for perishable produce to eliminate fruit flies without the application of postharvest fumigants such as methyl bromide or cold treatments required at the port load.

RipeLocker's research partners are conducting disinfestation trials in the United States and Australia to control these pests and suppress their growth and reproduction while stored inside RipeLockers.

The USDA has been looking for a chemical-free alternative to reduce the time highly perishable items must remain at the port of loading for quarantine before being exported. Successful trial results have been seen at the USDA ARS Research Laboratory in Parlier, California, testing the efficacy of the RipeLocker hypobaric system as a solution for the control of Spotted-Wing Drosophila (SWD) in blueberries.

“This low-pressure vacuum technology is a game-changer in the fight against SWD-infesting fresh fruit,” said Dr. Spencer Walse, research chemist at USDA ARS Commodity Protection and Quality Research. “We have managed to eliminate 100% of all SWD life stages when infested blueberries were stored in RipeLockers for just six days.”
“Six days may not seem like a long time. But for highly perishable items like blueberries, table grapes and cherries, adding six days to the time it takes to get the fruit to market is an eternity,” said George Lobisser, co-founder and CEO of RipeLocker.

Ultimately, these results could allow a grower/packer/shipper to immediately ship their fruit to the port of entry without the additional six-day cold treatment inside the packhouse or at the port if this fruit is shipped through RipeLocker.

To further test the technology abroad, New South Wales Primary Industries' fruit fly research laboratory in Australia has received the system and will soon carry out post-harvest disinfestation trials of fruit flies.

RipeLocker chambers offer a patented system to manage atmospheric pressure and gas composition (oxygen and CO2) within the chambers to extend the shelf life of produce and flowers. Depending on the specific needs of each type of flower or fresh product, the company adapts operating parameters, such as internal pressure, oxygen and CO2 levels, to optimize longevity and freshness. The system continuously reports operational data that enables real-time decision making for senescence and deterioration.

RipeLocker designed its pallet-sized chambers so that they can be deployed and used in the existing cold chain. Produced using novel materials and scalable manufacturing processes, the camera can be cost-effectively delivered in massive volume. The company holds patents on both the camera design and the method of operation.