Packaging methods and requirements for transporting fruits

One, the choice of packaging materials

   Most of the earliest packaging containers were made of plant materials, such as leaves, reeds and straws that were woven and designed to be easy to carry. In the future, when people use livestock for transportation, the size of the packaging has also increased, and the packaging materials used have also tended to be diversified.

   At present, there are many outer packaging materials used in our country’s fruits, which can be divided into the following five types:

   Baskets: Baskets made of natural plant materials such as bamboo and vitex are traditional packaging containers in my country. The main advantage of this material is that it is cheap, light, and can be woven into containers of almost any shape and size. The disadvantage is that the shape is irregular and often not very solid. Therefore, it is not enough to prevent damage; the size is large, and it is easy to be fatigued with artificial installation; the shape is usually large and small, although it can reduce the pressure on the lower layer of fruits, it is difficult to stack on the ground during transportation and storage.

  Wooden boxes: Wooden boxes are better than containers made of other natural plant materials. The advantage is that they are strong and can be made into a uniform shape of various specifications. It is stronger than other materials in preventing physical damage. However, the wooden box itself is heavier, and it is difficult to handle and transport.

  Cardboard box: Corrugated cardboard box is a product of western technology. It is light and cheap. Therefore, as a substitute for wooden boxes, it appears in large quantities in water.

   Fruit circulation field. Another advantage of the cardboard box is that it has a smoother appearance and is easy to use printed labels and promotional materials. The biggest disadvantage of the cardboard box is that it cannot be reused. Once it is eroded by water or processed extensively, it is easy to be damaged.

  Plastic boxes: Plastic boxes can be made of a variety of synthetic materials, but they are mainly made of the following two materials: harder high-density polyethylene type and softer low-density polystyrene type. The high-density polyethylene box is strong and strong. It can easily withstand the various pressures that can be encountered under normal circumstances in circulation, and can be stacked to a certain height; at the same time, because this box can be easily manufactured Uniform specifications can maximize the use of storage space; it is strong and has greater flexibility in design. It is also possible to add handles and vents on the wall of the box without weakening the mechanical strength of Dingzi. In addition, it is easy to clean, has a smooth appearance, and can be made into a variety of bright colors. If the boxes are designed so that they can be nested together, the space occupied by the empty boxes is only about one-third or less of that of the full boxes.

  People think that these plastic boxes have ideal technical characteristics in meeting the requirements of the circulation of fresh fruits and vegetables, so they are used as substitutes for traditional packaging containers in any packaging development project. However, the polyethylene material is very expensive, and it is economically feasible to use this kind of box only if it can effectively organize the recycling and make it reused many times.

   Polystyrene is strong, low in density, light in weight, and good in heat insulation. It can be used to transport pre-cooled goods at daily temperatures. In addition, this material has a good ability to smooth impact. Its main disadvantage is that if excessive sudden force is used, it will rupture or crush. At the same time, due to the inconvenience of cleaning, the surface deformation of the first use, etc., the container made of this material cannot be used for the second time, resulting in excessively high use cost.

   The above five kinds of packaging materials are mainly made into packaging containers to resist damage from the outside world and belong to the outer packaging of commodities. In the packaging container, each product may collide with each other or the product and the container, and this movement will also cause physical damage to the product. Adding inner packaging to the packaging container can prevent damage caused by such collisions. The main materials used for inner packaging are:

  Plant materials: Plant materials such as leaves are the cheapest inner packaging in rural areas. They are mainly used for liners and are very effective in protecting goods. In many parts of our country, leaves are used as the inner packaging of baskets. However, plant materials are biological tissues, so they have to breathe. Their breath can affect the product, increase the degree of heat accumulation in the packaging container, and expand the infection of microorganisms. Sometimes, the inner packaging of such plant materials also detracts from the visual appearance of the product.

  Paper: Paper is widely used as an inner packaging material, and the cheapest is old newspapers. The role played by paper and plant leaves is basically the same, but in addition to paper liners, they can also be used to package goods. Compared with plant materials, paper is not necessarily more effective in protecting products, but it will not have any bad interaction with products, and can significantly improve the visual appearance of products in the market.

