Interko, The Netherlands, launched another state-of-the-art fresh fruit ripening room, which completes the company’s solutions for any international retailer, importer, distributor, wholesaler or trader looking to ripen any fruit to perfection.

The smart, turnkey ripening room, named Optimo, can be adapted to ripen 8-24 pallets of fresh bananas, avocados or mangoes.

Easy to install, use and maintain, Optimo is a single-level room that comes pre-assembled with Interko’s latest technological advances, including its revolutionary REVERSO reversible fans and fully integrated smart ripening control system.

“Importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers worldwide vary in size and capacity, and each has its own set of fresh fruit ripening requirements, so the direction we have taken is to develop an entire range of products that suits everyone,” says Chris Maat, managing director/partner. “Optimo is the new standard in turnkey ripening. This is a highly efficient, cost-effective and profitable ripening room that is not only fast for operators to install, but [also] can be adapted quickly to suit their volume requirements in response to market demand. Already, we are experiencing high demand from ripening operators in southern Europe, Asia and Latin America for this brand new system.”

The Optimo room can be split into four zones; each zone is equipped with an individual cooler and air guidance system, enabling users to switch on and off each of the four zones independently to accommodate differing load capacities.

All four zones also feature Interko’s REVERSO fans, which optimize the airflow with minimum energy usage and increase ripening consistency throughout pallets of fruit.

The two front zones are also fitted with Interko’s new generation adjustable load separators, which accommodate any pallet size and allow users to efficiently ripen pallets of fruit within partially filled rows.

“Essentially, we are continuing to adapt to what the market needs, which means we are looking at the different logistical needs of every ripening installation,” says Maat. “Interko already offers the Ultimo ripening room for large volumes of fruit, and the Axesso room for customers who require precision ripening. Now, we have a further innovation with the Optimo room to fulfill another type of demand that combines a plug-and-play solution with versatility of use.”