Innovative packaging initiatives for fruit and vegetables

There is a great diversity of fruit and vegetable typologies, each with very specific characteristics and, in some cases, particularly perishable, so it is essential to minimise loss and waste through correct treatment and handling throughout the supply chain, from production to consumption. This is achieved through innovation to improve efficiency and productivity along the entire value chain. The right packaging system contributes to this product protection by providing additional functionality to the product. This is essential for certain products, such as fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, as additional protection by the packaging system is necessary to facilitate convenience in consumption. In other cases, packaging prevents other adverse effects, such as moisture condensation and premature rotting. Development of innovative packaging for fruit and vegetablesBelow we describe several initiatives in which AINIA?is collaborating in the development of innovative packaging to preserve the quality of fruit and vegetables. Packaging with faster cooling and less internal condensation for refrigerated fruit and vegetablesIn the fruit and vegetable sector, some needs have been detected, especially for products that go directly from the point of harvesting to baskets and are refrigerated in the plant, which must be achieved as quickly as possible. Any measure adopted to favour this rapid cooling will result in a better maintenance of the quality of the harvested product. Examples of these products are grapes, cherry tomatoes and strawberries. In this sense, VERIPACK EMBALAJES, S.L. has undertaken an internal project for the development of a new basket, the BPG85 "Breeze concept", designed for this type of products, which incorporates strategically placed perforations to favour the cooling of the contents and prevent the formation of condensation, which triggers the rapid deterioration of the food contained. AINIA has analysed the cooling and condensation evacuation capacity of these containers used in the fruit and vegetable sector and we have found that they increase the cooling speed of the contained product and reduce internal condensation compared to other baskets available on the market. Innovative technologies for gentle processing of fresh-cut fruit and vegetablesWith the aim of providing small fruit and vegetable producers with innovative gentle processing technologies that allow them to offer higher value products, AINIA is collaborating in the European FOX project, "Innovative down-scale FOod Processing in a boX".?This project started in 2019, coordinated by the German centre DIL, and in which 25 partners from 9 European countries are participating. Thus, within the project we are working on the design of 4 mobile units based on different processing typologies. Specifically, the mobile unit that we are leading from AINIA is related to the development of more sustainable packaging materials and is focused on fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. Development of thermoformable and heat-sealable cardboard trays for fruit and vegetablesWith the aim of transferring the technology of automatic thermoforming of packaging, in a manufacturing stage and from cellulosic material, to the food and beverage production market, through the validation of an industrial prototype in a real use case, we have collaborated in the development of a production system for cardboard trays, compatible with MAP, Skin, or vacuum packaging processes. This development meets the needs of companies in the industrial sector of packaged food that require new, more sustainable packaging in accordance with the growing demands of the consumer public, aligned with the reduction in the consumption of materials that are difficult to recycle and in line with greater environmental awareness, but which at the same time guarantee the maintenance of the levels of quality and food safety, and the shelf life periods, already achieved by the food industry thanks to the use of multilayer plastic materials. This tray achieves a 95% reduction in the use of plastic materials, and is easily adaptable to numerous formats including multipacks or multi-cavity packs, e.g. salads with toppings and sauces. This innovation provides the possibility to develop new, greener lines of business, aligned with the objectives of the circular economy, for all actors in the food value chain, for example for producers and/or distributors of thermosealed food trays, such as fruit and vegetables.