The scientific impact of the Freshness Lab activity can be assessed by internationaly recognized indicators that are available under Research.

Additionally, the Freshness Lab team has a high level of performance in value creation with companies. The  impact of the work developed under confidentiality is quantified but cannot always be disclosed according to contract and deontological obligations.

Recent contributions:

• New recommendations for controlled atmosphere storage of Rocha pear, reducing internal disorders, after the ban on diphenylamine and etoxyquin in the European Union and the introduction of new CA technologies (2017). Ecomical impact estimated at 38 million euros (Almeida, 2010).

• Proceedure for long-term storage of garlic (2017).

• Proposal for a novel market segmentation of apple cultivars from the PGI «Maçã de Alcobaça» based on bioactive compounds (2016).

• Horticultural recommendations to improve quality indices in processing tomato, processing potato, and onion in the growing regions of Ribatejo and Alentejo, Portugal (2015-2016).

• Diagnostic of physiological disorders in apple cultivars and recommendation to prevent them in the packing house (2016).

• Development of a quality control system to improve fruit flavor and reduce losses in a leading company providing office water, coffee, and fruit snack services nationwide (2015-2016);

• Recommendations for flavor improvement in beef-type tomato, with market implementation (2015).

• Diagnostic of storage physiological disorders in Rocha pear (2015).

• Redesign of peach and nectarine supply chains, from the shelf to tree pruning, with improvements in consumer satisfaction and business results (2014-2015);

• Implementation of a cropping system in 45-hectare orchard of peach and nectarine with improvement of economic results via fruit size, soluble solids content, and flavor. Full year intervention from winter pruning to leaf fall (2015);

• Proof of concept for achieving better flavor in beef-type tomato in a soilless growing system (2015);

• In house training on fruit and vegetable supply chains for managers of two retail companies (2015);

• Technical solution for a food safety problem in a food company (2014);

• Efficacy trials for the registration of 1-methylcyclopropene in postharvest application on Rocha pear, for AgroFresh Inc.(2011).

Facilities and achievements 2015 (in English).