   There are many types of inner wrapping paper, including wrapping paper, paper pallet, corrugated slat paper and so on. Wrapping paper can be used to protect individual commodities, and can also be used as a post-harvest chemical treatment carrier. Paper pallets and inserts can be used to separate the number of rows of products or as an extra liner for separating containers. The insert paper can also be made into pits or grids in the packaging container to completely isolate each individual product.

  Plastic: The method of using plastic inner packaging is the same as that of paper, and there are many types. It is more attractive than paper packaging and has significant advantages in controlling product loss and breathing, but the cost is higher. People also use soft wood shavings, foam plastic or fiber surface layer as inner packaging.

   In short, the choice of packaging is limited by the cost of the fruit and vegetable product itself. Factors such as the value of the product, the cost of the packaging, the effect of protecting the quality of the product, and the sales price must be considered. The cheapest materials for fruit and vegetable packaging are baskets and bags made of native plant materials. But the actual situation tells people that using this kind of packaging, the product suffers a considerable degree of physical damage. For example, bamboo baskets have many limitations. Firstly, they are large in size and difficult to handle with ease during operation; secondly, they are overloaded, which puts the product under a lot of pressure. In addition, it is not conducive to stacking during transportation and storage. Therefore, some experts argue that this kind of material is inappropriate for packaging materials and that this kind of packaging should be abolished step by step and other packaging materials should be used. According to my country’s actual situation, the natural cost of bamboo is low. As long as the packaging container is made smaller, covered, and the operation is appropriately improved, bamboo basket packaging can continue to be used.

   2. The effect of packaging on product quality

  Packaging is used to protect the product. It protects the product from the following aspects:

   1. Prevent mechanical damage

   The mechanical damage suffered by products during the circulation process can be attributed to four different reasons: extrusion, collision (friction) and cutting. Various fruits have different susceptibility to mechanical damage, so these differences should be considered in the selection of packaging containers and packaging methods.

   The external squeeze of the packaging container first acts on the packaging container. When the mechanical strength of the packaging container cannot withstand the external pressure, the product will be squeezed. Trays, honeycomb gaskets, etc. can be used in the packaging box to enhance the mechanical strength of the packaging container, and sometimes a cover is added to the packaging container, which can also enhance the support capacity of the packaging container itself for the upper load. In fact, it is often due to the influence of the external environment that the mechanical strength of the packaging container is weakened, resulting in squeezing, such as in the air in a high-humidity environment, after condensation, or after being wet by rain, the commonly used corrugated The fiberboard box quickly loses strength due to moisture absorption. Therefore, this kind of cardboard box is not satisfactory enough for use in high-humidity cold storage. In the past few years, the Ministry of Commerce promoted calcium-plastic boxes for packaging fruits. This kind of packaging boxes has low water absorption rate and overcomes the shortcomings of moisture absorption of cartons, but the cost is high, and it is brittle and easy to break under low humidity conditions.

   The cause of the collision is due to sudden force, such as rough handling during loading and unloading, falling of packages during transportation or sudden braking. Vibration is common in transportation. The damage of vibration is to cause abrasion, which can cause slight scratches on the skin to wipe off part of the flesh. All these wound surfaces caused by abrasions will brown due to the exposure of the tannic acid oxygen and similar substances in the injured tissue to the air, which damages the quality of the product, especially the appearance quality. What is more harmful is that these wound surfaces It is a window for infection of diseases and enhances the respiration of the fruit, thereby accelerating the deterioration.

   To prevent product shock and vibration, pay attention to two aspects: on the one hand, there should be no relative displacement between each product and between the product and the packaging container to avoid vibration damage. On the other hand, the packaging container should be full, but not too full or too tight; otherwise, crushing and bruising will increase. The products can be wrapped one by one and separated one by one; fruit products can also be packaged in compartments and layers, or covered with some cushioning that can reduce vibration, but this will inevitably increase the cost, so you must consider using it These packaging can reduce the loss and increase the income, after comparing, decide whether to use this kind of packaging. In short, handling with care is the best way to reduce physical damage.


Post time: Dec-27-2021