ne is a plant hormone produced naturally by fruits and vegetables, responsible for the processes of ripening and aging. The elimination of this gas during the post-harvest storage and transport stages is not only desirable, but essential for horticultural products to reach consumers with the best quality, keeping their organoleptic properties intact.Founded in 1996, Bioconservación works on two different fronts. On the one hand, it is a global leader in the sale of post-harvest products for the elimination of ethylene by means of potassium permanganate absorbents through its ProtektFruit division. The main products in this area are Ethylclean machines and TransProtekt transport filters, designed to filter air and eliminate ethylene and other volatile organic components, preventing not only fungal infections, but also unpleasant odours.
On the other hand, the BioAir Europe division offers services for the treatment of gases and biogases within several sectors: water treatment, garbage handling, petrochemical industries, refineries, paper, mining, hospitals, airports and museums.
Bioconservación's flagship product, supplied by its ProtektFruit division, are the Bi-On® pellets made from natural clays (especially selected and potassium permanganate) with a higher filtering and absorption capacity than that of its competitors. Every batch includes a Quality and Traceability number in which the production details are registered, indicating the ethylene absorption litres per kilo of material used. Bi-On® changes its colour gradually, from purple (active) to brown (exhausted). According to Marc Benaire, post-harvest consultant, each kilo of pellets is able to absorb between 3 and 5 litres of ethylene.
Bioconservación's Bi-On® pellets are manufactured and sold in various formats: one of them are cylinder-like tubes of various sizes to adapt to the different types of refrigerated containers in ships and lorries. Another one are small sachets, which are placed on the fruit and vegetables during storage and transport. Finally, there are also modules which are placed within Ethylclean machines for refrigerated chambers where fruit and vegetables are stored, or in standalone modules which are easily installed in refrigerated storage chambers.
The variety of formats make the pellets a useful tool, not only for producers and exporters working with faraway markets, but also for importers, wholesalers and distributors who store the product. Bi-On® helps reduce the loss of fruit and vegetables during transport and storage, extends the shelf life of fresh products, prevents complaints and returns and consequently improves the exporter's reputation. The firm's technical experience allows it to adequately assess users on the format most suited to their logistics.
Bioconservación's technology is suitable for all kinds of fruit and vegetables. It neither comes in direct contact with the food, nor is it a chemical additive. For these reasons, its use as ethylene absorbent meets the European Union Organic Farming Regulations. The company also owns its own laboratory, able to perform analyses on the pellets' ethylene filtering and absorption capacity, as well as corrosion and thermal desorption analyses.
