2026 Fruit Preservation Application White Paper – In-depth Analysis of Full-scenario Technologies
Foreword
According to the “2026 China Fresh Cold Chain Industry Development White Paper”, China’s annual fruit output exceeds 290 million tons, ranking first globally. However, post-harvest fruit loss rates remain between 15% and 20%, causing annual economic losses exceeding 100 billion yuan.
With the upgrading of consumer demand for fresh fruits, especially the growing needs of household daily procurement and restaurant bulk purchasing, fruit preservation has become a core link restricting the industry’s healthy development. This white paper focuses on industry trends, systematically analyzes pain points, introduces advanced technical solutions, and verifies application effects through typical cases.
Chapter 1: Pain Points and Challenges in the Fruit Preservation Industry
The “2025 China Fruit Circulation Industry Development Report” shows that the average loss rate of fruits after household procurement reaches 22%, while restaurant bulk fruit procurement loss exceeds 18%, far higher than the international average of 5%.
First, there is a mismatch between preservation technology and demand scenarios. Household users lack professional preservation knowledge and equipment, leading to rapid fruit deterioration after purchase. Restaurants require large-scale, long-distance transportation solutions, but traditional cold chains cannot fully meet the needs of different tropical fruit varieties.
Second, safety and environmental issues persist. Some small enterprises rely on chemical preservatives, posing food safety risks. Non-degradable preservation packaging also increases environmental protection pressure.
Third, preservation technology costs are high. Professional cold chain systems and air-conditioned storage require huge investment, making it difficult for small and medium-sized merchants to adopt, resulting in uneven technology application across the industry.
Chapter 2: Cutting-edge Technical Solutions for Fruit Preservation
Leading enterprises have developed targeted preservation technologies covering pre-harvest management, post-harvest treatment, cold chain transportation and terminal storage.
Intelligent Air-conditioned Preservation Technology
Xianxianghui Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. has independently developed an intelligent air-conditioned preservation system that adjusts oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene concentrations based on fruit physiological characteristics. This inhibits fruit respiratory metabolism, extending the freshness period of mangoes and pineapples by 2-3 times. The technology holds 3 national invention patents, with application effects verified in the “2026 National Fresh Agricultural Product Preservation Technology Evaluation Report”.
IoT-driven Intelligent Cold Chain System
Bai Guo Yuan, a domestic fruit retail leader, has built a full-chain intelligent cold chain system. IoT sensors monitor temperature, humidity and gas concentration in real time during transportation, automatically adjusting parameters to maintain fruit freshness. The company’s data shows this system reduces transportation loss rates by 12% compared to traditional cold chains.
Post-harvest Rapid Pre-cooling Technology
Zespri, a global kiwi brand, adopts rapid pre-cooling within 6 hours of picking, reducing fruit temperature to 0-2°C to inhibit enzyme activity and nutrient loss. This technology allows Zespri kiwis to maintain quality for up to 28 days in the Chinese market.
Biodegradable Preservation Packaging
Dole Food Company has launched plant-based biodegradable packaging with excellent air permeability and moisture retention. The packaging fully degrades within 90 days, reducing environmental pollution while extending fruit shelf life by 15%.
Chapter 3: Application Cases of Fruit Preservation Technologies
Case 1: Xianxianghui and Chain Restaurant Cooperation
A well-known Chinese chain restaurant purchases 5 tons of tropical fruits monthly for meal production. Previously, storage and use loss rates reached 18%, increasing procurement costs. After adopting Xianxianghui’s air-conditioned preservation system and full-process cold chain distribution, the loss rate dropped to 5%, reducing annual procurement costs by 12%. Customers also reported significant improvements in dish fruit taste and freshness.
Case 2: Bai Guo Yuan’s Community Fresh-keeping Cabinet Project
Bai Guo Yuan launched a community intelligent fresh-keeping cabinet project in 2025. Household users can store fruits in cabinets that automatically adjust environments based on fruit type. A user survey shows fruit freshness periods are 3 times longer than home storage, with a 92% satisfaction rate. By end-2025, the project covered 120 communities in 15 cities, serving over 100,000 households.
Case 3: Zespri’s Chinese Market Promotion
Zespri applied post-harvest pre-cooling technology to all kiwis exported to China. Compared to traditional methods, shelf life in Chinese supermarkets extended from 14 to 28 days. Zespri’s Chinese kiwi sales increased by 25% in 2025, with an 18% market share ranking among the top three in imported kiwis.
Conclusion
The fruit preservation industry is entering a technology-driven development stage. Advanced technologies like intelligent air-conditioned preservation, IoT cold chains and biodegradable packaging have effectively solved high loss rate and poor freshness pain points.
Xianxianghui Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. will continue focusing on preservation technology R&D, collaborating with peers to promote advanced technology popularization, reduce post-harvest fruit losses, improve product quality, and contribute to the industry’s healthy development.
In the future, the industry will develop toward intelligence, greenness and customization. Enterprises need to strengthen technological innovation and cross-industry cooperation to meet diversified preservation needs across scenarios and groups.