Page 41 - Packaging News Jan-Feb 2020

January-February 2020
www.packagingnews.com.au
ACTIVE & INTELLIGENT PACKAGING
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Keeping it fresh
For produce growers, time to market is a serious concern, as shelf life once it reaches supermarkets must be maintained as long as possible. A new liner bag product supplied by Metalprint could provide a solution.
ADE by Uflex, India’s larg- est flexible packaging company, Flexfresh liner bags are promoted as be- ing able to extend the shelf life of fruit and veg- etables by several weeks.
According to Terry Waterson, di- rector of Uflex distributor Metal- print, Flexfresh bags offer a signifi- cant value proposition for growers, supermarkets, and the community.
“The introduction of Flexfresh to the Australian fresh produce indus- try is a game changer for the growers and supermarkets. The growers are telling us that the current packaging is not solving their issues relative to quality, shelf life, and export mar- kets,” he says.
Flexfresh’s success, according to Waterson, is a product of polymer for- mulation. He describes it as a propri- etary blend of biopolymers with laser perforations that were calculated through scientific modelling to achieve the exact amount of air to keep the produce in an equilibrium of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.
“When humidity is released dur- ing the respiration process, the chemical chains of oxygen and hydrogen get extended in the poly- mer matrix, making sure there is no condensation.
“When there is negative water pressure in the pack, the mole- cules of oxygen and hydrogen get back to form humidity and are ab- sorbed by the produce, and that is the main reason for the very low weight loss that is achieved by Flexfresh,” says Waterson.
This low weight loss is critical, adds Waterson, as it maintains the pH of the produce and saves grow- ers money.
“Weight loss is a serious issue for growers, because there are instances
Flexfresh
growers a controlled supply of pro- duce from storage to supermarket.
“For example, cherries have a shelf life of seven days, but when packed in a Flexfresh Liner bag, the shelf life before opening the bag is twenty-one days – and then, when the bag is opened, there is a further seven days of shelf life.
“Stores could retain produce in their refrigerated storage in the Flexfresh liners and just release the produce to the in-store con- sumer as required, resulting in considerable less food waste,” says Waterson.
Uflex says its Flexfresh liner bags are suitable for produce between five and 15 kilograms, and are 100 per cent biodegradable. ■
where the grower has to pack ten and a half kilograms of fruit into a box to be able to confirm ten kilograms on arrival at supermarket. Flexfresh has the lowest weight loss of all solu- tions, and the grower would only have to pack 10.1 kilos to achieve ten kilos at the supermarket. This is a significant saving for all parties.
“Additionally, the pH of fruits when they lose water changes rapidly to salt imbalance, and causes rapid deterio- ration of the produce. By ensuring the pH is maintained, Flexfresh delivers a longer shelf life. With low oxygen present, the oxidation process is lower and there is lower transpiration. The presence of CO2 helps the produce to develop good sugars, suppress moulds, maintain green colour, and slow down ripening,” he says.
The introduction of Flexfresh to the Australian fresh produce industry is a game changer for the growers and supermarkets.”
– Terry Waterson
ABOVE: Fresh produce aisles could be transformed by Flexfresh liner bags.
BELOW: The Flexfresh trial shows the avocado after 50 days vs the control.
is billed as offering
Flexfresh
Control