ITRM20070345A1 - ACTIVE PACKAGING FOR VEGETABLE TRANSPORT. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

State of the art

In recent years the production of ornamental, fruit and aromatic plants in pots as well as that of foliage and cut flowers has seen an increase and development such as to favor inqent investments in this sector.

One of the most important problems that slows down the development of the Italian horticultural market towards international markets is strictly related to transport. In this regard, it is essential to guarantee the maintenance of the initial quality of the plant and, or of the cut flower for the entire period necessary for delivery through the use of special packaging capable of avoiding phytosanitary risks, water and metabolic stresses ensuring a correct and balanced development. metabolic rate of vegetables during transport and marketing.

Description of the invention

The object of the present invention is an active packaging for the transport and storage of plants on growth substrate and, or of fronds and, or cut flowers and, or vegetative reproductive material comprising an adsorbent material consisting of cellulose, zeolites and starch in quantities of 0.06 - 0.5% by weight, with reference to the total weight of the active packaging, and a semipermeable film characterized by the fact that it has the following characteristics

in which said packaging encloses the plants and, or the fronds and, or the cut flowers so that the communication with the outside is modulated by the semipermeable film and the adsorbent material Preferably the semipermeable film is thermally sealed to improve the insulation of the plants and , or of the leaves and, or of the cut flowers inside the said packaging.

Brief description of the drawings

Attached to this description are nine photographic representations which represent: photos 1 - 3 the vegetative state of the witness (I4) at time zero and after 15 and 32 days;

photos 4 - 6 the vegetative state of the witness (15) at time zero and after 15 and 32 days;

photos 7 - 9 the vegetative state of the witness (16) at time zero and after 15 and 32 days e

photos 10 - 12 the vegetative state of the witness (17) at time 0 and after 15 and 32 days.

The active packaging foresees the presence of the adsorbent material, preferably below the pot of the plant and, or of the stem of the flower, and that of the semipermeable film, advantageously sealed in an airtight manner. The choice of the film and the weight of the adsorbent inside the packaging is made according to the type of plant packaged, that is, according to its respiratory rate and transpiration. The weight of the adsorbent material inserted in the packaging fluctuates between 0.06 and 0.5%.

The adsorbent used in the present invention has been described in European patent application, publication No. 1530998 for use in packaging for food products. In particular, it contains cellulose in an amount of 40-85%, zeolites in an amount of 2-30% and starch in an amount from 0.1% to the complementary amount to 100%, said amounts being expressed as an amount by weight with reference to the total weight of the mixture. Furthermore, it can also contain kaolin and / or rubber in a weight percentage of 0.1-0.3%, with reference to the total weight of the adsorbent.

The cellulose used in the production of the adsorbent according to the present invention is preferably a mixture of long-fiber cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose in a ratio of from 70 to 30% to 50 to 50%, particularly preferably from 60 to 40%.

The zeolites used are preferably present as a mixture of zeolite 3A and 4A in a ratio of between 80 and 20% and 60 and 40%, preferably between 70 and 30%. The starch used, whose function is to make the mixture more compact, is preferably rice starch and is used in an amount from 0.1% to the complement to 100% of the other two compounds used.

Said adsorbent can be obtained by means of a process comprising the following operations a. preparation of a mixture of cellulose, zeolites and starch

b. mixing of said mixture with water until a mixture is obtained

c. drying and formation of said mixture.

The action of the packaging is expressed through the possibility of the semipermeable film in combination with the adsorbent to create a micro-atmosphere in contact with the plant different from that normally present in the atmosphere which allows it to minimize, without irreversible alterations, the its metabolic needs. The adsorbent placed, preferably below the pot and, or the stem, is in fact able to interact dynamically with the essential elements for the life of the plant by adsorbing and releasing 02, C02 and water in order to create a balance that brings the vegetative activity of the plant to a minimum. The preferred positioning under the pot is not linked to the mode of action, which would also be unchanged in other positions, but depends on factors related to the plant's packaging operations inside the packaging and image. The action of the adsorbent is also closely connected to that of the semipermeable film used in packaging, which specifically modulates the passage of atmospheric gases from the inside of the package to the outside and vice versa. The choice of the type of film and the weight of the adsorbent inside the packaging depends on the type of plant packaged, that is, according to its respiratory rate and transpiration. The semipermeable films used for the active packaging of the various types of plants have permeability values shown in the following table 1.

Table 1: range of permeability to O2, C02 and water vapor of the plastic films used in active packaging

The permeabilities to oxygen and carbon dioxide were determined at constant pressure of the gases with isostatic method using the Lyssy instrument, Model GMP 200 in accordance with what reported by Guisheng et al., 1995. Before the measurement, the films were conditioned. at 0% RH. The measurement of the water vapor transmission rate was determined as reported by Maner et al., 2000.

