Andrew Wright believes supermarkets will ban sulphur pads in grape packing before long, due to the possible health risks associated with them. They have already been temporarily banned in some Scandinavian countries and two major UK retailers are said to be taking steps to ban them in this country.
Knight is confident Longlife Solutions has created the ideal alternative in the form of SMART sachets or pads, the organic equivalent to sulphur pads and ethylene scrubbers. “This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to the grape industry,” he says.
According to Longlife Solutions, SMART granule technology, in conjunction with SMARTBAG technology, increases shelf life, reduce losses due to rot and improves the grapes’ appearance. The SMART sachets offer continuous protection, from the packing line to retail shelves, by removing ethylene gas all along the distribution chain. They do not require any chemical treatment, can be converted into organic fertilizer, and are therefore compatible with organic produce, having been certified by the UK Soil Association, as well as equivalent schemes in France and Argentina.
SMART sachets are used in crate box liners for long-term storage. Then the grapes are re-packed into re-sealable SMART bags or SMART punnets.
“The smart punnet is the leading design in terms of cost and quality benefits,” says Knight. “It can extend the freshness of the produce once it gets to the supermarket for up to 110 days and totally eliminates dehydration.”
Longlife is supplying SMART bags to various international exporters of grapes including Kola in Germany, Verfrut in Chile, Labrunier in Brazil and others in Spain and India.
Brazilian grape and mango grower, Fruit Fort, has just agreed to use SMART bags following trials in the Saõ Fancisco Valley. The results show SMART interactive atmosphere packaging, including SMART bags and hoods, to be more effective than other competitive technologies - micro-perforated sheets and micro-perforated bags. After valuations at 30, 60 and 100 days, the smart technology was superior in maintaining green stems and grape firmness and preventing dehydration and weight loss, according to Knight.
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