Packaging of the Future
Case Study on Pomegranate fruit Under Global Supply Chain Conditions
Aiming at innovative and future ventilated packaging solutions, SARChI Postharvest Technology has developed a new ventilated carton design to help improve the overall performance of packaging in the pomegranate industry.
The project developed a virtual testing method to save the time and cost of new packaging box design using computer models (Fig. 1 and 2). Quantitative and visual data of the airflow, cooling rate, temperature, moisture distributions and mechanical integrity of the package along the cold chain were simulated. Alternative design ideas were characterized and compared, virtually. The approach enables explorative out-of-the-box thinking.
Finally, physical prototypes were manufactured following state-of-the-art carton box manufacturing procedure with the help of APL Cartons (Pty) Ltd and tested (see Fig. 3) against various performance measures, including produce keeping quality. Globally, this is the first time that a packaging carton has been designed by following a wholistic approach that integrate the various postharvest handling requirements: precooling, cold storage and refrigerated transport modalities.
Using the developed method our research group successfully developed a new packaging box that uses comparatively less cardboard material, allows to pack more fruit in a shipping container, cools pomegranates more uniformly and faster, and leads to savings in packaging material. Together, these allow for better utilisation of both storage and shipping container space, save trees, and save energy required to cool and maintain freshness during storage and transit.
Figure 1 : Schematic showing virtual method of dimensioning and sizing new design. (a) geometric dimensions of ‘Class 1 pomegranate fruit’ (cv Wonderful) (b) visualization of a 2-layer stack of pomegranate fruit for a single carton separated by a tray (c) dimensions of the packaging carton intended for the 2-layer fruit stacking.
Figure 2: Schematic showing virtual method of vent hole design and alignment in a standard pallet (a) the ventilation of cartons on 1.2 m side of standard pallet stack, (b) ventilation on the 1.0 m side (c) ventilation on the bottom of the stack
Figure 3: Testing the mechanical integrity of physical prototypes of candidate design. Crushed fruit and carton following box compression test after 24 hours under cold storage (7 ± 1 °C, 92 ± 5% RH): (a) compressed carton and fruit in liner (b) crushed fruit (c) short side of carton (d) long side of carton