Flexfresh: A Proven Solution for Extending the Shelf Life of Flowers
Flexfresh, the special patented film Uflex Limited has developed to prolong the shelf life of flowers, has proven to be a boon for flower companies across the globe.
Recently the e-commerce wing of a renowned flower group in The Netherlands, Flower Watch, conducted a trial for waterless Internet flower packaging. Flower Watch carried out the complete evaluation of the flowers with two different setups: One where flowers were maintained in cold storage for seven days at 5 degrees Celsius and thereafter in a water bucket at 5 degrees Celsius for two days. The second setup entailed maintaining the flowers in cold storage for 15 days at 5 degrees Celsius and in a water bucket for two days at 5 degrees Celsius. This was done in order to establish the comparison between the different conditions in which the flowers are usually received at destination.
Three samples of flowers were compared: (a) packed in Flexfresh, (b) packed in Nappy Sack and (c) unpacked. It was found that Flexfresh offered a guaranteed seven day vase life in both the cases after seven and fourteen days of cold storage. Unpacked flowers and the ones in Nappy Sack started wilting from the second day. The roses packed in Flexfresh stood fresh even on the seventh day.
Flexfresh works on the principle of active modified atmospheric packaging (AMAP), and is the first film for packing fresh produce that is biodegradable by composting and complies with all international regulations for overall migration (EC 1935/2004) and reach compliance (EC 1907/2006). The film works in conjunction with fast respiration meter and a laser perforation system supplied by Perfotec B.V. of The Netherlands. While the respiration meter ascertains the respiration rate of the flowers, the laser system uses this information to adapt the permeability of the polymeric film with the help of the perforation matrix.
This solution can hold flowers intact at the destination anywhere between 10-15 days versus the normal shelf life of 4-5 days. This enables florists and retailers to plan and store large inventory.
Uflex Ltd.
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