Pioneering Egyptian organic grape exporter Bio Egypt has shipped 6,500 cartons of fruit to Europe packed in Xtend® carton liners developed especially for grapes.
Bio Egypt is at the forefront of organic agriculture in Egypt, and has used the bags, manufactured by Israeli MA packaging specialist StePac, to extend shelf life and enhance performance during shipping for continental and UK customers.
Organic growers cannot use sulphur pads to extend shelf life, as is the case with their conventional counterparts. Mohamed Al Nahrawy, president of Bio Egypt, who founded the operation in 1992, said that after years of research and trials on post-harvest solutions for organic grapes, he has found that Xtend bags are making a valuable contribution to customer satisfaction.
“We had very impressive results with Xtend bags this grape season. The quality of the fruit on arrival was practically the same as on departure and the loss of fruit was minimal,” said Al Nahrawy.
In the UK, John Spencer of Organic Farm Foods said: “Xtend bags performed consistently and reliably, delivering good-quality grapes throughout the Egyptian season. This despite the potential for increased disease levels, wastage and rejections as the season progresses due to increasing cultivation temperatures and maturing crop.
“We were also pleased to observe that stem dehydration and browning did not become a significant issue with grapes packed in Xtend.”
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