A new packaging film has shown the promise of substantially increasing the shelf life of mushrooms and other commodities.
Trials using Sira-Flex Resolve, a new range of bag and films offered by United Kingdom-based Sirane Food Packaging, revealed mushrooms showed good condition following the trials which extended the product’s shelf life by a week, according to a news release from the company.
“The films worked well in the trials with the breathable pulp-tray punnets that mushrooms are often packed in,” Sandra Evans, sales manager for fresh produce for Sirane, said in the release. “There was absolutely no browning, no condensation, and the mushrooms touching the film was not a problem, which it is using other types of film.”
Extending shelf life is a big topic in the United Kingdom, according to the release, because major grocery retailers and food manufacturing companies have signed a commitment to reduce household food and drink waste by 5% and cut waste in the grocery supply chain by 3%.
The Sira-Flex Resolve film is a natural bio-polymer made from plant and is fully compostable, according to the news release. Because of the structure of the film material, the permeability to humidity, oxygen and carbon dioxide is different in each application, according to the release. That has allowed Sirane’s team of scientists to balance the permeability of each component to reach the ideal result.
Other trials have shown very positive results with cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbages, leeks, carrots, green beans, salads and potatoes.
In other product developments, Evans said in the release that Sirane will soon introduce a new pad designed to inhibit bacterial growth.
