Uflex partners with Dutch firm Perfotec to extend shelf life of papaya

Flexible packaging firm Uflex in collaboration with Perfotec, the Dutch company that offers respiration control system to extend the shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables, has developed packaging solution to offer better shelf life extension solution for papaya with reduction in transportation cost.

One of the major tropical fruits is papaya with exceptional nutritional benefits to the consumer.  It is rich in carotenes, vitamin C, antioxidants, flavonoids and several other minerals. It lowers cholesterol, helps in weight loss, and boosts immunity among several other health benefits.

More than 50 percent of the world’s papaya is produced in Asia, followed by South America with around 20 percent of the production. The US is the largest importer of papaya from South America with import volumes of around 200,000 tonnes annually. India is the largest producer of papaya in the world with almost 40 percent papaya produced, with a very high domestic consumption of the fruit.

Perfotec and Uflex have been working with fresh produce growers to maximise shelf life using active modified atmosphere packaging (AMAP) solution. The solutions deliver the best quality produce to the markets with possibility of moving away from air shipments and switching to sea shipments there by improving availability and also ensuring continuity in the supply chain making the product affordable for the consumers by cutting on expensive air freight simultaneously reducing the wastage.

Perfotec and Uflex jointly performed trials in India as well as Holland with leading growers and importers to determine the possible shelf life extension solution for papaya.

“Trials were conducted with Flexfresh liner bags (of Uflex) in open top corrugated boxes. Product was packed in semi ripe condition in warm condition in the liner bags and were hermetically closed and moved to the cold store. By using Flexfresh liner bags the product remains dry and registers a very low weight loss, due to the hydrated environment inside the bag. Flexfresh does not allow condensation due to its unique proprietary formulation giving a major relief to exporters against bacterial and fungal infections. With the biodegradability of the liner bag, it is a perfect sustainable solution,” explained N Siva Shankaran, vice president - Flexfresh, Uflex.

Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, Uflex Ltd, said, “The major benefit of using the Flexfresh liner bags is the possibility of having an elevated carbon dioxide level which prevented yellowing of the fruit and maintained firmness to the fruit quality. Growers can attain a shelf life of 30 days for papaya using the Flexfresh liner bags.”

Bas Groeneweg, director, Perfotec BV, informed, “With the health benefits of Papaya, Flexfresh liner bags will deliver good quality fruit around the year. With major health benefits of papaya, we should see more imports in to Europe.”