The partnership between our two companies was formed in 2003. Air Products is a worldwide leader in industrial, specialty and medical gases. biofresh is the UK’s leading company specialising in technically advanced control systems for crop storage.
Our partnership is playing a leading role in developing the use of ethylene as a natural sprout suppressant in potato stores. Air Products is a member of the consortium which is promoting the future use of ethylene as a plant protection product in the EC; biofresh is working closely with the UK Pesticides Safety Directorate who are acting as the main reviewers for the EC on ethylene’s merits for approval.
Currently, ethylene has UK PSD commodity approval for use on stored potatoes in the UK. This means it is legal to apply pure ethylene at prescribed levels in potato stores. biofresh systems have been carefully developed to apply the correct amount of pure ethylene in relation to commodity approval. Air Products supply ethylene gas at the correct purity to comply with UK regulations.
As mentioned above, the EC is reviewing the use of ethylene as a plant protection product and Air Products is a member of the task force that have provided the EC with an information dossier relating to this use. It is not known at present how long this review process will take and in the meantime UK PSD commodity approval will apply. To safeguard for the future, biofresh and Air Products is currently applying for a licence to use ethylene on potatoes to the UK PSD to cover the future use of ethylene i.e. when EC approval of ethylene is obtained and UK PSD commodity approval is no longer valid.
Customers can be absolutely confident that this arrangement is and will continue to be fully compliant with legislation in the UK and in the EU.