BASF doesn't grow tomatoes, mangos, melons or other produce. But BASF's FreshSeal post-harvest coatings make fruit and vegetables better for growers, packers, grocers and consumers.

The company is showcasing FreshSeal coatings at the United Produce Expo, May 2-4 in Chicago, Ill., at Booth 10612. FreshSeal coatings are now available for use with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, in addition to pineapples, bananas, papayas, avocados, cucumbers, eggplant and limes.

FreshSeal coatings keep produce fresh longer and help mitigate decreases in the amount of salable produce through the supply chain. This gives growers the flexibility to extend storage, shipping distance and shelf life. That translates into higher volumes and profitability for growers and packers.

"FreshSeal coatings have the potential to replace wax, plastic bags and other freshness preservation methods," said Mike Doyle, Director for BASF's Human Nutrition business in North America. "Because FreshSeal coatings keep produce fresh longer, they enable produce growers, shippers and brokers to reduce the product loss that comes with transportation and storage, and even allows them to sell into new and farther markets."

Doyle added that FreshSeal coatings help growers clear more product and gain more flexibility in harvesting and shipping.

FreshSeal coatings may be used as follows:
FreshSeal CH for tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, and eggplant;
FreshSeal P for mangos, cantaloupes and papayas; and,
FreshSeal BR for cantaloupes, honeydews, pineapples, bananas, papayas, mangos, avocadoes, clementines, limes and other citrus.

BASF acquired the FreshSeal coatings from Agway on January 14, 2004. FreshSeal coatings are part of BASF's Human Nutrition product line within the company's Fine Chemicals Division in North America and are available for customers in Europe, Asia and South America. They are authorized under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations.

BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. We employ about 11,000 people in North America and had sales of approximately $9 billion in 2003. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further increase the value of our company. We help our customers to be more successful through intelligent system solutions and high-quality products. BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. Through new technologies we can tap into additional market opportunities. We conduct our business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2003, BASF had sales of approximately $42 billion and over 87,000 employees worldwide.