Fresh pre -cut analysis of food packaging

Fresh pre- cut foods market development

Currently has grown to $ 80 billion market size of U.S. fresh food industry , involving $ 12.5 billion in a processed food (including cleaning , carry MA packaging of fruits and vegetables and good modulation salad products after cutting ) industry infull swing. Fresh pre- cut fruits and vegetables processing to provide people with the consumption of convenience and benefits to consumers of fruits and vegetables healthy food service , is one of the service means plastic packaging design easier occupied consumer market. Fresh pre- cut vegetables is not easy to focus most young vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli , cauliflower , etc.

In 1985 , fresh pre -cut fruits and vegetables market sales is zero, but the 2004 has developed into a market size of $ 5 billion . Even in the food industry has increased $ 7.5 billion , an increase of speed is quite fast. Whether consumers are spending in their own homes , or when they go out of the consumer , including a pre- cut fruits and vegetables, salad dishes catering industry is becoming one of the larger demand . 2003 Display of consumption growth of 37%. According to the survey of West Restaurant Association , has become the number one salad dishes eaten dinner orders outside the most frequent .

Pre- cut fresh fruit market sales amount in 2004 was $ 200 million , however .However , according clear plastic packaging to forecasts , by 2008 will reach 20 billion U.S. dollars in large scale . Fresh pre- cut fruits and vegetables due to the higher moisture content and sugar content, so even low-temperature storage is indispensable for its improvement store shelves .

Including tomatoes included, pre -cut fresh fruit water loss more, one in order to ensure convenience, is indispensable to prevent moisture loss countermeasures . Fortunately, on the pre- cut vegetables to date knowledge and operating experience to master , can apply to the pre- cut fresh fruit, for better management . In addition to the plastic packaging box high pH of cucumber, fresh pre- cut fruits and safety of scaffolding and other low temperature is not so important issue , ” provide a good food experience to consumers ” will be an important key to the development of the cause .

It is understood that before , also a one-time processing and packaging , circulation leads to corruption as food loss rate as high as 30%. Retail sales lettuce , tomatoes and apples and other fruits and vegetables accounted for 70 %. Recent salad with tomatoes roughly cut vegetables , fried croutons , nuts or dried fruit packaging made ??of a mixture of the other . After the loss of moisture from the vegetables due to decline in quality control, these pre- cut vegetables with cheese and cold meat on the shelves of concentrated mixtures , after processing it into a salad. Pre- cut vegetables gas conditions change packagin g (MA packaging ) in combination with the application of cold chain after its preservation time , although it will vary because of the different varieties of vegetables , but generally can be extended to 10-20 days, usually close to 10 days or 10 these days.

Now the fresh pre -cut vegetables and fruit products manufacturing has put before the dishes for fast food or department store sales counters and other prepared dishes or as a salad staple centralized processing to the consumer before the purchase of the salad counter with protein foods such as meat and cheese group with a good future to buy , promote broader consumer demand. Now increasing food manufacturers are more interested in the development and promotion of consumption consistent with market demand and auxiliary dish , to develop more high-performance pre- cut vegetables , resulting in a pre -cut fruits and vegetables to further develop the market.

Rapidly growing food and beverage industry can consume about 60 percent of the fresh pre -cut fruits and vegetables production.

All of its products have been washed, slitting and packaging process, including lettuce and other leafy greens, tomatoes and onions , can be used for processing into secondary or main dish salads and other dishes .

According to the survey , about 20 percent of Americans dining is carried in the car . Convenience stores (CVS) sales of high value-added pre -cut fresh fruit and vegetable products accounted for a large proportion . At 90,000 stores and CVS, pre -cut fresh food is positioned at the location ” food for immediate consumption ” on and is exploring a variety of new packaging technologies. About 10 % of people within two weeks CVS purchase materials, home processed into food for human consumption.

In order to facilitate the trip home after purchase , pre- cut fresh fruit and vegetable packaging size and shape of the material is also very important. Vending machines generally sell beverages, snack foods , cookies, crackers and pastries and other sweets can be stored at room temperature and the flow of food . But like infant food, popcorn , celery, pre- cut broccoli and salad and other portable pre -cut fresh food has also been noticed. As well as whole fruits like apples and bananas marketed directly edible food , although it has some difficulty, but the study is being developed using the easy to operate pre- cut produce is looking forward to soon be listed consumer supply .

