Preservative and anti-fungal packaging device
AssigneeTessara (Pty) Ltd
InventorsFilicity VRIES, Chanel DANIEL-SWARTLAND, Renier KEMP, Elton WILLIAMS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a preservation and/or anti-fungal device for use with fresh fruit and/or vegetables including tomatoes, grapes and in particular soft fruit, such as but not limited to blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and/or blackberries, wherein the device comprises a packaging container for the fruit or vegetables and a sulphur dioxide (SO2)-generating multilayer laminated film adapted to seal the container once the fruit or vegetables have been packaged in the container. The invention further relates to a method for preserving fruit or vegetables and/or inhibiting fungal growth with the use of the preservation and/or anti-fungal device.
Claims33
A preservation and/or anti-fungal device for use with fresh fruit and/or vegetables, comprising tomatoes, grapes, soft fruit, berries including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, wherein the device comprises a packaging container, including a punnet, for containing the fruit and/or vegetables and a sulphur dioxide (SO2)-generating multilayer laminated film adapted to seal the packaging container through sealable contact of a first, operably inwardly-facing layer of the multilayer laminated film with an open end of the packaging container once the fruit and/or vegetables have been packaged in the packaging container, wherein the SO2-generating multilayer laminated film comprises:
- (i) a first, operably inwardly-facing layer and a second, operably outwardly-facing layer which are each comprised of a material selected from:
- A. a thermoplastic material,
- B. a material coated with a thermoplastic coating including a heat-seal lacquer selected from a bonding agent including an aqueous emulsion containing copolymers, an inorganic crosslinking agent, a solvent-free polyester resin or an aqueous co-polyester dispersion and a filler, or
- C. a non-thermoplastic polymer or a paper without thermoplastic coating;
- and
- (ii) an inner adhesive layer between the first and second layers, having a coating weight from about 1 GSM to about 100 GSM, or any subrange contained therein, comprising an adhesive composition, including a polyurethane adhesive composition, comprising a solventless polyurethane adhesive composition at a concentration of between about 30% to about 90% weight/weight (w/w) or any subrange contained therein, and sodium metabisulphite (SMBS) microgranules having a diameter of between about 1 μm and about 250 μm or any subrange contained therein at a concentration of between about 10% to about 70% (w/w) or any subrange contained therein, and optionally a chemical ethylene scrubber selected from the group comprising potassium permanganate, a zeolite, active carbon or pumice,
- wherein, where the first, operably inwardly-facing layer comprises a material selected from a non-thermoplastic polymer or paper without thermoplastic coating, the edges of the open end of the packaging container or the edges of the inwardly-facing layer operably in contact with the edges of the open end of the packaging container are coated with an adhesive including a cold seal adhesive, pressure sensitive adhesive, or peelable adhesive;
- and
- wherein the first, operably inwardly-facing layer is microperforated and the diameter of the microperforations range from about 0.05 to about 2.8 mm or any subrange contained therein.
A preservation and/or anti-fungal device for use during transport or storage of fresh fruit and/or vegetables comprising tomatoes, grapes, soft fruit, berries including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, wherein the device comprises a packaging container, including a punnet, for containing the fruit and/or vegetables and a sulphur dioxide (SO2)-generating multilayer laminated film adapted for flow-wrapping the packaging container with the multilayer laminated film such that a first, operably inwardly-facing layer of the multilayer laminated film is in contact with an open end of the container once the fruit and/or vegetables have been packaged in the container, and wherein the SO2-generating multilayer laminated film comprises:
- (i) the first, operably inwardly-facing layer and a second operably outwardly-facing layer, each comprised of a polymer selected from the group comprising a polyolefin film including Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE);
- or a polyester film including Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET);
- and
- (ii) an inner adhesive layer between the first and second layers, having a coating weight from about 1 GSM to about 100 GSM, or any subrange contained therein, comprising an adhesive composition, including a polyurethane adhesive composition further including a solventless polyurethane adhesive composition at a concentration of between about 30% to about 90% weight/weight (w/w) or any subrange contained therein and sodium metabisulphide (SMBS) microgranules having a diameter of between about 1 μm and about 250 μm or any subrange contained therein, at a concentration of between about 10% to about 70% (w/w) or any subrange contained therein, and optionally a chemical ethylene scrubber selected from the group comprising potassium permanganate, a zeolite, active carbon or pumice;
- wherein the first, operably inwardly-facing layer and/or the second, operably outwardly-facing layer are perforated and the diameter of the perforations range from about 0.05 to about 2.8 mm or any subrange contained therein;
- or from about 2.0 mm to about 100 mm, or any subrange contained therein;
- or a combination of perforations of from about 0.05 to about 2.8 mm or any subrange contained therein, or from about 2.0 mm to about 100 mm or any subrange contained therein.
A method for manufacturing a SO2-generating multilayer laminated film for use with the preservation and/or anti-fungal device of the invention comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a first, operably inwardly-facing layer comprised of:
- A. a thermoplastic material,
- B. a material coated with a thermoplastic coating including a heat-seal lacquer selected from a bonding agent including an aqueous emulsion containing copolymers, an inorganic crosslinking agent, a solvent-free polyester resin or an aqueous co-polyester dispersion and a filler, or
- C. a non-thermoplastic polymer or a paper without thermoplastic coating;
- and
- (ii) applying an adhesive layer having a coating weight from about 1 GSM to about 100 GSM, or any subrange contained therein, comprising an adhesive composition, including a polyurethane adhesive composition, comprising a solventless polyurethane adhesive composition at a concentration of between about 30% to about 90% weight/weight (w/w) or any subrange contained therein, and sodium metabisulphite (SMBS) microgranules having a diameter of between about 1 μm and about 250 μm or any subrange contained therein at a concentration of between about 10% to about 70% (w/w) or any subrange contained therein onto the first substrate material layer using a laminating or coating machine;
- (iii) layering a second, operably outwardly-facing layer which comprised of:
- A. a thermoplastic material,
- B. a material coated with a thermoplastic coating including a heat-seal lacquer selected from a bonding agent including an aqueous emulsion containing copolymers, an inorganic crosslinking agent, a solvent-free polyester resin or an aqueous co-polyester dispersion and a filler, or
- C. a non-thermoplastic polymer or a paper without thermoplastic coating with the use of a laminating machine onto the adhesive layer such that the adhesive layer is sandwiched in between the first and second layers;
- and
- (iv) wherein the first, operably inwardly-facing layer and/or the second, operably outwardly-facing layer are perforated and the diameter of the perforations range from about 0.05 to about 2.8 mm or any subrange contained therein;
- or from about 2.0 mm to about 100 mm or any subrange contained therein;
- or a combination of perforations of from about 0.05 to about 2.8 mm or any subrange contained therein, or from about 2.0 mm to about 100 mm or any subrange contained therein including by hot needle perforation, cold needle perforation or laser perforation either before or after lamination of the layers to form the SO2-generating multilayer laminated film.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.