Every single day, millions of tons (!) of fruit and vegetables are destroyed all over the world because of early ripeness and/or rot. Dr. Yiftach Nir, a staff member of the Plastics Engineering Department, has developed smart plastic containers for fresh produce that will considerably extend their shelf life and prevent the massive waste that takes place in the agricultural industry. 

After they are picked the fruits and vegetables continue to ‘breathe’ and in order to preserve their freshness when stored their gasses need to be ‘replaced’ in the right composition. When these conditions are not controlled, they will ripen quickly, rot, and will not be suitable for sale and consumption. 

A number of years ago, Dr. Nir, who specialized in the study and analysis of mechanisms of gas and steam penetration through packaging, begin to work with the agronomist Dr. Adnan Sabehat, the founder and CEO of the ZoePac company to develop packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables. Together they combined Dr. Nir’s vast knowledge of designing packaging with selective penetration for gasses and steam with Dr. Sabehat’s background in the understanding of the breathing mechanisms of fruit and vegetables. 

Significantly longer shelf life for fruit and vegetables using smart packaging (PR)

After many attempts the researchers managed to develop a number of multi-layer plastic sheets that include unique components that allow for shelf-lives for fruits and vegetables that are significantly longer than the solutions currently offered on the market. 

The innovative packages, which are a breakthrough for future studies, received approval for a patent and they are sold all over the world, including in Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Britain and South America. 

Dr. Nir, who manages the specialization in green plastic packaging track in the Plastics Engineering Department, has spent many years studying and analyzing mechanisms for the penetration of gasses and steam through packaging. 

For about a decade, he managed the research and development department of the Plastopil Hazorea Company, and during that time he worked on developing multi-level, flexible, plastic containers for the storage of food products (meat, fish, cheese, etc.), medicine and medical equipment, as well as for agricultural applications and for shielding from chemical warfare materials. 

At the top of the page: a Flickr picture belonging to Jason Rosenberg, with a collaborative license