Active packaging breakthrough extends pear shelf life
Active packaging breakthrough extends pear shelf life
Trials from Argentina have revealed that an innovative MCPBag — active packaging that releases the freshness-protecting compound 1-MCP directly inside each bag, offers growers and retailers a powerful new way to reduce waste and extend shelf life across long supply chains, where pears often soften and lose value within just days after packing.
Trials showed that William’s pears (Pyrus communis L.) packed in MCPBag powered by Vidre+ technology ripened significantly slower than those in standard packaging. Results from university testing showed that using the MCPBag during fruit packing and then storing the pears for as short a time as four days or up to 120 days in regular atmosphere storage and then eight days at room temperature significantly reduced ethylene production by 2.7 fold from 218 units in the normal bags used by packers to about 80 units of ethylene with the MCPBag.
“With Vidre+ technology implemented in MCPBag, we are not just slowing ripening — we’re redefining what a fruit package can do. With this technology, we’ve proven that even high-respiration fruit like pears respond to smart, targeted 1-MCP delivery, giving packers a tremendous new tool for managing freshness throughout the supply chain. This technology turns a bag or tray into a freshness system, without needing sealed rooms or heavy infrastructure,” said Tim Malefyt, chief technology officer at Fresh Inset.
MCPBag powered by Vidre+ technology provides a small coated surface of a controlled-release 1-MCP inside fruit-specific packaging. This packaging then gradually releases 1-MCP over a 24-hour period, inhibiting ethylene response and thereby slowing ripening and softening of the fruits.
Vidre+, developed by Fresh Inset, takes this concept further: a low-cost sticker or label placed inside the existing carton, clamshell or bag releases 1-MCP over time, enabling active shelf-life extension inside the pack without requiring specialized treatment rooms or additional CAPEX. According to Fresh Inset, the technology could reduce global fruit and vegetable waste by up to 9.46 million tonnes annually.