MARCH 01, 2006 — Spring House, PA. — AgroFresh based here, maker of the SmartFresh
Quality System, has received two prestigious French
industry awards for innovation.
The first trophy, the SIVAL d'Or— or Golden Award — was presented to SmartFresh at
a ceremony held in early January at the SIVAL 2006
Show in Angers, France. SmartFresh will receive
a second gold trophy, the Medaille d'Or, at the
SIFEL trade show in Agen, France next month (March
14-16).
SIVAL is the most important and influential
trade group for the French apple industry and accordingly
the SIVAL d'Or - awarded annually at their trade
show — in the Loire Valley —é is the highest honor
a company can receive for its contributions.
AgroFresh received the trophy for
its SmartFresh Quality System which SIVAL recognized as,
"the most innovative and safety-focused technology
in the apple indsutry."
In a recent announcement by SIFEL,
another prominent French apple industry trade group,
SmartFresh was again recognized for innovation
with Médaille d'Or, which will be presented during
next month's exhibition in the Southwest of France.
The SmartFresh Quality System is considered
a breakthrough in fruit storage and shipping tehnology
and works by boosting fruit's natural resistance
to overripening triggers. The technology
enhances cold storage methods that have been in
use for over 40 years, and by managing the naturally
occurring plant substance ethylene, safely protects
apples and other fruits from the usual loss of
quality so consumers can enjoy produce with peak
flavor and texture regardless of season.
SIVAL organizes its awrds in different
categories, and therefore presented AgroFresh with
its SIVAL d'Or in the "arborculture" group,
which applies to the apple tree industry. To
win the award, AgroFresh first had to pass the
hurlde of a pre-selection committee, after which
it presented the SmartFresh Quality technology
before a full jury composed of scientists, researchers,
and professional journalists.
In the case of the Médaille d'Or,
Smartfresh underwent a similarly arduous process
before learning it had successfully captured the
coveted gold trophy for innovation.
