India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials and solution company, Uflex Limited, has been working with several grape growers internationally to demonstrate the benefits of Flexfresh liner bags.
Flexfresh Liners use the natural respiration process of grapes to increase the carbon dioxide (CO2) to the desired levels using Active Modified Atmospheric Packaging (AMAP) technology.
The available oxygen inside the liners is consumed by the grapes in a few days and is replaced by CO2. The AMAP technology maintains the higher CO2 levels in equilibrium due to the specially formulated polymer combination. The additional benefit in using it for grapes is moisture control. While allowing the product to respire in hydrated oxygen, it releases excess humidity ensuring that the grapes are dry. The overall improvement to the freshness has gone up dramatically.
The available oxygen inside the liners is consumed by the grapes in a few days and is replaced by CO2. The AMAP technology maintains the higher CO2 levels in equilibrium due to the specially formulated polymer combination. The additional benefit in using it for grapes is moisture control. While allowing the product to respire in hydrated oxygen, it releases excess humidity ensuring that the grapes are dry. The overall improvement to the freshness has gone up dramatically.
Since the grapes are dry, unlike the conventional macro perforated liner bags and with incremental CO2 acting as a fungicide, the grapes can remain healthy and fresh for a longer period of time. Botrytis is a common disease caused when grapes are wet for a long period of time. The usage of sulphur pads has been proven effective to arrest the growth of the fungus.
However, due to the long shipping times from the harvest to the point of consumption, vapors of sulphur are absorbed by the grapes, giving irritation to consumers during consumption. In fact, there are numerous instances of consumers complaining back to the retail stores about heavy sulphur and the irritation caused.
Talking about this novel and efficient fresh produce packaging solution, Siva Shankaran, Vice President Flexfresh at Uflex said, “It is now possible to transport grapes from one continent to other through sea freight, preserving the freshness. Consumers can enjoy the fruit without having to worry about sulphur irritation. The demand for Flexfresh liner bags is going up by the day.”
Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman and Managing Director, Uflex Ltd., added, “I am very happy with the progress Uflex is making in addressing some of the critical issues confronting the fresh produce industry by paving the way for safe and fresh products to consumers across the world.”
For more information:
Rohit Sharma
Uflex Ltd.
Tel: +91 120 4012339
Email: rohit.sharma@uflexltd.com
www.uflexltd.com