Abstract: A package for preserving respiring produce contained in the package, in particular vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices and/or flowers, and an associated method are provided. The package defines a package volume for containing a portion of the produce and a package atmosphere, and comprises a packaging material, in particular a polymer film (1A), provided with at least one perforation (3) enabling gas exchange with the atmosphere surrounding the package (1) to form the package into a Controlled Atmosphere Package (CAP). The packaging material has a Water Vapour Transmission Rate (WVTR), a carbon dioxide transmission rate (CO2TR) and an oxygen transmission rate (O2TR), wherein the WVTR of the packaging material is in a range of 50-1200 ml/(m2·24 hrs), the CO2TR of the packaging material is larger than 1000 ml/(m2·24 hrs), and a ratio ?=CO2TR/O2TR of the packaging material is larger than 4.

Abstract: A method of packaging respiring produce comprises the steps of:providing a portion of packaging material, in particular a polymeric packaging material;providing a portion of the produce;forming, from the portion of packaging material and the portion of the produce, a closed package defining a package volume and containing in the package volume the portion of produce and a modified atmosphere; wherein the modified atmosphere is modified with respect to the ambient atmosphere. The method further comprises generating an atmosphere modification gas and/or an atmosphere modification gas mixture and/or establishing a modified atmosphere having an elevated ozone concentration in the package volume. An associated apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a modified atmosphere package is provided which comprises the steps of: providing a portion of packaging material; providing a portion of produce; forming, from the portion of packaging material and the portion of produce, a closed package defining a package volume and containing in the package volume the portion of produce and a modified atmosphere. The modified atmosphere is modified with respect to the ambient atmosphere. The method comprises providing the modified atmosphere in the package volume by providing a gas mixture of at least one atmosphere modification gas and pressurised air in the package volume. An associated apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method of packaging a batch of respiring produce (B) is provided, comprising the steps of: providing a batch of the produce, determining a respiration characteristic (Ri, Rj) of at least a portion of the batch for at least a first and a second substance (i, j), determining a ratio (H(i/j)) between the determined respiration characteristics for the first and second substances, and determining a desired transmission rate (TR) for a package (Pa) of a packaging material containing an amount of produce from the batch (A) and having a package atmosphere within the package. The desired transmission rate is the transmission rate for the first or the second substance and is determined based on said ratio to control a concentration of one of the first and second substances in the package atmosphere. A system is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packaging food products in a synthetic foil. The method generally comprising transporting the synthetic foil through a punching device in which perforations are made in the synthetic foil with high energy beams to yield a perforated foil. The perforations are made in the synthetic foil to achieve a perforation surface per surface unit of the synthetic foil set according to the food product to be packaged, and the perforation surface per surface unit of the synthetic foil is achieved by controlling at least one of the number and intensity of the high energy beams projected onto the synthetic foil. The perforated foil are then formed into packages, filled with the food product, and closed to enclose the food product.