Atmosphere Management

Atmosphere management makes it possible.

A ship transports fruit just as gently as a plane – only cleaner

Crisp fresh fruit from the southern hemisphere – all year round. That this is possible can be easily verified at any farmers’ market. The secret lies in the atmosphere management that Hamburg Süd uses with its refrigerated containers. This method involves refrigeration, a reduction in the level of oxygen in the air and an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the container. These three measures lower the fruits’ “breathing” and so delay the ripening process.

In atmosphere management a distinction is made between two methods: controlled atmosphere (CA) and modified atmosphere (MA). While MA produces only a partially regulated change in the composition of the air, CA means the active monitoring and regulation of the oxygen and carbon dioxide content. This makes CA the technically more complex method.