12 Sep EPS, fruit & vegetables
A group of Greek researchers from the University of Thessaloniki conducted a conservation study that can be obtained using EPS boxes and corrugated cardboard boxes for vegetables, using broccoli, tomatoes and leaves of baby spinach.
The EPS boxes have proven to be better than corrugated cardboard because the excellent insulation it offers, allows you to maintain a good degree of humidity and the weight of the product for the same period. Other parameters such as the yellowing of green vegetables was equivalent in the long run.
Broccoli
One part was stored at 5 ° C, the recommended temperature for their storage and another at 15 ° C, the usual temperature for non-refrigerated market shelves. Ice was added in the packages: in those at 15 ° C it was dissolved after one day and it was necessary to remove it; in those at 5 ° C it lasted for 4 days. In any case, it was a wrong choice, because the water favored the onset of mold and bacteria.
The final result on this type of vegetable showed that only if placed in boxes of EPS can be stored in optimal conditions for two weeks.
Tomatoes
Several tomatoes at different stages of maturation were placed in cells at a controlled temperature (between 10 ° C and 20 ° C) for a first study for three weeks and subsequently for a whole month.
We have seen that only the preservation in box of EPS has guaranteed the conservation of the quality of the product, thanks to the fact of the conservation of a correct level of humidity.
Spinach
Spinach leaves were used, freshly picked and packed in plastic bags. As for broccoli, one part was stored at 5 ° C, a recommended temperature for storage and a part at 10 ° C, a temperature frequently found in retail sales.
Once again, for both situations the humidity was best preserved in the EPS boxes, but in both cases the product deteriorated after 15 days at 10 ° C. In this case it was concluded that their conservation cannot exceed 10 days and that the EPS was better for the ability to better preserve the humidity level.
SOURCE – EPS: UNA VALIDA SOLUZIONE PER LA CONSERVAZIONE DELL’ORTOFRUTTA (Italian Language)