Lecture 4 (Packaging of Horticultural Crops)

POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY I
Chapter IV : Packaging of Horticultural Crops
Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Prepared by: Ana Mae W. Aquino, ABE, MSc
PACKAGING OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS
 Part of the postharvest losses of fresh produce

in less developed regions are a result of
mechanical injuries due to poor handling and
inadequate packaging.
 Proper packaging of a product can reduce not
only bruising and crushing, but can also
improve marketing of produce, reduce moisture
loss, prevent contamination of the product with
spoilage organisms, reduce pilferage, and
maintain a sanitary environment during
marketing.
 Characteristics of packaging:
A. To contain produce:
- As an efficient handling unit, easy to be handled by one person.
- As a marketable unit (ex. Units with the same content and weight)
B. To produce against:
- Rough handling during loading, unloading and transport – rigid crate
Pressure during stacking
Moisture or water loss with consequent weight and appearance loss

Heat: air flow through crate or box via ventilation loss

Fumigation possible through ventilation holes
C. To communicate:
Identification: a label with country of origin, volume, type or variety of
product (ex. Printed)
Marketing, advertising: recognizable trade name and trademark

D. To market the product:
Proper packaging will lead to reduced injuries of fruits and vegetables
and subsequently to improve appearance
 Standard units (weight or count) of a certain produce will increase speed
and efficiency of marketing
With reduced costs of transport and handling, stacking and combining of
packages into layer units like pallets is possible
Labels and slots facilitate inspection

 Requirements and functions of food containers:

a) they must be non-toxic and compatible with the specific foods;
b) sanitary protection;
c) moisture and fat protection;
d) gas and color protection;
e) light protection;
f) resistance to impact;
g) transparency;
h) tamperproofness;
 Requirements and functions of food containers:

i) ease of opening;
j) pouring features;
k) reseal features;
l) ease of disposal;
m) size, shape, weight limitations;
n) appearance, printability;
o) low cost; and
p) special features
 Classification of containers:
 Primary Containers
- are those which come in direct
contact with the food.
- some foods are provided with
efficient primary containers by nature,
such as nuts, oranges, eggs and the
like.

 Secondary Containers
- protective cartons or drums.
 Hermetic closure
- a container which is absolutely impermeable to gases and
vapors throughout its entirety, including seams.
impervious to bacteria, yeasts, molds, and dirt from dust
Ex. rigid metal cans and glass bottles
 Non-hermetic closure
- a container which prevents entry of microorganisms

 With very rare exceptions, flexible packages are not truly hermetic
for one or more of the following reasons:
 the thin flexible films, even when they do not contain minute pinholes,
generally are not completely gas and water vapor impermeable although
the rates of gas and water vapor transfer are generally slow;
 the seals are generally good but imperfect;
 even where film materials may be gas-and-water vapor-tight, such certain

gages of aluminum foil, flexing of packages and pouches leads to minute
pinholes and crease holes.
 Packaging Materials:
 Films and foils
o have different values for moisture and
gas permeability, strength, elasticity,
inflammability, and resistance to insect
penetration and many of these
characteristics depend upon the film’s
thickness.


 Plastic Sheets
o cellophane paper can be used for packing
of dried products, mainly for dried fruit
leathers.
o polyethylene sheets and bags is a good
packing material for primary protection of
dehydrated products but is necessary to
combine polyethylene with other materials.

 Receptacles and packaging in plastic materials:
o receptacles that can be treated with heat: boxes, bottles, and
bags (sterilizable bags and polyethylene bags for packing and
pasteurization of sauerkraut)
o receptacles that are not treated during processing of fruit and

vegetables, also divided in bags and boxes

 Laminates
- are multi-layers of flexible materials such as papers, plastic films, and
thin metal foils.
 commercial laminates containing up to as many as eight different
layers are commonly custom designed for a particular product.
 laminations of different materials may be formed by various processing
including bonding with a wet adhesive, dry bonding layers with a
thermoplastic adhesive, hot melting laminating where one or both layers
exhibit thermoplastic properties, and special extrusion techniques.
 Laminates

 Glass Containers
 glass used for receptacles in fruit and vegetable processing is carefully
controlled mixture of sand, soda, ash, limestone and other materials
made molten by heating to about 1500°C.

 Classification of glass containers
a) jars which are resistant to heat treatments;
b) Jars, glasses, etc. for products not submitted
to heat treatment (marmalades, acidified
vegetables, etc.);
c) glass bottles for pasteurized products
(tomato juice, fruit juices, etc.); and
d) receptacles with higher capacity (flasks, etc.)
 Paper packaging
- kraft paper is the brown unbleached heavy duty
paper commonly used for bags and for wrapping; it
is seldom used as a primary container;
- parchment paper: acid treatment of paper pulp

modifies the cellulose and oil resistance and
considerable wet strength;

 “Tin can”/tinplate
- the tin can is a container made of tinplate. Tinplate, a rigid and
impervious material, consists of a thin sheet of low carbon steel coated on
both sides with a very thin layer of tin.


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POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY I

Chapter IV : Packaging of Horticultural Crops

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

 Part of the postharvest losses of fresh produce

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Heat: air flow through crate or box via ventilation loss

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

 Requirements and functions of food containers:

 Requirements and functions of food containers:

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

 even where film materials may be gas-and-water vapor-tight, such certain

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

o receptacles that are not treated during processing of fruit and

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

- parchment paper: acid treatment of paper pulp

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

Course code & title: PHT 2101 – Postharvest Technology I

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