The Science Behind Successful AFAM+ Shipping

Thermo King's innovative AFAM+ (Advanced Fresh Air Management) system has been helping shippers successfully transport commodities such as fresh lettuce, grapes, broccoli, asparagus, bananas, nectarines, and peaches for more than one year now. As more products are added to the AFAM+ resumé and the results documented, the benefits of shipping with this new technology are proven over and over again. Faster pull down, decreased dehydration, increased shelf life and improved product quality have been achieved through AFAM+. How? By simply utilizing the fresh air exchange door only when needed as determined by CO2 and O2 levels within the container, and/or reducing product decay by maintaining elevated CO2 levels for appropriate commodities. Of course, for AFAM+ to work effectively, shippers must know the recommended settings of each commodity including temperature, humidity, O2 and CO2 levels. Because fruits and vegetables — and the various species within each group — respire at unique rates and respond differently to various CO2 and O2 levels, this knowledge is a must to ensure a top quality product at the end of a long ocean voyage. But what are the appropriate or optimum CO2 and O2 levels for different commodities?

Obviously, with the average container shipment traveling for 2 to 3 weeks, weighing 40,000 pounds and valuing more than $30,000, the optimum settings of a load cannot be guessed. They must be scientifically tested and determined. Thermo King considers this an on-going process — a way to verify existing findings and to establish new ones. As a result, a Thermo King-funded research assistantship program at the University of Florida has been created in conjunction with Dr. Jeffrey Brecht of the Horticultural Sciences Department. "The program allows us to test different commodities in a controlled environment that simulates actual container shipping using Thermo King's new AFAM+ technology," explained Wayne Benson, product manager, container refrigeration. "Primarily, the testing is used to educate and increase the comfort level of the grower, shipper and shipping line on AFAM+ shipments. We can give them a trial run on a commodity they think may benefit from the technology."