Spain: 30% longer shelf life for fruits and vegetables thanks to a new cardboard box

This box is made with a type of “active cardboard” developed by the company in collaboration with researchers from the Polytechnic University and patented nationally and internationally.

This “smart” packaging, according to the professor responsible for the research, Antonio López, has antimicrobial properties that control the growth of microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria, which render fruits and vegetables unfit for consumption after a period of time.

It also prevents the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms that may be present in agricultural products, while also having an antioxidant effect that prevents color changes and browning of fruits and vegetables.

The packaging is intelligent, the researcher indicated, because it only activates these antimicrobial agents and oxidative process inhibitors when the box is loaded with fresh produce, during transport and cold storage.

Furthermore, natural and zero-waste products were used in its manufacture, which facilitates recycling.

Thanks to this technology, it is possible to solve, at least in part, the significant problem of product loss that occurs when fresh fruits and vegetables are packaged and transported in conventional boxes, and it will allow products to be exported in good condition to more distant markets, explained Saeco’s commercial director, Juan de Vicente Sandoval.

This company, a leader in the corrugated cardboard manufacturing sector, has been collaborating for a decade with the Refrigeration Engineering and Food Safety research group at the UPCT (University of the Basque Country), and they have jointly participated in several European research projects.

Source: EFE