Semi-permeable films to be used in the active packaging according to the present invention comprise one or more compounds selected from the class consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polystyrene, polypropylene, simple polyesters, aliphatic polyesters, aromatic polyesters, ethylene vinyl acetates, polylactates and polyethylene, among which particularly preferred are high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyester, and polypropylene (PP). Within the scope of the present invention, the term compound, one or more of which will form the polymeric film, also refers to compounds of the polymeric type.

The active packaging according to the present invention is able to slow down the respiratory activity of the plant and the metabolic phenomena related to it, allowing the normal restoration of physiology upon opening the packaging. Conservation tests

The development of the active packaging and the verification of its effectiveness was carried out through conservation tests of different types of plants and cut flowers characterized by different vegetative activities. In particular, the plants and cut flowers subjected to conservation tests were: Begonia, Cyclamen, Euphorbia mili, Eugenia, Fern, Spatiphilium, Euphorbia Pulcherrima, Olive, Citrus, Rose, Gerbera, Lilium, Carnation, Iris, Violet, Basil, Sage , and Rosemary.

1. Effectiveness of active packaging

The preliminary part of the tests was aimed at verifying the effectiveness of the active packaging (semi-permeable adsorbent film) with respect to the relative controls represented by plants and cut flowers not subjected to packaging and by plants and cut flowers packaged with only the semi-permeable film. The effectiveness of the active packaging was subsequently tested for the plants even in the absence of light by placing the samples packaged with the active packaging for a period of 15 days and subsequently re-exposed to the natural cycle of light always inside the packaging. active. The following are the different types of packaging used for experimentation with cut plants and flowers.

Plant :

(I) witness = plant not subjected to non-irrigated packaging for the entire trial period

(II) F adsorbent = plant packaged with semi-permeable adsorbent film

(12) F = plant packaged with only semipermeable film

(13) Dark adsorbent = plant packaged with semi-permeable adsorbent film in the absence of 1 uce

The tests were carried out at ambient temperatures ranging from 22 to 28 ° C.

Cut flowers:

(L) witness = cut flower not subjected to packaging

(LI) F adsorbent = cut flower packaged with semi-permeable adsorbent film

(L2) F = cut flower packaged with only semipermeable film

The tests were conducted both at refrigeration temperature (7 ± 1 ° C).

Plant

The qualitative state of the plants in the various conservation methods was evaluated through the normal vegetative parameters typical of the type of plant subjected to tests such as withering and changing the color of flowers and leaves, development of vegetative buds and fungal attacks recorded through digital images. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the vegetative parameters of the plants subjected to conservation tests was carried out by means of sensory tests using a panel made up of 9 expert judges in the floristry-nursery sector.

The qualitative descriptors chosen in the sensory evaluation of the samples were the appearance of the leaves, the color of the bracts, the appearance and development of the vegetative buds, fungal attacks for the plants and general turgor, the appearance of the leaves and the opening of the bud for the cut flowers.

The evaluation scale used provided a variable score between 1 and 4, (1 insufficient, 2 sufficient, 3 good, 4 excellent) relative to the average of the scores obtained through the overall evaluation of the qualitative descriptors

2. Conservation tests on Spathiphyllum wallisi The effectiveness of the active packaging in keeping the Spathiphyllum wallis plant alive in conditions of metabolic stress (lack of light, lack of irrigation) were conducted by comparing different types of packaging listed below:

Types of packaging compared:

(14) witness = plant not subjected to non-irrigated packaging for the entire trial period

(15) F2 = plant packaged with only semipermeable film

(16) F2 adsorbent material = plant packed with semi-permeable film adsorbent material

(17) F2 dark adsorbent material = plant packed with semipermeable film adsorbent material in the absence of light

The tests were carried out at ambient temperatures ranging from 22 to 28 ° C. Table 2 shows the properties of the film F2 used in the experiment which was a coupled film of LDPE and PP.

Table 2: Properties of the semipermeable film F2 (coupled film of LDPE and PP) used in the experiment

Photos 1-3 show the images showing the vegetative state of the witness (14) at zero time and after 15, 32 days of storage. The images highlight the complete withering of the plant already after 15 days of conservation linked to the lack of irrigation of the plant which, with the continuation of conservation, shows a drying stage of the leaves linked to the death of the plant tissue involved. The packaging with the semipermeable film (15) improves the conservation status of the plant by slowing down the phenomena of respiration and transpiration of the plant. However, this condition is not sufficient to guarantee the maintenance of the qualitative characteristics of the plant for all the days of storage tested due to the partial withering and loss of turgidity of the leaves and stems of the plant (photo 4-6).

