FarmRipe™ - Rr Platform Technology Component
FarmRipeTM - Platform Technology
FarmRipe promotes fresher produce by extending the period of ripening.
FarmRipe promotes fresher produce by extending the period of ripening.
Crowpierce researchers have developed FarmRipe, a platform technology that delays fruit ripening and inhibits mold growth, while allowing produce to reach full flavor and nutrition. FarmRipe works with individual, small, or bulk quantities of produce. The technology is derived from a non-engineered naturally occurring bacterium called R. rhodochrous.
There is a complex cycle that fruit goes through as it ripens, much of this is controlled by signal molecules produced in normal plant metabolism. Our technology capitalizes on this potential coupled with the fermentation skills of one of the principals and the overall understanding of microbial metabolic function by the team. Ethylene is a major component of this signaling cycle, although other metabolites may be involved, when the concentration of ethylene builds to a level, the fruit ripens. FarmRipe modifies the ethylene molecule which interferes with the signaling process and delays ripening. Cellular and cell to cell communication and perception is disrupted (but not disabled) on multiple levels in plants, fungi, and bacteria.
FarmRipe
=
Less Food Waste
- On average fresh produce spends half of its shelf life in transit, leaving only a day or less of peak freshness once it reaches its final destination.
- Americans discard about 40% (over 11 billion pounds annually) of all harvested produce
- 21% of landfill contents is food waste
- Cutting food loss by 15% could feed 25 million people
- One-third to half of all harvested food is wasted globally
- With FarmRipe extended ripening, produce stays fresh longer
Americans discard about 40% (over 11 billion pounds annually) of all harvested produce.
21% of landfill contents is due to food waste
Cutting food loss by 15% could feed 25 million people
One-third to half of all food produced is wasted globally
Forms and Packaging
FarmRipe is a natural treatment that extends produce shelf life, combats fungi, and can integrate easily into existing processing practices. It cuts costs and works without refrigeration. FarmRipe can be used with individual, small, or bulk quantities of produce. Microscopically, the organism is rod-shaped. Slurries of the organism are generally pinkish-orange. With much of the water removed it is a pink sludge. The sludge can be further dried into powders or encapsulated for specific uses.
What comes out of the fermenter looking like a clump of orange dirt can be used as:
- A spray
- Paste
- Pellets
- On a sticker
- And more
The product may be applied to:
- Shipping Boxes
- Wrappers
- Packing Materials
- Edible Waxes
- Coatings
- Added to the Air Stream
Product Requirements
The production of FarmRipe requires a food-grade fermentation facility that can be scaled up to meet growing product demand. A pilot fermentation facility consisting of 20 to 100 liter fermenters with down-stream processing equipment sized for the facility will provide food-grade materials for testing or materials that can be further processed in a cGMP toll-facility. We believe that FarmRipe could be on the market in approximately two years. In the US, the R. rhodochrous strains involved in FarmRipe have been used for over sixty years. This history should alleviate any safety concerns.
Prime targets are those fruits and vegetables targeted to the individual consumer, that possess the following: 1) short product life, 2) high potential of failure to meet consumer expectations, and 3) significant price difference between consumer grade produce and produce that fail to achieve consumer standards.
FarmRipe Products Are Safe:
- Naturally occurring (not GMO)
- Environmentally safe
- Easily applied post-harvest
- Need not be in direct contact
FarmRipe Products Are Safe:
- Naturally occurring (not GMO)
- Environmentally safe
- Easily applied post-harvest
- Need not be in direct contact
ECO-FRIENDLY
Product Flexibility
US rail companies and trucking companies for intermodal container shipment to major metropolitan areas, already being served by food trains, are places where produce spends a majority of its life. Followed by shipment to produce wholesalers near current food train destinations, then onto the retail destination. Large quantities of produce are lost during the shipping process.
PRODUCE
The majority of the life of a peach is not in a grocery store, or on a kitchen counter it is in all the steps between the farm to the table. Retailers, wholesalers, and the shipping industry need a new approach to preserve produce quality. FarmRipe can be used during ALL phases of shipping. Crowpierce technologies were developed hand-in-glove with farmers and wholesalers/ distributors, paying heed to adapting to current product chains without the need to re-engineer or alter basic practices.
GRAIN
Major grain companies share a similar problem which FarmRipe could resolve, namely, how widely health-threatening fungi spreads amidst stored grain. Over 50% of the world’s grain is contaminated with fungal toxins. These toxins impact animals feeding on contaminated grain, people who subsequently eat meat or animal products, and animals fed dried yeast from distillers.
FUEL
Ethanol fermentation for human consumption (such as distilleries) and fuel-ethanol are major components of where grain is going. Fuel-ethanol could be produced to add to fuel, thereby allowing for a larger yield of ethanol. The requirement for hydrocarbons is reduced by the amount of ethanol added to the fuel.
As the price of oil goes up, there is another advantage of fuel fermentation.
PRODUCE
The majority of the life of a peach is not in a grocery store, or on a kitchen counter it is in all the steps between the farm to the table. Retailers, wholesalers, and the shipping industry need a new approach to preserve produce quality. FarmRipe can be used during ALL phases of shipping. CrowPierce technologies were developed hand-in-glove with farmers and wholesalers/distributors, paying heed to adapting to current product chains without the need to re-engineer or alter basic practices.
GRAIN
Major grain companies share a similar problem which FarmRipe could resolve, namely, how widely health-threatening fungi spreads amidst stored grain. Over 50% of the world’s grain is contaminated with fungal toxins. These toxins impact animals feeding on contaminated grain, people who subsequently eat meat or animal products, and animals fed dried yeast from distillers.
