Name: MEBY P.

LAMOSTE Date Conducted: ________________

Year & Section: BSA 2/ PHT 1 EF2 Date Submitted: ________________

Exercise No.3
Packaging Materials

Introduction

The shelf life of perishable foods as fruits and vegetables is limited by various
factors that generally bring to changes in odor, flavor, color and texture until to their
complete unacceptability. Packaging is the main tool to prevent product deterioration and
prolong its shelf life. The package protects the food against physical, chemical and
biological damage. It also acts as a physical barrier to oxygen, moisture, volatile chemical
compounds and microorganisms that are detrimental to food.

The package has to be considered as an integral part of the preservation system

because it provides a barrier between the food and the external environment. Package
performance depends on numerous variables, such as the initial food quality, the
processing operations, the size, the shape and appearance of package, the distribution
method and the disposal of packages.

Objectives
1. To be familiar with the different packaging materials used in storing perishables.
2. To know which packaging material is suitable for specific fruits and vegetables.

Methodology
The researchers are tasked to give at least 20 types of packaging used to store
fruits and vegetables to lengthen the storage life of the commodities. They should also
give a short description on EACH packaging material together with its image. Lastly,
researchers are tasked to answer the questions given.
Results and Discussion

Table 1. Types of packaging materials

PACKAGING
DESCRIPTION IMAGE
MATERIAL
PET (also abbreviated PETE) is
short for polyethylene
terephthalate, the chemical name
for polyester.
PET is a clear, strong, and
Box Polyethylene
lightweight plastic that is widely
Terephthalate
used as packaging for fruits &
vegetables especially those that
are sold in supermarkets.

literally form the base on

which most fresh produce
is delivered to the consumer.
Pallets were first used during
World War II as an efficient
Pallets
way to move goods. The produce
industry uses approximately 190
of the 700 million pallets produced
per year in the United States.

Substantial wooden pallet bins

of milled lumber or plywood
are primarily used to move
produce from the field or orchard
to the packing house.
Pallet bins
 Although alternatives are
available, wooden wire-bound
crates are used extensively for
snap beans, sweet corn and
several other commodities that
Wire-Bound Crates require hydrocooling. Wire-bound
crates are sturdy, rigid and have
very high stacking strength that is
essentially unaffected by water.

Wooden crates, once extensively

used for apples, stone fruit, and
potatoes have been almost totally
replaced by other types of
containers. The relative expense
of the container, a greater concern
for tare weight, and advances in
Wooden Crates and Lugs material handling have reduced
their use to a few specialty items,
such as expensive tropical fruit.
The 15-, 20-, and 25-pound
wooden lugs still used for bunch
grapes and some specialty crops
are being gradually replaced with
less costly alternatives.
Wire-reinforced wood veneer
baskets and hampers of different
sizes were once used for a wide
variety of crops from strawberries
to sweet potatoes. They are
durable and may be nested for
Wooden Baskets and
efficient transport when empty.
Hampers
However, cost, disposal problems,
and difficulty in efficient
palletization have severely limited
their use to mostly local grower
markets where they may be re-
used many times.
 Containers made from recycled paper
pulp and a starch binder are mainly
used for small consumer packages of
fresh produce. Pulp containers are
available in a large variety of shapes
Pulp containers and sizes and are relatively
inexpensive in standard sizes.

Consumer packs of potatoes and

onions are about the only produce
items now packed in paper bags. The
more sturdy mesh bag has much
wider use. In addition to potatoes and
onions, cabbage, turnips, citrus, and
some specialty items are packed in
mesh bags. Sweet corn may still be
Paper bags packaged in mesh bags in some
markets. In addition to its low cost,
mesh has the advantage of
uninhibited air flow. Good ventilation
is particularly beneficial to onions.
Supermarket produce managers like
small mesh bags because they make
attractive displays that stimulate
purchases.
One of the newest trends in produce
packaging is the shrink wrapping of
individual produce items. Shrink
wrapping has been used successfully
to package potatoes, sweet potatoes,
apples, onions, sweet corn,
Shrink wrap cucumbers and a variety of tropical
fruit. Shrink wrapping with an
engineered plastic wrap can reduce
shrinkage, protect the produce from
disease, reduce mechanical damage
and provide a good surface for stick-
on labels.
Conclusion

Answers to Questions

1. What type of packaging material is used to store leafy vegetables?

The flexible packaging used herein to wrap cut leafy vegetables is preferably a clear
thermoplastic polyester film, but of adequate strength and flexibility to meet moisture
and gas permeability requirements. Any coated or uncoated sheet material or film is
useful. Packaging materials that meet these specifications tend to prevent discoloration
and fogging during long-term storage.

2. Can you use the same packaging materials for fruits and vegetables? If yes why? If
no, why not?

Yes, why? For example, plastic bags (polyethylene film) are the predominant
material for fruit and vegetable consumer packaging. Besides the very low material
costs, automated bagging machines further reduce packing costs.

3. Give at least 5 advantages of using packaging materials in fruits and vegetables.

1. Packaging protects the product.

2. Packaging keeps the product from going bad.
3. Packaging decreases costs.
4. Packaging informs.
5. Packaging provides hygiene.

4. Give at least 5 disadvantages of using packaging materials in fruits and vegetables.

1. Higher weight incurs higher transport costs than the other types of packaging.
2. Lower resistance than other materials to fractures, scratches and thermal shock.
3. More variable dimensions than metal or plastic containers.
4. Potentially serious hazards from glass splinters or fragments in foods.
5. With extreme heat, it can melt or deform.

5. Differentiate the packaging methods used in wet markets and supermarkets(malls).

The difference between wet markets and supermarkets is that wet market have
no packaging and the goods usually come without certifications or stamps to
indicate that they comply with national food safety standards while in the
supermarket the fruits and vegetables must be stored in a plastic bags or
container in the crisper of your fridge. Vegetables should be stored in a different
part of the fridge than fruit. This will prevent them from ripening too fast.
References

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/41669 Accessed on April 26, 2022

http://www.petresin.org/news_introtoPET.asp Accessed on April 26, 2022