Amazing Technology Leads to “Upsurge in Avocado Consumption”
Lowers risk of food spoilage and loss during transportation
Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Content Production: TOYO KEIZAI BRAND STUDIO

Known as “forest butter,” avocados are widely popular in Japan where annual consumption has grown in the amount imported from 3,370 tons in 1988 to 79,560 tons in 2020, marking a 23.6-fold rise.1 Most of these are transported to Japan as ocean cargo from Mexico and Peru, which stand almost on the exact opposite side of the world from Japan. That means a delivery time lasting roughly two to four weeks. So, how are importers able to preserve freshness for the duration of such a long voyage? A behind-the-scenes look reveals that this and other solutions, such as reducing food waste, have been made possible by an "air technology."
1 Source: "Import of Avocados" Yokohama Customs Resource Materials (September 16, 2021)
Technology Preserves Freshness of Produce Transported Halfway around the Globe from Mexico
The importation of fruits and vegetables generates a multitude of issues regarding freshness, including deterioration during transportation and shortening of the period for “best when consumed by date.” Upon closer examination, these issues closely relate to the "breathing" of fruits and vegetables.
Even after being harvested, fruits and vegetables continue their respiration process in which they release carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, and other substances (metabolic activity) as they continue to ripen and deteriorate. Because transportation takes several days, the metabolic activity of each fruit and vegetable must be taken in account or else the produce may lose its freshness by the time it arrives to its destination, causing it to be discarded due to spoilage. Avocados, in particular, are notoriously difficult to transport over long distances since they are prone to ripen quickly.
Daikin, a manufacturer specializing in air conditioning, decided to confront the challenge of providing a solution to this problem. The company began first by developing new technology from the viewpoint asking, “Is there a way of applying a Daikin air technology to deliver fruits and vegetables in an even fresher condition?”
Suppressing fruit and vegetable respiration is necessary to inhibit ripening and spoilage. When fruits and vegetables are transported overseas, they are put in a transportation box called a container. Generally speaking, fruit and vegetable respiration can be suppressed by maintaining a low temperature inside the container. Unfortunately, this alone may not be sufficient for long-distance transportation. To improve effectiveness, it is essential to maintain optimum concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the container and control the air components. "DAIKIN Active CA," a technology developed by Daikin, makes this possible.

Avocados transported in containers arrive halfway around the world without spoilage
Takahiro Takeuchi of Daikin's Refrigeration Division explains:

Takahiro Takeuchi
Sales Department, Refrigeration Division, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
“DAIKIN Active CA is a technology that controls air components to maintain optimum concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the container. This makes it possible to continuously inhibit the ripening and deterioration of fruits and vegetables. CA stands for 'controlled atmosphere.' Using this technology can extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by 1.5 to 2 times longer than that of transportation using temperature control alone. It is particularly effective for avocados, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables that ripen easily."
Reason for Daikin Focus on “Freshness of Fruits and Vegetables”
Since Daikin is a manufacturer recognized as a specialist in air conditioners and air purifiers, you may ask why it is working to develop technology related to the transportation of fresh produce? The answer lies in its desire "to enrich people's lives through air technologies and solve social issues such as food waste."

“Fresh produce that had previously been confined to local areas due to a faster deterioration rate can now enjoy wider distribution and expanded markets due to Daikin's air control technology. Our belief is that this will also contribute to promoting a rich food culture while reducing food waste. Because about 10% of all food waste occurs during transportation, this Daikin technology can contribute to its prevention. Moreover, carbon dioxide is emitted when fresh produce is discarded, so reducing waste also leads to decarbonization,” explains Takeuchi.
In fiscal year 2020, food waste in Japan totaled 5.22 million tons. Of this, approximately 2.75 million tons, which represents a majority, was wasted during harvesting, transportation, and storage.2 Daikin's efforts have contributed to reducing this "business-related waste." In leveraging its unique know-how to expand the possibilities of air, the company is also working to solve global issues such as food waste.

Custard apples delivered and kept fresh by DAIKIN Active CA
For example, DAIKIN Active CA was successfully used in the transportation of avocados from Peru in South America to India, a trip requiring up to 50 days. More recently, it has also been utilized in the transport of blueberries, asparagus, mangoes, cut flowers, and similar perishable items like custard apples.
As Takeuchi observes, "Because custard apples easily spoil, they were difficult to keep fresh and had always been a fruit eaten only in their country of origin. Now, because of DAIKIN Active CA, they can withstand a 20-day sea transport for sale in supermarkets in Dubai. That is a major change."
2 Source: Consumer Affairs Agency "Publication of Food Loss Amount (FY2020
Estimated Value)" announced on June 9, 2022
Combining Air Technologies Cultivated over Many Years
Focusing on fruit and vegetable freshness, Daikin began development of this technology in 2013. That was when its Refrigeration Division started discussions on finding methods other than temperature control to keep fruits and vegetables fresh, but the inspiration for development came from another division working on a medical oxygen concentrator.
Oxygen concentrators are devices used in the treatment of respiratory illnesses that draw in air from the room to generate highly concentrated oxygen. Daikin applied this technology to the transportation of fruits and vegetables and succeeded in controlling air components inside containers. However, when trying to put this technology into practical use, the company encountered a few snags.
“We started testing with the transportation of avocados, but the respiration rate was higher than expected, making it difficult to properly control. To find a solution, the development team spent an extended period of time in Mexico, an avocado-producing region, and struggled to find the optimal control. After repeatedly conducting tests by trial and error, we were eventually able to put the technology to practical use,” Takeuchi recalls.
Incidentally, for over 50 years, Daikin has been manufacturing refrigeration units for marine containers that are capable of adjusting the temperatures inside containers in 0.1°C increments from -30°C to +30°C. In this way, the technologies and know-how that the company has cultivated over many years are being utilized in this latest development.
Contributing to a Sustainable Society with Air Technologies
Not only does Daikin develop home appliances for use in human living spaces, such as air conditioners and air purifiers, but it also develops amazing technologies for preserving the freshness of fruits and vegetables. What they all have in common is a concern for human life and the global environment.
“Air may be invisible, but it has a wide range of hidden possibilities, including the capability to help preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables. Daikin will use its air technologies to contribute to the resolution of social issues and realization of the sustainable society that we are aiming for in the future," Takeuchi stated confidently.
Through its air technologies, Daikin is enriching the dietary habits of people and contributing to the development of new markets. These technologies also have social significance in reducing food waste and demonstrating the new possibilities for air.
Daikin is a group of air professionals who actively challenge various social issues, including the global issue of food waste, by incorporating flexible ideas and leveraging the accumulated technologies of Daikin. Even in areas where it may not be readily apparent, their presence can be fully felt in our daily lives.
* Please note that Daikin does not operate a container business in the ASEAN region.
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