RPC specialist Ifco has launched its new Banana Lift Lock crate, specially designed for a secure transportation of bananas throughout the entire supply chain.
According to Ifco, the Banana Lift Lock offers various advantages for the transportation of bananas on their often long overseas journeys.
These benefits include superior ventilation for faster cooling and optimal ripening, an increased strength for ultimate protection and an even better design to increase sustainability throughout the entire supply chain.
The Banana Lift Lock is also compatible with the other Ifco Lift Lock family RPCs, Ifco noted.
“At IFCO we have many years of experience in designing dedicated packaging for the transportation of bananas since the Caja Oro crate was launched in the US about 15 years ago,' said Ifco chief executive Michael Pooley. 'With the Banana Lift Lock, we build on all this experience to introduce a crate that offers additional benefits for the transportation of fresh bananas from the plantation to the point of sale that is often thousands of kilometers away.
'This specially designed crate not only improves the sustainability throughout the entire supply chain even further, it also increases efficiency through its compatibility with all other IFCO RPCs,' he noted. 'The improved design ensures an easier handling and benefits all growers, supply chain workers and employees at the point of sale.”
Sustainable option
Ifco said that the Banana Lift Lock offered advantages compared to single-use cardboards, helping to save packaging and reduce food waste, promoting sustainability and automation in the banana supply chain.
The group's banana RPCs cool bananas to the ideal temperature 33 per cent faster than single-use packaging, it said, holding the temperature 41 per cent more consistently.
The ventilation is specially designed to ensure better airflow and greater, more efficient, control of the ripening process. The bananas can ripen uniformly to the desired level, improving both shelf life and visual appeal at the point of sale.
In addition to the specially designed ventilation, the weight-bearing design of the Banana Lift Lock protects bananas from damage and helps to reduce food waste and increase shelf life.
Circular economy
'The robust, durable and easy to handle Banana Lift Locks are integrated into the Ifco SmartCycle, a model of circular economy that is based on the principals of sustainability and reusability,' Ifco stated. 'This model focuses on eliminating waste on all levels and reducing the carbon footprint of producers, distributors, ripening specialists and retailers.
'Integrated into the Ifco SmartCycle pooling system, the Ifco Banana Lift Lock strengthens the company’s long-standing commitment to meet the demands of modern-day responsible farming and supports the significant reduction of CO2 emissions across the supply chain. In addition to that, the Banana Lift Lock is part of IFCO’s engagement in making the fresh grocery supply chain more sustainable.'
