Biodegradable product extends produce shelf life

THE Flexfresh^TM Film, designed for packaging fresh produce, maintains the humidity inside the bag at 98 percent and keeps the product absolutely dry without allowing condensation. As the produce continues breathing in hydrated oxygen, it results in very low weight loss.

The film from Uflex provides good release characteristics of CO2 emitted by the produce, which helps protect it naturally from diseases such as Botrytis and Gray Mold. This also helps maintain an equilibrium ratio between oxygen and CO2.

Biodegradable by composting, the Flexfresh complies with EC 1935/2004, EC 1907/2006 and DIN EN 13432 (2000-12). It is available as Liner Bags in 5kg and 10Kg standard international sizes, Flow Wraps, FFS Film and Lidding film.

Uflex is working on a retail pack film for FFS for both cut and whole products. The company’s Noida Packaging plant has installed and commissioned two respiration meters at its Fresh Produce Research and Innovation Laboratory. Its team of food technologists and packaging professionals is developing different Flexfresh packaging formats.

Uflex, India’s largest global flexible packaging company, decided to offer shelf life extension solutions to the Indian fresh produce industry in 2014. It developed the product with a foreign technology partner.

According to Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director of Uflex Limited, "The solution Equilibrium Modified Atmospheric Packaging (EMAP) entails maintaining consistent oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the bag during the shelf life of the produce."  

(Photo: Uflex)

Mr Chaturvedi said that during the initial phase of trials, the technical team thought traditional polymers being used for extending the shelf life of fresh produce may not work. Noting that most available polymers were good barriers to oxygen or water, they saw the need for a unique polymer that can offer the precise requirements of both oxygen and water barriers.

Fresh produce packaging requires that the oxygen is maintained to keep the product in aerobic conditions. Humidity gets released and condenses inside the bag during transportation, and this results in fungal and bacterial infections.

“In fact, all existing fresh produce packaging solutions in the world grappled with the problem of water condensation inside the bag – a fact that was established during our market study. Also for products that perspired heavily, it was found that the MAP did not work due to higher CO2 inside the bag changing the organoleptic of the produce," added Mr Chaturvedi.