News

Packaging’s ability to preserve food has been highlighted by a study on cucumbers.

Shrinkwrapping a cucumber can increase its shelf life by almost five times compared with that of the naked fruit, according to research by the Cucumber Growers’ Association (CGA).

Tests comparing cucumbers in a domestic fridge and a commercial cold store found that after three days the unwrapped products had deteriorated to the extent that consumers would be unlikely to take them off the shelf.

After five days, the CGA classed the naked cucumbers as “unsaleable”, while the shrinkwrapped fruit was still “just about saleable” after 14 days, although it had started to go soft.

The research, which assessed weight loss and bend over a two-week trial period, also showed no losses from disease infection for the shrinkwrapped fruit, but many of the naked produce had fungal infections that would rapidly cause them to rot.