Roses are among the most popular cut flowers. Its elegance, smell, and color variety make it the best choice for various occasions. Yet, they have a limited vase life, and unsold roses add significantly to the flower’s waste. A recent study by Flowerwatch shows, that Vidre+™ stickers can extend cut roses’ life by up to 10 days, eliminate the use of silver-based products, reduce waste, and preserve the environment.
The global flower industry, valued at €64.5 billion, has shifted production to countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Colombia due to favorable climate and lower labor costs. This trend has environmental implications, particularly regarding carbon footprint and water usage, exacerbated by long-distance transportation and storage processes. Ethylene gas adversely affects the aesthetic and commercial value of flowers and contributes to significant waste.
“Vidre+™ a cutting-edge novel technology targets to block the negative effects of ethylene gas, extending the vase life of cut roses, reducing waste, and addressing environmental concerns. Research results show Vidre+™ potential, as a pivotal solution to sustain the industry’s vitality and mitigate ecological impacts.” — states Peter Vriends from Fresh Inset
Testing Roses
The Dutch company Flowerwatch conducted thorough research on the impact of Vidre+™ stickers with a new generation of slow-release 1-MCP on the vase life of cut roses. The tests encompassed various stages: application during the harvest stage, vacuum cooling during the shipment phase, and post-arrival treatment including cold room storage. A shelf life simulation reflecting retail conditions and finally a consumer vase life simulation lasting 7 to 10 days. These tests, conducted under controlled conditions, provided valuable insights into the impact of Vidre+ on the endurance and visual appeal of the cut roses throughout their post-harvest life.
Test Results
The most notable results were observed with yellow roses. After 7 days of vase life, already 37,5% of the untreated control group was in poor or very poor condition, whereas 100% of the roses treated with Vidre+™ were still in excellent condition, also performing a lot better than roses treated with STS.
Roses receiving the Vidre+™ treatment display:
- Increased petal longevity
- Better color retention
- Reduced wilting
This outcome is particularly beneficial for growers, bouquet makers, and retailers seeking a solution that helps deliver cut flowers to the market in peak condition, thereby maintaining their aesthetic appeal for a longer duration.
Consequently, this approach contributes to minimizing financial losses associated with unsold or deteriorated flowers and significantly reduces the environmental impact since Vidre+™ proves to perform better than STS on roses. Vidre+™ stickers are easy to apply and optimize logistic processes.
Research on Vidre™ stickers showed that it significantly extended the vase life of cut roses, with treated roses demonstrating a majority in good to excellent condition after one week. These findings highlight Vidre+™ technology’s potential to reduce waste and contribute to the sustainability of the floral industry by mitigating the effects of ethylene sensitivity.
*Source: Research report: 50000837-538-02 conducted by Flower Watch, Date: February 2023
About Fresh Inset
Fresh Inset S.A. (joint-stock company) is a food- tech from Toruń, Poland founded in 2017 by scientists from Synthex Technologies and developed by an international team that consists of a group of experienced scientists, agronomists, engineers, packaging sector experts, and IP lawyers around the globe, in such countries as the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Türkiye, Netherlands and Poland. The company has developed and patented a unique Vidre+TM technology for extending the freshness of picked fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The Company’s product has been patented in more than 50 countries. Fresh Inset is a member of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and Greentown Labs. In May 2023 Fresh Inset was awarded the Eagle of Innovation – a competition organized by Rzeczpospolita Business Daily, recognizing the most innovative companies in the Polish economy. The company was recognized as the “Start-up with potential Poland – World”.
Vidre+TM is the breakthrough next-generation application of 1-MCP technology, which exponentially expands the benefits of produce preservation by mitigating the effects of ethylene. The research conducted on 5 continents proves that the technology works on various crops and varieties from avocados to grapes, limes, pears, tomatoes, peppers, and many more. Vidre+™ brings a timed and gradual release mechanism that allows produce to be treated by 1-MCP directly in packaging, eliminating the need for a 24-hour application in a sealed storage room or air-tight containers. Available as coated stickers, labels, and films, the technology enables the use of 1-MCP on all produce and opens up types of produce that are known to respond to 1-MCP, but have not received the benefit due to the application limitations of 1st generation of 1-MCP products (which have immediate release and need to be applied in airtight storage for 24 hours or airtight packaging).