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Auvil Fruit Company Saves 6,000 Gallons of Water Daily with Purfresh Wash

Purfresh solutions keep ‘Gee Whiz’ apples fresh and residue-free while reducing water footprint of post-harvest operations

Fremont, Calif. – March 4, 2009 – Purfresh, provider of clean technologies that purify, protect, and preserve our food and water, and Auvil Fruit Company, grower and distributor of ‘Gee Whiz’ apples and Rainier cherries, today announced that Auvil has achieved significant water and cost savings using Purfresh Wash™ disinfection system in its post-harvest operations. By combining wash and rinse into one step, Purfresh’s chemical-free wash solution has reduced Auvil’s daily water usage by an estimated 6,000 gallons compared to the former chlorine-based wash system. In addition, the Purfresh Wash system generates savings by eliminating chemical and disposal costs associated with the use of chlorine.

“Over the 80 years we have been in business, we have focused on delivering high-quality fruit to our customers, and Purfresh Wash helps us do that more efficiently than ever before,” said Walt Hough, plant operations manager of Auvil. “With Purfresh, we don’t have to contend with chemical residue on our fruit and we reduce our operational costs, both of which support our mission to deliver superior quality fruit at reasonable prices.”

Purfresh Wash uses activated oxygen in the form of ozone to disinfect the water that is used to clean fresh produce, and has built-in real-time monitoring and control technology, known as Intellipur™, which maintains targeted ozone levels and other critical control parameters. This patented solution qualifies as a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) step for food safety requirements and reporting.

“With agriculture accounting for nearly 70% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals, water efficiency is becoming a critical component of long-term sustainability and represents a new opportunity to improve productivity and reduce costs,” said David Cope, president and CEO of Purfresh. “Auvil saw Purfresh Wash as a way to use less water, while also improving the safety and quality of their products. Auvil has long been a pioneer in the industry, and once again, they are leading the way by tapping new technologies to enhance their operations.”

Purfresh Wash is certified organic, works without the use of toxic or corrosive chemicals, and leaves no reside on fruit or equipment. In addition to treating pome fruits, Purfresh Wash can be used to treat other fruits and vegetables such as citrus, cherries, tomatoes, and potatoes.

Prior to installing Purfresh Wash, Auvil installed Purfresh Cold Storage™ systems to reduce decay and promote produce quality and freshness in eight refrigerated storage rooms at its Orondo, WA packing plant.

Auvil grows and packs Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith apples and Rainier cherries in the state of Washington under the brand name Gee Whiz. Auvil was the first orchard in the state to introduce Granny Smith apples, as well as Rainier cherries.

About Purfresh, Inc.