Wheatsheaf Acquires Purfresh

Wheatsheaf Group Limited, through its wholly owned food safety solutions subsidiary TriStrata Group, has acquired 90% of Purfresh, a global provider of specialized controlled atmosphere systems that reduce the risk of high value cargo loss through spoilage in refrigerated ocean shipping containers.

Based in San Francisco, Calif., Purfresh’s technology combines controlled atmosphere and active atmosphere with ozone technology to reduce food waste (delaying ripening and reducing decay), extend shelf life and improve food safety (reducing food-borne pathogens) without the use of harsh chemicals.

Purfresh's cloud-based proprietary cargo monitoring software, Intellipur, provides customers with real-time visibility into, and remote control of, the conditions of temperature-sensitive cargo shipped in refrigerated marine containers around the world, the company said. Purfresh’s controlled atmosphere system is typically used for shipping high value fruits such as blueberries, avocados, and mangos, but also offers ozone atmosphere technology for non-climacteric fruit cargos such as grapes, pineapples, and citrus products. Its customers include global ocean carriers, third-party logistic companies, fruit growers and international fruit import and export companies.

 “We are delighted to support Purfresh in its next stage of growth,” said Wheatsheaf CEO Graham Ramsbottom. “Purfresh aligns very closely with our strategy of investing in companies that drive efficiencies in the food supply chain while also providing a tangible social benefit. The technology is proven to increase food safety without the need for any harsh chemicals and reduce waste in the global shipping of perishable goods.”

For more information visit www.purfresh.com.