ACR - Active COntrol of Respiration
“The Best Dynamic CA storage program”
ACR bring your business into the next level!
As agriculture shifts towards organic and sustainable practices, chemical restrictions on fresh produce are tightening. For example, following the DNP ban in South Africa, Granny Smith apples faced issues like browning and scald.
We introduced the Advanced Control of Respiration (ACR) system, storing apples at an optimized oxygen level below 1% to maintain quality. ACR has shown remarkable results, preserving premium quality in apples, pears, and kiwis, extending market reach, and reducing energy use by up to 50%, contributing to industry sustainability.
What is ACR?
Active Control of Respiration (ACR) is Van Amerongen’s dynamic Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage system designed to optimize fruit preservation and has been granted an international patent.
Unlike CA storage, which maintains fixed gas concentrations, ACR continuously monitors the fruit’s respiratory activity-Respiratory quotient (RQ) and adjusts oxygen levels accordingly. This real-time regulation allows for oxygen concentrations below 1% without triggering anaerobic conditions, effectively slowing the ripening & deacy processes and extending shelf life.
My Fruit ACR: Dynamic CA
WHy ACR can prolong fruits' storage period?
Lower oxygen concentrations enable longer fruit storage, but below a critical threshold—known as the Anaerobic Compensation Point (ACP)—fermentation begins. The ACR system maintains oxygen just above this point, optimizing storage quality.
In collaboration with Wageningen University, we’ve identified a link between ethanol production and the Respiratory Quotient (RQ). RQ spikes just before fermentation, providing an early warning. During aerobic respiration, the RQ is around 1, but in anaerobic respiration, it rises as fruits consume non-sugar substances.
The ACR system continuously monitors and adjusts oxygen levels in storage based on RQ, preventing fermentation and maximizing shelf-life.
This provides maximum storage period and shelf-life!
compared to other Dynamic CA systems
Huge Energy savings
A lot of energy can be saved by storing products under ACR-conditions. Whenever an average oxygen value of 0,3% is compared to a standard ULO-condition of 1.5% oxygen(O2 ), it comes to light that the rate of respiration from fruit has declined by 300%. In short, fruit breathes much slower with lower oxygen values. This means that apples produce three times less heat, which results in far lower cooling costs.
