How a major citrus packer runs degreening room trials off its main packing line

One of the largest citrus packers in the US runs four 20' ZGROUP degreening chambers in Delano, CA for experimental trials. Each citrus degreening room tests under controlled ethylene and temperature, so the packer can run its research without touching its main packing line.

The challenge

A large citrus packer's main line is built for volume. Every hour of capacity is planned, and every change to how fruit is handled has consequences downstream.

That makes the main line a poor place to experiment. Testing a new degreening approach on production rooms means putting commercial fruit, and commercial schedules, at risk.

The packer needed a separate space where it could run degreening trials under controlled conditions, compare results, and only bring what works back to production.

It also needed that space to be controlled well enough that trial results would mean something. A test run under loosely controlled conditions does not tell a packer much about what will happen in production.

The solution

ZGROUP supplied four 20' degreening chambers dedicated to trials. Trials run under controlled ethylene and temperature, across four chambers set up for research rather than production.

Because the chambers are separate from the main packing line, trials run on their own schedule. Production continues as planned while the research team tests.

The chambers are modular units: they need no civil works, and they can be moved and reinstalled at another site if the research program moves.

For a packer of this size, that keeps research and production cleanly apart: the packing line does its job, and the trial chambers do theirs.

The results

• 4 × 20' degreening chambers
• R&D trials under controlled ethylene and temperature
• Main packing line left untouched

The packer has a dedicated setup for degreening research, fully separate from production.

Why a separate citrus degreening room for trials?

Degreening uses controlled ethylene and temperature to bring out the color of citrus peel. The results depend on the conditions, which is exactly why packers want to test them before changing production.

• Several chambers, several conditions. With more than one citrus degreening room, you can run different settings at the same time and compare them directly.
• No risk to production. Trials happen off the main line, so commercial fruit and schedules are not affected.
• Controlled, repeatable conditions. ZGROUP equipment runs on Thermo King refrigeration, humidity control from 50% to 95% RH is available, and ZTRACK monitors temperature and alarms remotely.
• No construction. Modular chambers need no civil works and only minimal site prep. They are delivered in under 60 days and installed in 2 to 5 days.

The same modular approach works beyond research. A packer can use chambers to add seasonal degreening capacity, or to test a program before committing to it. Units are available to rent or to buy, can be moved to another site later, and ZGROUP equipment comes with a 5-year warranty.

A good trial setup starts with a clear question: which conditions do you want to compare, and how many trials do you want to run at once? The answer tells you how many chambers you need.

How a degreening room works

A degreening room removes the green color from citrus peel by applying ethylene under controlled temperature. It breaks down chlorophyll in the peel without affecting internal quality, so oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruit that are mature inside but still green reach market color. Cycles run 3 to 5 days at 68°F to 77°F, 90–95% relative humidity and 1–5 ppm ethylene.

Degreening is not ripening: ripening brings fruit to its eating point, degreening only changes peel color. See the degreening room and our projects in California.

Is it right for your operation?

If you want to test degreening conditions, or add capacity without changing your main line, modular chambers are a practical option. See how our Degreening room works, or talk to our team about your trials.