JBT Marel launches concentrated pineapple coating

JBT Marel has introduced Sta-Fresh Flowable Wax 4000, a concentrated pineapple coating designed to simplify wax preparation and handling in commercial packing operations. The formulation contains 77% solids and is intended to replace more labour-intensive paste-style coating preparation while maintaining established application rates and production throughput.

Unveiled at the 2026 International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando, the coating extends JBT Marel’s existing Sta-Fresh pineapple product range. The company claims that each drum of Flowable Wax 4000 can provide enough usable coating to treat 43% more pineapples than its Sta-Fresh 2952 formulation. This is a comparison of coating utilisation per drum, not a measured increase in packhouse processing capacity.

Paste-style wax products can require operators to scoop, scrape, weigh and mix material before it is suitable for application. These activities add preparation time and can create variation if mixing procedures or the quantities of material used differ between batches. Flowable Wax 4000 is designed to reduce those handling steps by supplying a concentrated formulation that can be transferred and mixed more readily.

The stated 77% solids concentration is central to the product’s proposed operating benefits. A more concentrated coating can deliver a greater amount of usable material within a given supply container, reducing the volume that must be stored and transported for a particular quantity of prepared coating. However, the actual amount required per pineapple depends on dilution and application conditions, which must remain within the validated operating range.

JBT Marel says customers can continue using their established wax application rates and line throughput. That distinction matters when interpreting the 43% comparison: the company is claiming that each drum lasts for more fruit, rather than that a packhouse can process fruit 43% faster. It has not published a measured reduction in preparation time, total coating expenditure or transport cost for a named commercial customer using the new product.

Reduced container requirements can affect storage and replenishment arrangements, particularly where coating materials are held near production lines or supplied to several packing operations. The benefit will depend on consumption volumes, delivery arrangements and the amount of working inventory required. The supplier identifies a smaller inventory footprint and improved transport efficiency as anticipated advantages, without quantifying those effects in a published customer assessment.

The coating also addresses the condition and appearance of pineapples after cold storage. JBT Marel identifies depressed pitted areas, or DPA, as a particular concern. These areas can affect the appearance and commercial acceptability of fruit after refrigerated handling, creating the potential for product rejection even where the fruit remains otherwise suitable for its intended market.

According to JBT Marel, Flowable Wax 4000 improves control of DPA and helps maintain fruit appearance after cold storage. The company also claims an improvement in shelf life and consistent performance across green and more highly coloured pineapples. Its announcement does not provide a quantified extension in storage life, comparative rejection rates or full test conditions supporting those claims.

Commercial performance will depend on the fruit and its handling conditions. Pineapples at different maturity stages can vary in their surface characteristics, while storage temperature, distribution duration and prior handling influence the condition in which fruit reaches the customer. An application trial must therefore establish whether the coating performs consistently under the operating and distribution conditions relevant to a particular packhouse.

The new formulation is intended to work with existing mixing equipment, refractometers and coating systems. Maintaining compatibility with installed machinery can reduce the need for physical changes when introducing an alternative treatment, although operators still need to establish appropriate preparation procedures and verify the concentration of the solution being applied.

Controlling the concentration of a coating solution is particularly important where additional material or water is introduced during production. A change in the prepared mixture may alter the amount of coating deposited under otherwise unchanged equipment settings. Routine measurements and suitable operating procedures help maintain the required conditions and provide a record of how the process has been managed.

JBT Marel also identifies compatibility with its ProDOSE Pineapple Wax Dosing Machine. The system is designed to automate wax preparation and dosing, using Brix measurements to monitor solution concentration and adjusting the mixture through its control arrangement. The equipment also provides operating records that can be used to review dosing and concentration during production.

The manufacturer states that the new coating can be used with ProDOSE, although it has not specified whether existing installations require updated product settings or other adjustments when changing formulations. The launch announcement establishes the supplier’s intended integration route rather than a universal, independently verified retrofit procedure.

ProDOSE is a dosing and mixing system, not the equipment that physically applies wax to the pineapple surface. It prepares and controls the coating solution before that material enters the existing application arrangement. The distinction separates concentration control from the subsequent mechanical process responsible for delivering coating to the fruit.

JBT Marel also says Flowable Wax 4000 is compatible with existing fungicide and pesticide programmes used alongside Sta-Fresh 2952. This claim concerns formulation compatibility and does not change the regulatory conditions governing the use of particular chemical treatments. Packhouses must continue using authorised products within the requirements applying to their produce and destination markets.

Changes in coating formulation should be evaluated against product appearance, application consistency and the condition of fruit following storage. Tests may also need to examine how the solution behaves during mixing and circulation, whether concentrations remain stable and how effectively operating procedures can be reproduced between production periods.

A wax coating is one element of postharvest quality management. It does not replace hygiene controls, appropriate temperature management or the handling practices required to protect fruit during storage and distribution. Neither the supplier’s DPA claims nor its anticipated shelf-life benefits establish a reduction in microbiological hazards or authorise changes to food safety procedures.

Fernando Edagi, Site Director and Product Line Director at JBT Marel, said the development followed collaboration with pineapple producers seeking simpler coating preparation and more dependable protection of marketable yield. The company has not named a commercial user of Flowable Wax 4000 or supplied independently verified production results covering its introduction into an existing packing operation.

The new coating is being offered as part of JBT Marel’s pineapple treatment portfolio. Its effectiveness in production will depend on the quantity of usable coating obtained from each container, the reliability of preparation and dosing, and the condition of treated fruit after storage. The claimed increase in fruit coverage per drum remains a material utilisation comparison rather than evidence of higher processing throughput.