Template:Chapters 8.6

8.6 - Anti-ripening fruit bags

Paige McDonald, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

McDonald,P. (2022) Anti-ripening fruit bags . In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Introduction

Many smallholder farmers rely on the trading of fruits for income. Women are the most active sellers, making up roughly two thirds of the sellers, with 30% of them being children (Moyane et al., 2012). It was reported that over half of women’s income come from selling fruits as it is there only source of livelihood (Moyane et al., 2012). Therefore, post-harvest loss due to fruit ripening can have a negative impact on a farmer’s income. It has been reported that 40-50% of horticultural crops are lost before they can even be consumed due to fruit decay during post-harvest handling (Ahmad et al., 2015). Approximately one third of all fresh fruits and vegetables are lost before they are able to reach consumers (Ahmad et al., 2015). Diets that lack the incorporation of fruits and vegetables are often deficient in micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, vitamin A and zinc. A deficiency in micronutrients has the greatest impact on women, children, and the elderly (Tulchinsky, 2010). Deficiencies in micronutrients can contribute to birth defects, immune deficiency, stunting, obesity, thyroid deficiency, colorectal cancer, and cardiovascular diseases (Tulchinsky, 2010).

The loss of fruits is largely blamed on the lack of refrigeration, resulting in ripening and rotting (Moyane et al., 2012). While there is nothing that can be done to fully stop ripening, there are some innovations that can be implemented to slow it down. Anti-ripening fruit bags are a way to mitigate this food waste and preserve foods. This type of packaging extends the shelf life of foods, while maintaining their nutritional quality, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms (Keep it Fresh, 2022). Anti-ripening fruit bags are made with d2p ethylene adsorber technology developed to reduce spoilage of fresh fruit and vegetables (Keep it Fresh, 2022). Ethylene is a gas hormone that is released by fruits that causes the ripening of climactic and non-climatic fruits (Gaikwad et al.,2020). Climatic fruits include apples, bananas, mangos, and melons, while non climatic fruits include strawberries, grapes, and raspberries. In African regions it is climacteric fruits that are primarily grown, including apples, bananas, melons, and tomatoes An increase in ethylene also triggers a rise in respiration; this causes the colour of the fruit to change. Once ripening has been initiated by ethylene, the process cannot be stopped.

Details And The Usage Of Anti-Ripening Fruit Bags

When fruit start to ripen, they release the gas hormone ethylene, which accelerates the ripening of nearby fruits (Etana, 2018). An effective way to govern the production of ethylene is through the use of an ethylene absorber, which takes ethylene out of circulation. Often the absorbing agent is an ethylene-permeable sachet, or fine particles of clay incorporated into packaging film (Gaikwad et al.,2020; Mabusela et al., 2021). Absorbers are materials that physically absorb and hold the ethylene molecule from the surrounding environment (Gaikwad et al.,2020) . The low oxygen environment and high carbon dioxide levels in packaging are able to reduce the ethylene accumulation and respiration rates of the fruits (Gaikwad et al., 2020).

Once fruits are harvested or purchased, they are placed in the bags, which should then be tied at the top or simply folded and then kept in a cool dry location. This practice will allow for an extended life of the fruit, allowing it to be sold in markets at a higher price. These bags are environmentally friendly and are easy to use; a male or female farmer can use them; and they require no extra physical labour since the bags are light weight they are easy to store and transport. The bags can also be reused multiple times if they are not damaged, which makes them even more sustainable.

Benefits Of Anti-Ripening Fruit Bags

Anti-ripening fruit bags can increase income by 40-60% (Acedo Jr et al., 2010). Ethylene absorbing packaging has been shown to prolong the life of many fruits such as bananas, apples, broccoli, and mangos. One experiment showed that, ethylene absorbing technologies could extended the life of harvested bananas for up to 18-36 days, broccoli for 20 days, mangos for up to 16 days, and apples up to 12 days (Wei, 2021). This technology is an excellent way to prolong quality and reduce waste without having to substantially increase costs (Wei, 2021). Using the brand “Keep it Fresh” as an example, an ethylene adsorbing bag costs 0.50 USD per bag or 2 bags for $1 USD and are re-usable (Keep it Fresh, 2022). This method is very practical as traditional cool storage or refrigeration is not always accessible as only 43% of the population in Sub Saharan Africa have access to electricity while 80% of people live without it (Tapsoba et al., 2021). Cool storage can conserve the fruit, but it cannot prevent it from spoilage or damage. However, if cool storage was combined with ethylene absorbing packaging it could have a synergistic effect. Effective storage is crucial to improve agricultural incomes and food security for small scale farmers.