FUEL
Ethanol fermentation for human consumption (such as distilleries) and fuel-ethanol are major components of where grain is going. Fuel-ethanol could be produced to add to fuel. FarmRipe reduces mycotoxins, thereby allowing for a larger yield of ethanol. The requirement for hydrocarbons is reduced by the amount of ethanol added to the fuel.
As the price of oil goes up, there is another advantage of fuel fermentation.
Terms & Info
DELAYED FRUIT RIPENING
Fruits such as peaches have limited transportability because of ripening processes. This limitation may be increased by slight chilling but variations in temperature can lead to chill injury and significant hastening of ripening when removed from lower temperatures. FarmRipe is a catalyst based biotechnology with a broad range of functions.
LIFE CYCLE OF FRUIT
Tree grows – flowers – gets pollinated – grows fruit (anything with internal seeds) – fruit ripens – falls – rots – seed is dispersed – new trees grow.
LIFE CYCLE OF FRUIT FOR MASS CONSUMPTION
Fruit is picked at a certain point of ripeness – most fruit will continue to ripen after it’s picked – then the fruit is transported, typically taking two days to get to the stores. Sometimes the fruit is chilled to delay ripening, this can cause chill injury as it will ripen faster when it’s taken out of refrigeration.
PURPOSE OF RIPENING
The initial stages that are bringing it to attractiveness are biochemical reactions that cause the fruit to develop flavor, aroma, sweetness, acidity, and pigments. At some point it begins to deteriorate or rots.
WHAT IS ROT
Physical and biological processes that lead to the breakdown of the tissue.
PURPOSE OF ROTTING
Natural process to ensure the release of the seed, for propagation of the species.
CAUSES OF ROT
Natural processes, micro-organisms, and insects.
NATURAL PROCESSES
The plant produces multiple signaling molecules that trigger the plant to rot.
FARMRIPE TECHNOLOGY
Contains an abundance of enzymes that delay the ripening process by metabolizing the molecules and slowing the signaling process.
ENZYMES
Are biological catalysts. A catalyst is a protein that enhances chemical reactions.
WHAT IS FARMRIPE?
FarmRipe is composed of the bacteria, R. rhodochrous 96253. The bacteria are grown, induced and harvested, to catalytically delay fruit ripening.
FARMRIPE CAN DOUBLE THE SHELF LIFE OF CERTAIN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
FarmRipe is effective at room temperature and doesn’t have to touch the produce to work.
RHODOCOCCUS RHODOCHROUS 96253
Is a common bacteria, found in soil, water, fruit and plants. The bacteria has been used since the 1940’s to make nutritional supplements.
HOW FARMRIPE IS DIFFERENT FROM CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
3 types of current technologies:
- Absorbent – capacity will be overwhelmed.
- Block signal receptors – this is irreversible and affects flavor.
- Genetic – genetically modified organisms.
FarmRipe is catalytic – meaning a small amount of enzyme can convert a large amount of signal, does not affect flavor and allows the fruit to reach its natural ripening stage.
DELAYED FRUIT RIPENING
Fruits such as peaches have limited transportability because of ripening processes. This limitation may be increased by slight chilling but variations in temperature can lead to chill injury and significant hastening of ripening when removed from lower temperatures. FarmRipe is a catalyst based biotechnology with a broad range of functions.
LIFE CYCLE OF FRUIT
Tree grows – flowers – gets pollinated – grows fruit (anything with internal seeds) – fruit ripens – falls – rots – seed is dispersed – new trees grow.
LIFE CYCLE OF FRUIT FOR MASS CONSUMPTION
Fruit is picked at a certain point of ripeness – most fruit will continue to ripen after it’s picked – then the fruit is transported, typically taking two days to get to the stores. Sometimes the fruit is chilled to delay ripening, this can cause chill injury as it will ripen faster when it’s taken out of refrigeration.
PURPOSE OF RIPENING
The initial stages that are bringing it to attractiveness are biochemical reactions that cause the fruit to develop flavor, aroma, sweetness, acidity, and pigments. At some point it begins to deteriorate or rots.
WHAT IS ROT
Physical and biological processes that lead to the breakdown of the tissue.
PURPOSE OF ROTTING
Natural process to ensure the release of the seed, for propagation of the species.
CAUSES OF ROT
Natural processes, micro-organisms, and insects.
NATURAL PROCESSES
The plant produces multiple signaling molecules that trigger the plant to rot.
FARMRIPE TECHNOLOGY
Contains an abundance of enzymes that delay the ripening process by metabolizing the molecules and slowing the signaling process.
ENZYMES
Are biological catalysts. A catalyst is a protein that enhances chemical reactions.
WHAT IS FARMRIPE?
FarmRipe is composed of the bacteria, R. rhodochrous 96253. The bacteria are grown, induced and harvested, to catalytically delay fruit ripening.
FARMRIPE CAN DOUBLE THE SHELF LIFE OF CERTAIN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
FarmRipe is effective at room temperature and doesn’t have to touch the produce to work.
RHODOCOCCUS RHODOCHROUS 96253
Is a common bacteria, found in soil, water, fruit and plants. The bacteria has been used since the 1940’s to make nutritional supplements.
HOW FARMRIPE IS DIFFERENT FROM CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
3 types of current technologies:
- Absorbent – capacity will be overwhelmed.
- Block signal receptors – this is irreversible and affects flavor.
- Genetic – genetically modified organisms.
FarmRipe is catalytic – meaning a small amount of enzyme can convert a large amount of signal, does not affect flavor and allows the fruit to reach its natural ripening stage.