Too much of a good thing: controlling ethylene

You can have too much of a good thing. Ethylene, a gas that is released by fruits, vegetables and flowers, fosters ripening and blooming. The problem is that ethylene continues to be produced after harvest and, when released into storage and shipping containers, can cause unwanted ripening, spoilage and financial losses.

As part of a worldwide effort to find better ways of controlling ethylene, scientists Nicolas Keller, Marie-Noëlle Ducamp, Didier Robert and Valérie Keller reviewed almost 300 published studies and compared all existing ethylene control/removal methods and technologies. The results of their review are published in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Chemical Reviews.

Keller and colleagues concluded that photocatalysis offers the greatest potential for removing ethylene and preserving produce, both on Earth and during spaceflights. With the method that enters into the field of sustainable development, a catalyst and light act together to remove ethylene by transforming it into carbon dioxide and water.

“Worldwide food technology could take advantage of photocatalysis technology for providing health and economical benefits and for globally contributing to both increased food quality and availability by reducing postharvest losses of fresh produce,” the report states.

“Thus, through this multidisciplinary review, we hope to be successful in illustrating photocatalysis as a really promising technology, within a sustainable development approach, for replacing current ethylene removal technologies during the storage and the transfer of fresh fruits and vegetables.”