Fresh produce has a lot of enemies. Physical damage. Microbial growth. Water loss. But in the world of produce repacking and cold storage, nothing triggers more anxiety than a single invisible hormone, ethylene gas. Poisonous to humans? No. Devastating to profits? Absolutely.
The Effect
According to ReFED, 25% of all food in the U.S. supply chain, roughly 60 million tons, ends up as waste each year. Fresh produce accounts for a significant share of that loss, and much of it traces back to a single preventable cause, ethylene gas.
Ethylene is a natural hormone produced by a wide range of fruits. The biggest producers, bananas, apples, avocados, and cantaloupes, release it constantly, but especially after harvesting. When ethylene-sensitive fruit is exposed to high concentrations, it triggers a ripening chain reaction: color change, softening, and spoilage that can turn a valuable pallet into a total loss.
The Science
At the cellular level, ethylene binds to receptors in the fruit and sets off a cascade reaction. Starches begin to break down into simple sugars. Cell walls degrade. Chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for the green color in fruit, breaks apart, turning perfectly green bananas brown almost overnight.
How We Do It
The golden rule at home is simple: keep bananas away from apples. At Carson Cold, we take that rule much further. We don't allow high-ethylene producers in our facility at all. Instead, we specialize in low-ethylene produce exclusively: citrus, kiwi, grapes, berries, stone fruit, and onions. Our facility features 15 independently controlled cold rooms supported by ozone gas generators that actively neutralize ethylene while eliminating pathogens like fungi and mold before they ever reach your product.
- 🍎 Apples
- 🍌 Bananas
- 🥑 Avocados
- 🍈 Cantaloupe
- 🥭 Mangoes
- 🍐 Pears
- 🍊 Citrus
- 🥝 Kiwi
- 🍇 Grapes
- 🍓 Berries
- 🍑 Stone Fruit
- 🧅 Onions
The Bottom Line
Just eight miles from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, we offer a fast connection between port and cold storage. Because Carson Cold is close to the ports and supports fresh imports, traditional extra fees for overweight or XL containers are waived.
Combining low-ethylene exclusive fruit, ozone generators, 15 independently controlled rooms, and port proximity, Carson Cold goes beyond the extra mile to protect the shelf life of your product from the moment it arrives to the moment it leaves our facility.
That's not just cold. That's Carson Cold.
