Refrigerating produce to retain eating quality is a major contributor to reducing starvation in the world. By combining refrigerating with a reduced oxygen level in the storage room, the shelf life of a number of commodities, particularly apples and pears can be significantly  increased.  Storage of commodities in low oxygen atmospheres with external manipulation of the gas regimes is known as Controlled Atmosphere (CA).  Apples are the major commodity stored commercially using CA and are the primary focus for the industry.

Gas At Site offers a full spectrum CA capability from overall design, project management, ammonia refrigeration, carbon dioxide scrubbers, nitrogen generators, Dynamic CA equipment and computer based CA management systems.

HarvestWatch Dynamic CA System
Gas At Site has exclusive access to the HarvestWatch Dynamic CA technology in the USA and South Africa.  The closer the storage oxygen level is to the point where anaerobic fermentation sets in, the better the effect of the controlled atmosphere on fruit quality.  Compared to conventional CA storage the HarvestWatch system enables Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage at the lowest possible safe oxygen level. Generally the oxygen level is reduced from 1.5% to around 0.75% oxygen.  Doing this can increase firmness retention by up to 25% compared to conventional Controlled Atmosphere storage of apples.  Storing at the these lower oxygen concentrations while monitoring for anaerobic responses from the fruit using HarvestWatch is known as Dynamic CA.

Chemical free scald control for longer term storage of organic grade apples is also a reality with the HarvestWatch system. In conventional Controlled Atmosphere stores there is a potential cost saving in replacing 1-MCPs and/or DPA treatments with HarvestWatch.

Carbon Dioxide Scrubbers
Isolcell’s IS range of Carbon Dioxide Scrubbers are purpose designed to operate at the low oxygen and carbon dioxide levels required by the HarvestWatch System. The efficient use of nitrogen inherent in this design can save costs in any Controlled Atmosphere storage facility. Installing a carbon dioxide scrubber reduces expenses by replacing lime and/or reducing nitrogen consumption. In general the capital cost of a carbon dioxide scrubber installation can be paid back within 1 to 4 years.

Operating in North America and in South Africa, Gas At Site specializes in turnkey Controlled Atmosphere (CA) gas regime installations and tailor made modular CA solutions which can be effectively interfaced to existing CA systems. The company has built its reputation on a cornerstone of excellence in service backup since 1990.