Longer shelf life for fresh cherries

Hefestus launches breakthrough packaging solutions for extending the shelf life of fresh cherries without impact on appearance or taste.

Unlike fruit such as apples and citrus, fresh cherries have a short season and shelf-life.

The company conducted multiple controlled trials to successfully develop a method to extend cherries' shelf life more than 20 days.

It conducted trials in the field, specifically in packaging houses specializing in nutritional superfruit such as cherries, in order to extend shelf life in different packaging systems produced by Hefestus.

"We received impressive results for all of our packaging machines," says Oded Shtemer, president and CEO.

"Hefestus' packaging solution for cherries is suitable for any size production or marketing operation, small or large. Athena is a very compact packaging machine designed for fresh product shelf-life enhancement and can be implemented even in small spaces, while Hercules is the most advanced packaging system. Its high-speed packaging line can pack trays at a pace of up to 30 trays per minute."

A growing body of science reveals cherries as one of the most nutritious and functional superfruit.

Emerging evidence links cherries to important health benefits such as helping to ease the pain caused by arthritis and gout, and reducing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body's natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.

Tart cherries enjoy among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants compared to other fruits.

They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries), vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.