Longer shelf life for fruit and vegetables in corrugated cardboard

FEFCO (European Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturers Federation) has recently promoted a focused communication campaign on hygiene benefits for fresh fruit and vegetables stored and transported in corrugated cardboard packaging.

The campaign is based on academic research conducted by the University of Bologna, demonstrating that fruit and vegetables packed in corrugated cardboard trays have a shelf life greater of one to three days compared to those in plastic crates, with no alteration of the organoleptic properties. In particular, research headed by Professor Rosalba Lanciotti and her team from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences showed how different packaging materials can influence microbiological contamination; in this sense, the corrugated cardboard trays guarantee a better quality of packed fresh fruit, significantly lowering contamination by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Which results in a reduction in food waste and of the risk of food originating diseases.