What was it all about?

This investment developed predictive shelf-life models for avocado, mango, strawberry and summerfruit to improve the consistency of fresh produce quality in domestic and export markets. Decision-support tools, including shelf-life calculators and a pathway to a live prediction service, were created to help growers and supply chain partners better predict product performance and make informed handling and logistics decisions.

The project team worked with growers, exporters and supply chain businesses across Australia to monitor consignments, assess fruit quality and run supply chain simulation trials. More than 140 consignments and 120 trials were used to identify factors affecting quality and shelf life, including temperature management, supply chain duration, fruit maturity and storage conditions. The project also developed best practice resources, quality assessment tools, case studies, factsheets and industry training materials.  

The project demonstrated that improved monitoring, temperature management and decision-support tools can help deliver more consistent fruit quality and reduce waste. Participating businesses reported improvements in supply chain performance and adopted practices such as controlled atmosphere storage, real-time monitoring and enhanced cooling systems.  

The shelf-life prediction tools, best practice guides and industry resources developed through the project will help growers and exporters improve quality outcomes, reduce risk and strengthen access to high-value markets.

ACT NOW

The Fresh Intel (www.freshintel.com.au) website and three shelf-life calculators for selected varieties of avocado, mango and summerfruit were developed for Australian growers and supply chain partners.