Packaging of respiring biological materials
AssigneeLandec Corporation
InventorRaymond Clarke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Packaging of respiring biological materials, particularly bananas and other fruits, in sealed containers. The containers preferably include a gas-permeable membrane comprising (1) a microporous film, and (2) a polymeric coating on the microporous film. Using appropriate containers and appropriate controlled atmospheres around the container, the respiring materials can be stored and/or ripened under controlled conditions. Bananas can be ripened while they are being transported, or in conventional ripening rooms without opening the containers in which they have been transported. The ripe bananas are less dehydrated and remain in a satisfactory ripened state for longer periods of time.
Claims11
A sealed container which
- (A) has a volume of at least 8 m3,
- (B) contains
- (i) a controlled atmosphere in which the content of oxygen is less than in air, and
- (ii) a plurality of sealed packages which are surrounded by the controlled atmosphere, each of the sealed packages comprising
- (a) a sealed polymeric bag, and
- (b) within the sealed polymeric bag, bananas and a packaging atmosphere around the bananas, the packaging atmosphere being an equilibrium atmosphere comprising O2, CO2, and exogenous ethylene or the residue of exogenous ethylene, the O2 content having a substantially constant value which is 1.5 to 6%, the CO2 content having a substantially constant value which is less than 15%, and the total quantity of O2 and CO2 being less than 16%;
- the sealed polymeric bag
- (a) having an O2 permeability at 13° C. per kg of bananas in the package (OP13/kg), of at least 1500 ml/atm. 24 hrs, an ethylene permeability at 13° C. per kg of bananas (EtP13/kg) which is at least 2 times of the OP13/kg, and an R ratio at 13° C. of at least 3;
- and
- (b) including at least one atmosphere control member which provides a pathway for O2, CO2 and ethylene to enter or leave the packaging atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.