"Freshness Preserved at Harvest"… Lotte Mart Launches CA-Stored Apples and Onions

Application of Gas Composition Control and Extended Storage Technology
First Shipment of Over 500 Tons of Busa Apples and 200 Tons of Onions

Lotte Mart announced on the 16th that it will ship for the first time this year over 500 tons of Busa apples and over 200 tons of onions harvested last year and stored in CA (Controlled Atmosphere) storage.

Lotte Mart MDs (Merchandisers) are showcasing CA-stored agricultural products at Lotte Mart Zeta Plex Jamsil branch. Provided by Lotte Mart

From the 19th, 'Freshly Picked Apples (4-6 pieces/bag/domestic)' will be sold for 17,990 KRW, and 'Freshly Harvested Firm CA Stored Onions (1.5 kg/net/domestic)' will be sold for 5,990 KRW.

The freshly picked apples offered by Lotte Mart were harvested in October last year, and the freshly harvested firm CA stored onions are products made from raw materials stored immediately after harvesting in June last year. Through CA storage technology, they maintain firmness and freshness similar to freshly harvested fruits.

CA storage is a preservation technology that dramatically extends the shelf life of agricultural products by controlling temperature, humidity, and the composition ratio of gases such as oxygen and nitrogen in the air. As agricultural supply instability has increased due to recent abnormal weather, CA storage technology, which allows long-term storage, is emerging as an alternative. The company explained that it suppresses aging of stored agricultural products and prevents the proliferation and growth of microorganisms and molds, thereby maintaining the freshness at the time of harvest for a long time.

Meanwhile, Lotte Mart is actively utilizing CA storage technology to provide fresh products to customers even during periods when maintaining the freshness of agricultural products is difficult. The Lotte Fresh Quality Innovation Center has CA storage facilities capable of storing a total of over 1,000 tons of agricultural products, and applies CA storage technology to various items such as apples, onions, watermelons, and spinach depending on the season.

Chae Hee-cheol, MD (Merchandiser) of the Fruit Team at Lotte Mart & Super, said, "Even in the situation where agricultural supply instability is increasing due to abnormal weather, we plan to introduce more diverse CA stored agricultural products in the future to provide fresh agricultural products at reasonable prices."