NL2017035B1 - Packaging of respiring produce - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for packing respiring produce and packaged whole-sale container. The method comprises the following consecutive 5 steps: - a batch of the produce is put in a whole-sale container; - the container is wrapped in a vapor permeable film; - air content between the film and the container is reduced; 10 - the film is closed.

Description

Patent center

The Netherlands

(21) Application number: 2017035 © Application submitted: 23/06/2016

Θ 2017035

BI PATENT (51) Int. CL:

B65D 77/00 (2017.01) B65D 85/34 (2017.01) B65D 85/50 (2017.01)

UA Application registered: (73) Patent holder (s): 08/01/2018 't Groene Loo B.V. in Klaaswaal. (43) Application published: 11/01/2018 (72) Inventor (s): Bastiaan Rinke Anthony Groeneweg (47) Patent granted: in Klaaswaal. 19/01/2018 Paulus Josephus Benedictus Maria van de Loo in Klaaswaal. (45) Patent issued: 19/02/2018 (74) Agent: ir. A.R. Aalbers in Amsterdam.

54) PACKAGING OR RESPIRING PRODUCE

S) Method for packing respiring produce and packaged whole-sale container. The method comprises the following consecutive steps:

- a batch of the produce is put in a whole-sale container;

- the container is wrapped in a vapor permeable film;

- air content between the film and the container is reduced;

- the film is closed.

NL BI 2017035

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

PACKAGING OR RESPIRING PRODUCE

The present invention relates to a method of packaging respiring produce, such as fresh agricultural produce, in particular whole-sale batches or such produce.

To enhance shelf life of fresh respiring produce, such as fruit, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms or flowers, the produce can be packed using so-called modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology. The produce are packed in a microperforated film allowing restricted exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases between the interior of the package and the ambient atmosphere. This reduces respiration of the fruits, vegetables or flowers. Reducing respiration slows down ripening, and spread of pathogens, inhibiting toughening and undesirable change in color, smell and taste of the produce.

Packaging films used with MAP packaging include micro-perforated transparent films. Such films may have a limited transmission rate for water vapor. Films with a high vapor transmission rate have been developed enabling to control the humidity level as well as the gas composition in the sealed package. Such films are particularly useful for prolonged storage or respiring and are sensitive to moisture. These films are commonly referred to as modified atmosphere / modified humidity packaging (MA / MH) films. A bio-degradable example or such a film was disclosed in WO 2016/071922.

After harvesting fresh produce is transported in containers, such as crates and transported to a distributor. Part of the harvest is re-packed for whole-sale trade, usually in qualities and batch sizes in accordance with orders or a whole-sale buyer. This whole-sale trade may involve long-term storage and international transport. The whole-saler will re-pack the produce in retail volumes and supply the retail volumes to consumer shops.

MAP films and MA / MH films are typically used for packing retail volumes. Wholesale batches, including a variety of retail volumes, are typically packed in stackable and palletizable containers, rather than film bags. In practice, MAP or MA / MH films are used as liners within such wholesale packaging boxes. The liners are put bags in the boxes before filling the boxes with the produce. The liners are then folded to close them. The boxes are stacked on pallets or similar carriers for transport. The liners are put in the boxes by hand which is labor intensive. Another drawback is that customs officials may need to remove all the liners in a case of a pest control treatment.

Occasionally, a pile or palletized wholesale packages are wrapped as a whole by means of a micro-perforated film. This is for instance disclosed in US 4,886,372. This may be useful, e.g., with long-term international transportation or such produce. If international borders are crossed, customs officers may need to check the produce and they may need to unpack the complete pallet.

It is an object of the invention to provide a way of efficient and cost effective packaging or wholesale batches or respiring produce.

The object of the invention has been achieved with a method for packing produce, including the following consecutive steps:

- a batch or the produce is put in a container;

- the container is wrapped in a vapor permeable film;

- air content between the film and the container is reduced;

- the film is closed, in particular closed to prevent gas exchange bypassing the foil.

