Due to their vulnerability and limited shelf life, each year almost 50% of all fresh fruits and vegetables are thrown away at retailers and consumers around the globe, giving it the highest wastage rate of any food product around. And with global climate change nowadays clearly effecting crops, and therefore the availability of fresh produce in general, it is obvious that actions need to be taken to protect the food supply.
As members of the Save Food initiative, SEALPAC, Naber Plastics and PerfoTec sat down to discuss the issue of fresh produce waste from a packaging point of view, and came up with the PerfoLid to help with this growing problem. It is common knowledge that fresh produce needs to be able to breathe, and that each type of fruit or vegetable has its own breathing pattern, also known as the respiration rate.
Most of the time this is ‘solved’ by packaging fresh produce in bags or clamshells with large holes. However, detailed regulation of the oxygen level of fresh produce is a critical factor to achieve optimal shelf life at retail and maximum freshness at the final customer. PerfoTec has a solution to reach the optimum protective atmosphere inside the pack, also known as Active Modified Atmosphere Packaging (AMAP).
This is achieved by laser perforation of the top film, where the amount and size of the holes is tuned to the breathing pattern of the product. Compared to its alternatives, such as pre-perforated film or needle perforation, they claim their system is accurate and always fits the product.
As retailer M&S in the UK stated after adopting the system: “PerfoTec was proven to deliver two days extra shelf life on strawberries and three days on raspberries, leading to significant reduction in store waste levels of up to 20%, and an increase in availability without any detriment to quality.”
To stop wastage at home, SEALPAC and Naber Plastics offer their PerfoLid tray. Tests with strawberries and grapes have shown that, after opening the PerfoLid tray, consuming some of its content, re-closing the tray with the lid, and placing it back in the refrigerator, the colour of the product maintains and the product stays juicy much longer.
For more information:
Joop Meerbeek
Naber Plastics BV
Tel: 31 (0)416 343175 / +31 6 53325558
Joop.meerbeek@naberplastics.com
www.naberplastics.com
Joop Meerbeek
Naber Plastics BV
Tel: 31 (0)416 343175 / +31 6 53325558
Joop.meerbeek@naberplastics.com
www.naberplastics.com
PerfoTec BV Ivo Hendriks
Tel: 31 (0)416 343175 / +31 6 53325558
Mr. Marcel Veenstra
Sealpac International
Tel: +31 (0)341 46 20 30