Packaging of bananas
AssigneeApio, Inc.
InventorRaymond Clarke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Packaging of bananas in containers having designed permeabilities to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene. The containers preferably include a gas-permeable membrane comprising (1) a microporous film, and (2) a polymeric coating on the microporous film. The containers enable storage and/or ripening of bananas under controlled conditions. Using the new containers, bananas can be ripened while they are being transported, or in conventional ripening rooms without opening the bags in which they have been transported. In addition, bananas can be preserved in a satisfactory ripened state for longer periods of time.
Claims12
A package which is at a temperature of 13-18° C. and which comprises
- (a) a sealed container, and
- (b) within the sealed container, at least 4 kg of bananas which have not yet commenced their climacteric, and a packaging atmosphere around the bananas;
- the sealed container having an O2 permeability at 13° C., per kg of bananas in the container (OP13/kg), of at least 1500 ml/atm.24 hrs, an R ratio at 13° C. of at least 3, and an ethylene permeability at 13° C., per kg of bananas in the container (EtOP13/kg) which is at least 3 times the OP13/kg of the container;
- and the packaging atmosphere being an equilibrium atmosphere in which the oxygen content has a substantially constant value which is from 14 to 19%, the carbon dioxide content has a substantially constant value which is less than 10%, and the total quantity of oxygen and carbon dioxide has a substantially constant value which is less than 20%.
A package which is at a temperature of 13-18° C. and which comprises
- (a) a sealed container which comprises
- (i) a polyethylene bag, and
- (ii) at least one permeable control member which provides a pathway for O2, CO2 and ethylene to enter or leave the packaging atmosphere and which comprises a gas-permeable membrane comprising a microporous polymeric film, and a polymeric coating on the microporous film;
- and
- (b) within the sealed container, at least 4 kg of bananas which have not yet commenced their climacteric, and a packaging atmosphere around the bananas;
- and
- the sealed container having an O2 permeability at 13° C., per kg of bananas in the container (OP13/kg), of at least 1500 ml/atm.24 hrs, an R ratio at 13° C. of at least 3, and an ethylene permeability at 13° C., per kg of bananas in the container (EtOP13/kg) which is at least 3 times the OP13/kg of the container;
- and the packaging atmosphere
- (i) being an equilibrium atmosphere in which the oxygen content has a substantially constant value which is from 14 to 19%, the carbon dioxide content has a substantially constant value which is less than 10%, and the total quantity of oxygen and carbon dioxide has a substantially constant value which is less than 20%, and
- (ii) being free of ethylene which has been added to the packaging atmosphere from a source of ethylene other than the bananas themselves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.