MA packaging is the mainstream of development pre- cut fresh food packaging General pre -cut fresh food after preliminary processing, in order to extend the quality of hold time , the need to implement MA package , so you can save and circulate at low temperatures. MA package is called the concentration of oxygen in the pre- packaged fresh -cut products around , and gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor can be adjusted and controlled. By adjusting these environmental factors, the quality of the product holding time can be extended to 10 times .

MA packaging is formed artificially high carbon dioxide atmosphere hypoxic conditions , the pre- cut fruits and vegetables inhibited respiration and quality changes . But if it is too extreme low oxygen conditions , smell and quality change will occur, and therefore must try to avoid such a situation . That is, in order to maintain the quality of pre -cut products must be adjusted to control the environmental conditions suitable gas . For this purpose, a suitable gas -permeable packaging material to accommodate different requirements for respiratory rate of fruits and vegetables is also an essential thing.

Recently , with the development of plastic packaging materials research and production of plastic film oxygen permeability can already reached 300-400CC/100m2 / day , equivalent to 4000-5000CC/m2 / day. Playing breathable microporous film degree 1000CC/100m2 day , the equivalent of 16,000 CC/m2 / days. The future will be to develop a homogeneous film of its oxygen permeability can reach 233,00 CC/m2 / day .

Now pre -cut fresh products with flexible packaging film market size of about $ 300 million .

Water ( Fog ) steam plastic trays treatment: It is important that , in order to more clearly see the contents of the quality of the package , the flexible packaging films waterproofed (fog ) steam treatment .

Has recently adopted the waterproof ( mist ) into the steam agent group method of packaging film waterproof ( fog ) steam treatment .

Easy opening : the bag consumer convenience and resealing high expectations .Glass containers or pallets package is pre -cut fresh products are generally packaged form , the top seal parts need higher gas permeability.

Upright bags need to be laser processed to achieve easy opening . Dried fruit used - like packaging has recently been pre- cut fruits , salads and pre- cut vegetables and other products use . In this case the need for a film suitable for packaging MA high gas permeability. Now the market has a fastener while a resealable bag , convenience is good, but there is a high production cost 1-3 cents .

Small component package : fast food as a small component of the package or the right amount of people to use a small package, the almost complete absence in the pre- cut fresh products in use . Although small package packaging costs are high, but considering the loss of food waste and waste issues, from the overall cost of the packaging to see the big or small package suitable ( total cost is relatively small ) .

Semi-rigid ( glass vac tray containers or pallets ) Packing: when to buy a home in a fast-food consumption and food consumption in the home , the ideal is to use a semi-rigid packaging materials. In terms of commodity charm , especially for simple and easy to use pre -cut products, semi-rigid packaging is the direction of future development , the market will gradually grow.

Packaging plastic box Technology : Research is under way to improve the packaging is not limited to a gas -permeable , but also mobile features packaging design steam , ethylene , inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms , and control many aspects of the fragrance precision techniques . Which is a practical technique is to add the calcium carbonate inplastic packaging the packaging film in order to control the gas permeability of the object , one has now been normalized artificially active packaging is known to maintain freshness (Fresh Hold) technology. In addition , depending on the temperature and gas concentration to adjust the permeability clamshell packaging of oxygen and carbon dioxide Intelimer technology micropores technology - the use of P + (P-Plus) thin films by pulsed electrical discharge .

Recently, the use of laser perforation technology to control gas mobility technologies , antimicrobial packaging - use antibacterial ingredients propenyl isobutyl ester horseradish contains thiamine to inhibit microbial proliferation packaging technology as well as moisture absorption and release and multiphase packaging - the gas absorption and release material is added to the packaging film and packaging sheet , the gas composition was controlled packaging technology - absorption and emission control technology components .

Prospects for the development and application of technology

About 20 years ago, no one knew the pre- cut fresh food market retail and consumer products to meet the higher demands of high quality and convenience , the food industry is currently a very important research topic. Its ultimate objective is to study the pre- cut deal with products manufactured in a variety of factors and when its circulation fall by the quality control to achieve high quality of the various technologies. Future research and development will exceed the pre- cut fresh convenience products category , in order to convert it into a main course dish from the secondary , further research to explore the development of suitable packaging technology .