Grapes have some traits that require understanding in order to be packaged properly.
Richard (Dick) Lindenmuth, president and CEO of Styrotek (styrotek.com), a California-based company that designs and manufactures EPS packaging for table grapes as well as other foods and pharmaceuticals, discusses grape packaging challenges and solutions.
Richard Lindenmuth: Unlike some other fruits, like pears and bananas, that ripen after harvest, grapes do not. They immediately begin to deteriorate — which is exacerbated by varied temperatures from the moment they are picked in the vineyard to the time they reach the grocer’s aisle, and ultimately, the consumer. We know that high temperatures and low humidity cause water loss from the grapes and stems, which ultimately increases the rate of deterioration. Getting the grapes in a cooler temperature and providing them packaging that allows the cooler temperature to be maintained preserves grape quality. This becomes very important to extending shelflife. Maintaining the cold chain with proper cooling and storage, using expanded polystyrene (EPS) grape shipping containers, shelflife can extend up to 120 days vs. less than 10 days with corrugated boxes.