Bestack is the national consortium of leading Italian companies that produce corrugated cardboard packaging for fruit and vegetables - International Paper, Ghelfi Ondulati, DS Smith, Ondulor, Mauro Benedetti and Sandra - and account for around 95% of Italian production.
We are involved in:
Rosalba Lanciotti
Full Professor of Food MicrobiologyI am particularly proud of ACTIVE, the result of many years of research and of a fruitful synergy with Bestack, because we are dealing with packaging designed to improve the quality, shelf life and safety of fruit and vegetables and, consequently, able to better satisfy/protect the consumer, even in the globalised marketplace.
Globalisation has undoubtedly increased opportunities, both for the fruit and vegetable sector and for the consumer, but it has posed some very serious new issues, as we have tragically seen during this health emergency, linked to the free movement of emerging pathogens, as well as of people and goods. The presence of natural antimicrobials that are also effective against pathogenic microorganisms may be a sustainable packaging option able to reduce the environmental permanence of many food-borne toxins and the contamination of the packaged product.
The inhibition effect on microorganisms makes ACTIVE an environmentally friendly packaging that respects the environment and its scarce resources because it is able to contribute significantly to the reduction of food loss and environmental impact.
First prize - Business Category
""NON SPRECARE"" AWARD
November 2019
First Prize
CALL FOR INNOVATIONS by COMIECO FACTORY
March 2019
First Prize - Business Category
""VIVERE A SPRECO ZERO"" AWARD of Last Minute Market
November 2018
Total mesophilic load of packaging
Remaining period in DAYS of perfect shelf life conditions at consumer’s home
Pseudomonas spp. load (log cfu/g fruit) detected
S. cerevisiae load (log cfu/g fruit) detected
Science begins to measure the benefits on products in the first real cases. To do so we inoculated the same microbial loads on identical batches of product and subsequently placed them in different packaging. Half in active packaging and the other half in traditional packaging. A lot of data was collected. The visual effects are set out below.
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Waste differential between Active! And Traditional packaging | Min | Max |
---|---|---|
After 3 days of packaging | -8% |
-13% |
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Waste differential between Active! And Traditional packaging | Min | Max |
---|---|---|
After 4 days of packaging | -13% |
-18% |
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
Waste differential between Active! And Traditional packaging | Min | Max |
---|---|---|
After 6 days of packaging | -20% |
-25% |
Traditional packaging
Active Packaging!
In 2017, we move from the experimentation phase to large-scale testing, using active packaging during the marketing campaigns of different products (strawberries, apricots, nectarines, and grapes). In this case, the results confirm what had emerged in previous years despite a particularly dry season that lowered the percentage of non-compliant product.
Strawberries 8% – 13%
Apricots 13% – 18%
Nectarines 20% – 25%
Grapes 7% – 10%
Question | Percentage waste Active! / Traditional Packaging |
---|---|
Did you eat the product after the fourth day? | +19 % |
Did you throw away part of the purchased product? | -3 % |
Did the product keep better compared to the one you usually purchase? |
+13 % |
Products / sector | Increase in shelf life in days | Product not thrown out in volume (tonns) |
|
---|---|---|---|
Sales outlet test | Strawberries | 1 / 1.2 | 1 - 1.6 |
Apricots | 1.1 / 1.4 | 2.8 - 3.9 | |
Nectarines | 1.2 / 1.6 | 4.5 - 5.6 | |
F&V Italia | 1 / 1.5 | 650,000 / 840,000 |
Producer partner | Product | % Average waste in traditional packaging (1) | Waste differential on traditional packaging (2) | Greater storage time in days (2) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |||
Raspberries | 60 % | -3 % | -10% | +0,5% | +1 % | |
Strawberries | 35 % | -10 % | -15% | +1% | +1,5% | |
Cherries | 30 % | -6% | -11% | +1% | +1,5% | |
Apricots | 25 % | -8% | -12% | +1,5% | +2% | |
Peaches | 32 % | -9% | -13% | +2% | +2,5% | |
Nectarines | 28 % | -5% | -8% | +2% | +2,5% | |
Grapes | 8 % | -2% | -5% | +0,5% | +1% |
An innovation is useful if it is perceived and if this perception directs consumption behaviour. Therefore, after measuring the benefits, first in terms of the size of microbial population between product in active packaging and product in traditional packaging, having quantified and compared the proliferation time of the mould in both cases, it is necessary to find out if the consumer notices it and which solution they prefer when consuming the product. Therefore, we reconstruct a fruit and vegetable department to offer two products in identical condition that differ only in the package used. We ask consumers to choose and to tell us which they prefer both visually and in terms of taste.
Comparison of product in active v traditional packaging - purchase simulation in a reconstructed fruit and vegetable department.
Of the product in the active packaging compared to the traditional packaging, how much more is it worth?
Of the product in the active packaging compared to the traditional packaging, how much more is it worth?
Comparative analysis of product in active packaging v product in traditional packaging carried out in real sales outlets. Research is carried out by the Department of Food and Agriculture Science and Technology (DISTAL) Alma Mater Studiorum - University di Bologna
Retail Sampling Method AGROTER
In partnership with:
COOP - Fresh products Department
Apofruit - Quality Office
Comparison of the acceptable product quality level.
Traditional packaging
At purchase
At domestic analysis
Active Packaging!
At purchase
At domestic analysis
The use of Active Packaging! gives important and concrete benefits, including:
To request complete studies in addition to other research we have conducted use the following form.