Such a method can be efficiently carried out, e.g., using conventional flow wrapping machines. Since air is removed from the package, no air is trapped between the film and the containers causing possible air bubbles that might be a hindrance to stacking.

A whole-sale container is a container with sufficient volume to contain a multiple of regular consumer portions, for instance a container with sufficient volume to contain more than 1 kilo of the produce or a container with a volume V>

1.5 liters. The containers can be bags, crates, boxes, bottles or any other suitable types or palletizable containers. Particularly useful are rectangular stackable boxes without protruding parts, such as cardboard boxes.

A good vapor exchange is obtained if the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is at least about 5 gms / 24hr / m ² at 38 ° C and 90% relative humidity (RH), eg, at least about 50 gms / 24hr / m ² at 38 ° C and 90% RH, eg, at least about 200 gms / 24hr / m ² at 38 ° C and 90%, eg, about 50 - about 300 gms / 24hr / m ² at 38 ° C and 90% relative humidity (RH), measured in accordance with ASTM standard F1249-06.

The WVTR is mainly determined by the type of film material used. Biodegradable polymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV), polyhydroxyhexanoate (PHH), cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, polylactic acid, polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyanhydrides etc. The film may for example include a partly or fully laminated structures, or a single layer substrate, for instance multi-layer paper laminate, polymeric laminate, single layer polymeric films etc. A layer of metallization may also be provided. The film can for example be made by extrusion processes such as blowing, casting or calendaring processes. Examples of particularly suitable films are disclosed in WO 2016/071922.

The film may have an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) between 1000 - 4000 CC / 24hr / m ² at 23 ° C, measured in accordance with ASTM standard F2622.

The film's transmission rate for oxygen and carbon dioxide is mainly determined by the presence of microperforations in the film. Such microperforations serve to control the oxygen concentration in the package atmosphere and facilitate exchange of gases through the packaging material, but hinder contamination or the packed material from outside sources. The oxygen concentration should be low enough to slow down aging processes, but at the same time high enough to prevent anaerobic processes such as bacterial growth. The microperforations in the film may provide a total open area configured to establish the desired oxygen and / or carbon dioxide transmission rate. Opening allow for increasing the transmission rate of a poorly transmitting material, the total open area may be determined by the number and sizes of the microperforations. The film may have a first transmission rate for the first substance and a second transmission rate for the second substance, the open area for the first or second transmission rate should be determined with the first or second transmission rate, respectively, tasks into account. The microperforations may have an open area or below 1 mm ² , eg, below 0.5 mm ² , eg about 0.25 mm ² . The microperforations may have a diameter or 200 pm or less for example.

Laser perforation is an effective way to provide such microperforations fast, reliable and in desired locations. A suitable laser perforation apparatus is disclosed for example in WO 2006/063609.

Although the containers can be wrapped manually, this step can also be automated, e.g., using suitably sized flow packing or flow wrapping machines. Flow pack machines configured for use with foil widths or at least 1000 mm, e.g., at least 1200 mm, e.g., at least 1300 mm can be used, particularly for wrapping whole-sale containers. The film can be supplied as a continuous roll or as pre-sized separate sheets. Pre-perforated films can be used, or the film can be perforated with the perforations of the desired size and number. In case of continuous films the film is cut into sheets or a desired length. Containers filled with the respiring produce are supplied by a conveyer and pass a folding station where a sheet is folded over the container.

During packing air can be removed for example by suction or by applying a pressure to the folded film by means of a pressure tool, e.g., a cushion, a sponge or a bristle or the like. By applying a suction, eg, applying a subnormal pressure below ambient pressure, air is removed from the film packaging before it is sealed, eg, by means of a heat seal to such extent that the film can be pressed against the outer walls of the container without formation or air bubbles. The head space in the container remains filled with air. The seal is air tight, so the only gas exchange between the two opposite sides of the package film is via the microperforations.

After the film has been applied and sealed, the packed containers can be piled on a pallet or a similar carrier. To enable dense stacking whole-sale containers are typically rectangular boxes, e.g., cardboard boxes, having straight walls without projecting edges or other protruding parts. A more stable stack is obtained if the containers are stacked in a staggered manner, e.g., with containers or a layer overlap at least two containers or a next layer, like brickwork.

