Perforated containers extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables

16/01/2015

Extend the useful life of fruit and vegetable products by making small holes in their packaging using laser. It almost seems like magic, but it's what PerfoTec is doing right now with the entire produce department at Marks & Sepencer. Ivo Hendriks explains how the Breathing Control System combats deterioration in the fruit and vegetable sector.

Waste of food

Combating food waste is not only a trend, but also an economic opportunity for many companies. PerfoTec has developed a way to extend the useful life of products by adapting the perforation of bulk or consumer containers according to the breathing requirements of the products. "Each horticultural product (processed or not) breathes in a different way, even after harvest", Clarifies Ivo Hendriks. "Much oxygen can cause decay, but insufficient oxygen can cause choking. In both cases the useful life is reduced" This is avoided with the PerfoTec Breathing Control System. A respiration meter measures how much oxygen a fruit produces and, based on these figures, the packaging requirements are foreseen and the optimal amount of microperforations is practiced with a laser. This prolongs the freshness of the product in several days.

Possibilities of a longer useful life

A longer shelf life of the products offers diverse opportunities to the fruit and vegetable sector. For example, the range of action of the suppliers is extended. "Thanks to the longer life, you can transport the product further or choose a cheaper form of transport" It is also possible to maintain a larger supply.

Storage and weight loss

Thanks to the PerfoTec technique, the chain can be controlled better. "You reduce the waste of food, you increase your reliability. But you also increase your profits because you do not have to throw away so much product"Explains Hendriks. "It is much easier to participate in the market" In addition, there is hardly any weight loss with the packaging of PerfoTec. "With our new bulk packaging you just have to send 5,1 kilos, instead of 5,5 kilos, so that your clients get 5 kilos. That is the most immediate benefit".

The perforation does not influence the speed of packaging. However, it is a good idea to put a sample on the breathing meter regularly, every day. "The respiration of the product differs according to season, but also according to variety and the location of the crop. This means that sometimes you have to adapt the perforation. And with the information of the breathing meter, you get to know your best product".

Global users

The PerfoTec system has been around for almost ten years and more and more companies are choosing it. The Hessing and Vezet cutters are starting to use it, Smits Uien already has it. The British market also knows the company: Manor Fresh and Drysdales, among others, have found it. At the end of January, a laser system will be installed in the packaging line of Sunberry International. In South Africa suppliers of pome fruit and red fruits are interested and in Morocco they are working with perforated containers for beans. "From potatoes to raspberries"Confirms Hendriks. "This is another challenge. Potatoes turn green, cabbages turn brown, but celery is a completely different story".

This year a new challenge has begun for the company. Together with the soft fruit growers, PerfoTec was already supplying packaging for the soft fruits to Marks & Spencer, but as of this year, the retailer has sent the entire department to the company. "In strawberries and raspberries the rot has been reduced by 50%. Thanks to the improvement in quality, sales have increased. That's why it's a logical step that you want to review the rest of your fresh assortment".

Maintaining quality and delaying rot has priority in the retail sector now more than ever. Saving costs and increasing sales is of the greatest importance now that the margins are so small. And, apart from that, it is a way of defining oneself with the best fresh assortment.

Source: Freshplaza.es