The insertion of the adsorbent (photo7-9) inside the package (16) has shown to be able to regulate all the metabolic phenomena associated with the vegetative activity of the plant by establishing the right balance between CO2, O2, and water vapor in the micro atmosphere inside the packaging. In these conditions, no evident signs related to water and respiratory stresses were found which in the samples (witness and F2) caused damage to the structure and initial quality of the plant.

In order to validate the active packaging in the real transport and storage conditions that normally occur in the holds of ships or vehicles without light, conservation tests of Spathiphyllum wallis were carried out in completely dark environments. The effectiveness of the active packaging (F2 adsorbent) (17) was verified by dividing the storage period into two periods, in the first of 15 days the samples were stored in non-illuminated environments, in the second, equal to 17 days, the same samples were re-exposed to light. The results obtained shown in photos 10-12 have highlighted the capacity of the active packaging in minimizing the metabolic stresses of the plant linked to its photositentic activity which resumes without evident damage to carry out the biochemical phenomena linked to photosynthesis. The results of the sensory analysis performed on samples 14, 15, 16 and 17 during the storage period are shown in table 3.

Table 3: Results of sensory analysis carried out on plant samples (Spathiphyll um wallis) during the storage period.

3. Cut flowers

Conservation trials on Rosa texas

The efficacy of active packaging in keeping cut flowers (texas rose) alive in conditions of metabolic stress (lack of water) were conducted by comparing different types of packaging as follows:

(L3) witness = cut flower not subjected to packaging

(L4) F3 adsorbent = cut flower packaged with semi-permeable adsorbent film

(L5) F3 = cut flower packaged with only semipermeable film

Table 4 shows the properties of film F3, a coupled film of LDPE and polyester, used in the experimentation.

Table 4: Properties of the semipermeable film F3 (coupled film of LDPE and polyester) used in the experiment

The results obtained in the conservation tests on Texas roses have validated the capacity of the active packaging in prolonging the state of freshness and initial quality of the cut flower over time. The results of the sensory analysis, shown in table 5, show insufficient overall scores on the quality of the L3 witness flower after 5 days of storage. Packaging with F3 semipermeable film improves storage by obtaining sufficient average scores for L4 samples after 10 days. The active packaging manifests its ability to slow down the metabolism of the vegetable while keeping the qualitative descriptors of the flower almost unchanged for periods of more than three weeks. In this case, in fact, the points obtained from the sensory analysis for the L5 samples were judged in an always positive manner, with points not less than 3 for the entire storage period.

Table 5: Results of the sensory analysis carried out on the cut flower samples (Rosa texas) during the storage period.

Bibliographic references:

Fan, G., Incarnato, L., Di Maio, L., Acierno, D. (1995). Discussion about the use of relative values of permeabilities between two qases for hiqh molecular weiqht polymers. Polymer, 36, 4345-4346 Mauer, L.J., Smith, D.E., Labuza, T.P. (2000). Water vapor permeability, mechanical, and structural properties of edible β-casein films.

Claims (1)

Claims 1.Active packaging for the transport and storage of plants on growth substrate and, or of fronds and, or cut flowers and, or vegetative material for reproduction comprising an adsorbent material consisting of cellulose, zeolites and starch in an amount of 0.06 - 0.5% by weight, with reference to the total weight of the active packaging, and a semipermeable film characterized in that it has the following characteristics in which said packaging encloses the cut plants and / or flowers so that communication with the outside takes place only through said semipermeable film Packaging according to claim 1, wherein said adsorbent material contains cellulose in an amount of 40 - 85%, zeolites in an amount of 2 - 30% and starch in an amount of from 0.1% to the complementary amount to 100%, said amounts being expressed as a quantity by weight with reference to the weight of said material. Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, in which said cellulose is present as a mixture of long-fiber cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose in a ratio of from 70 to 30% to 50 to 50%, preferably 60 to 40%. Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, in which said zeolites are present in the form of a mixture of 3 A and 4 A zeolite, in a ratio of between 80 and 20% and 60 and 40%, preferably between 70 and 30%. 5. Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said starch comes from one or more of the following botanical species: potato, sweet potato, corn, rice, tapioca, Jerusalem artichoke. Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said adsorbent material contains kaolin and / or rubber in an amount of 0.1 - 0.3% by weight with reference to the total weight of the adsorbent material. 7. Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, in which said semipermeable film is sealed by heat sealing. Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said semipermeable film is formed by one or more compounds selected from the class consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polystyrene, polypropylene, simple polyesters, aliphatic polyesters, aromatic polyesters, ethylene vinyl acetates, poly-lactates and polyethylene. Packaging according to claim 8, wherein said semipermeable film is formed by one or more compounds preferably selected from the class formed by high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyester, and polypropylene (PP). Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, in which said plants are potted plants. 11. Packaging according to the preceding claim, in which said potted plants are ornamental, fruit and aromatic plants.