The containers on the pallet can be of the same size and shape, or containers of different size and / or shape can be used. Since whole-sale containers for fresh produce typically contain typically have a volume or at least 3 liters.

The containers will typically be cardboard boxes or containers or wood or plastic.

Optionally, the containers can have side wall provided with one or more opening at head space level to allow sufficient gas exchange via the packaging film after the containers are stacked on top of one another. The head space is the space in the container between the packed product and the top edges of the container.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings showing an exemplary embodiment.

Figure 1: shows a whole-sale box;

Figure 2: shows a pallet with whole-sale boxes.

Figure 1 shows a whole-sale container 1 containing fresh produce 2, such as fresh fruit products or vegetables. In the shown embodiment, the wholesale container 1 is a stackable rectangular cardboard box with sidewalls having opening 3 above the level of the head space 4 in the box 1. The head space 4 is the empty space within the whole-sale box 1 above the packed produce 2.

The box 1 is wrapped with a vapor permable film 5 having a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) or more than 5 gms / 24hr / m ² at 38 ° C and 90% relative humidity (RH), such as the FlexFresh ™ film, available from Perfo Tec, the Netherlands.

The film 5 is microperforated, with perforations having a diameter below 200 pm in order to provide an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) or at least 1000 CC / 24hr / m ² at 23 ° C. The film 5 is wrapped using a flow wrapping or flow packing machine folding the film on all sides of the whole-sale box 1. During wrapping air is removed from the film's enclosure to such extent that the remaining air volume fits within the box's head space 4. As a result, a close and dense stacking of the boxes is not hindered by remaining air bubbles between the film and the outside of the box 1. The air is removed, for example by suction or by mechanical pressure, eg, exerted by one or more cushions or bristles.

The edges of the film 5 are sealed, e.g., by hot sealing.

The seal 6 is gastight so essentially all gas transmission and vapor transmission takes place via the film 5. In the shown embodiment of Figure 1 the seal 6 extends centrally over the full width of the top surface of the box 1.

Figure 2 shows a pallet 7 carrying a pile or stack 8 or whole-sale boxes 1. Each box 1 is individually wrapped with a film 5 as explained above with reference to Figure 1. Boxes 1A or a layer overlap two boxes IB or a next layer and form a brickwork pattern, stabilizing the stack 8. All boxes 1 are accessible from the outside. With a few cuts a customs officer will be able to cut open all films or the stack 7, for instance in case or a pest control treatment.

Claims (11)

CONCLUSIONS A method for packaging gas exchange products, which method comprises the following steps in succession: - a batch of the products is placed in a wholesale package; - the wholesale packaging is packaged in a vapor-permeable film; - the amount of air between the film and the container is reduced; - the film is closed. The method of claim 1 wherein a film is used with a water vapor permeability (WVTR) of at least 5 gms / 24hr / m2 at 38 ° C and at 90% relative humidity (RH), e.g., 5-300 gms / 24hr / m2 at 38 ° C and at 90% relative humidity (RH). The method of claim 1, wherein a film is used with microperforations. The method of claim 3, wherein the film has an oxygen permeability (OTR) of at least 1000 CC / 24hr / m2 at 23 ° C. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amount of air is reduced by suction. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wholesale package comprises boxes that are stacked on a carrier, such as a pallet. The method of claim 6, wherein boxes of one layer overlap at least two boxes of a subsequent layer. A method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein boxes are used with at least one side wall provided with at least one opening at the height of the head space. 5 A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wholesale packages are stackable rectangular boxes with a capacity of at least 3 liters. 10. Wholesale package containing fresh products, wherein the wholesale package is packaged in a micro-perforated film with a vapor permeability (WVTR) of at least 5 gms / 24hr / m2 at 38 ° C and at 90% relative humidity (RH). 11. Carrier provided with a stack of wholesale packages with gas-exchange products, wherein the wholesale packages are packaged in accordance with one of the preceding claims. Lp «Λ