New Service Protects In-Transit Food from Spoilage

Carrier Transicold has launched the Purfresh Transport service under an exclusive agreement with Purfresh Inc., providing the container shipping industry with a chemical-free means to protect produce cargoes from spoilage. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Corp., a business unit of United Technologies Corp.

Purfresh Transport technology purifies air and surfaces inside the container, helping to eliminate molds, yeasts and microscopic bacteria that can attack and ruin a container-load of perishables. Produce quality is preserved—without the use of undesirable chemicals, resulting in better firmness, weight, sugar content, taste and value.

The Purfresh Transport service is designed to reduce typical loss related to decay and food degradation, helping to improve the yield of perishable cargoes.

Carrier will lease Purfresh Transport active purification systems to customers on a per-trip basis as part of its SeaCare Solutions program, saving customers the expense of large capital outlays. Carrier’s worldwide network of service centers will handle logistics, installation and removal of the Purfresh Transport systems on refrigerated containers prior to loading and after unloading at their final destinations.

Purfresh Transport service will be available in the first quarter 2010, starting with shipping lanes originating in Chile and serving ports on the U.S. West Coast. Carrier plans to roll out the Purfresh Transport service globally throughout 2010.

The Purfresh Transport system generates and injects minute amounts of ozone to actively manage and purify a container’s atmosphere and surfaces. The Purfresh Transport system provides 100% residue-free decay prevention with enhanced food safety. It is suited for organic produce because the use of ozone is approved for organics by the United States Department of Agriculture. It is also approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as safe for treatment of food.

Available for use with Carrier’s PrimeLINE, EliteLINE and ThinLINE refrigeration units with a MicroLink 2i or newer controller, the Purfresh Transport model 2100 mounts to the refrigeration systems in place of the evaporator fan access panel.