Critical Analysis

Anti-ripening fruit bags are a post-harvest option to consider when trying to be cost efficient, ecofriendly, and sustainable. The bags are made by multiple companies, making the product easily accessible. Typically, the bags come in small sizes, each bag measures 17” x 7” x 4” and is gusseted, allowing for extra room (Keep it Fresh, 2022). The bags are sold in packs ranging from 10-30 reusable bags per package. The produce bags are reusable and washable for up to 10 uses (Keep it Fresh, 2022).The bags have been shown to prolong the life of mangos, bananas, broccoli, and apples, as noted above, but they could also be used for fresh cut flowers, and high value herbs such as cilantro. There are also wholesale vendors that are available that would be even more cost efficient but require bulk orders. These bags can be sold in local markets with a marketing strategy using picture-based lessons (see below). In order to initiate farmer demand, “Keep it Fresh bags” could be promoted on Farm Radio International to raise awareness. While there are many benefits to this product, two challenges are its small volume and the long-term plastic waste that it generates; a biodegradable version is needed,

Conclusion

When considering ways to improve farmers income and reduce food for smallholder farmers in Africa and elsewhere, anti-ripening fruit bags have potential. As just one example, the amount of food lost in South Africa due to poor post-harvest handling is equivalent to 2.1% of that country’s annual GDP (Nahman et al., 2013). It is already known that ethylene absorbing packaging has the ability to extend the life of fruits and vegetables for longer periods of time. Implementing this technology so that it is readily available for smallholder famers could reduce waste and improve incomes.

Picture Based Lesson to Train Farmers

Click on the image to access a higher resolution image as well as lessons adapted for different geographic regions.

Further Information Regarding Ethylene Absorbing Packaging

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QAWl_G9geo&t=4s Video explain how to use anti rippeing fruit bags

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCOo7BFb1ZA&t=109s Video explain how ethylene affects fruits

https://conservatis.com/en/home/ethylene-absorbent-bag Ethylene removing bags from a wholesaler: quantity of 400- unit price of €0.27

https://www.purchasekart.com/collections/keep-it-fresh/products/map-bags Freshness bags sold in boxes

https://www.fao.org/3/au186e/au186e.pdf Information on post-harvest handling and packaging

References

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2. Ahmad, M. S., & Siddiqui, M. W. (2015). Factors affecting postharvest quality of fresh fruits. In Postharvest Quality Assurance of Fruits (pp. 7–32). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21197-8_2

3. Boz, Z., Welt, B. A., Brecht, J. K., Pelletier, W., McLamore, E., Kiker, G. A., & Butler, J. E. (2018). Review of challenges and advances in modification of food package headspace gases. Journal of Applied Packaging Research, 10(1), 5, 64

4. Etana, M. B. (2018). Review on the effects of ethylene (C2H4) on quality of fresh fruit and vegetable. The case of banana and tomato. Basic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Review, 6(5), 34-38.

5. Gaikwad, K. K., Singh, S., & Negi, Y. S. (2020). Ethylene scavengers for active packaging of fresh food produce. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 18(2), 269–284. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-019-00938-1

6. Mabusela, B. P., Belay, Z. A., Godongwana, B., Pathak, N., Mahajan, P. V., Mathabe, P. M. K., & Caleb, O. J. (2021). Trends in ethylene management strategies: towards mitigating postharvest losses along the South African value chain of fresh produce - a review. South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 38(5), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2021.1938260

7. Moyane, J. N., Mashau, M. E., & Jideani, I. A. (2012). Assessment of post-harvest losses of fruits at Tshakhuma fruit market in Limpopo Province, South Africa. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 7(29), 4145–4150. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR12.392

8. Nahman, A., & de Lange, W. (2013). Costs of food waste along the value chain: Evidence from South Africa. Waste Management (Elmsford), 33(11), 2493–2500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2013.07.012

9. Saltveit, M. E. (1999). Effect of ethylene on quality of fresh fruits and vegetables. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 15(3), 279–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5214(98)00091-X

10. Tapsoba, L. D. S., Kiemde, S. M. A., Lamond, B. F., & Lépine, J. (2022). On the potential of packaging for reducing fruit and vegetable losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Foods, 11(7), 952–. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11070952

11. Tulchinsky, T.H. Micronutrient deficiency conditions: Global health issues. Public Health Rev 32, 243–255 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391600

12. Wei, H., Seidi, F., Zhang, T., Jin, Y., & Xiao, H. (2021). Ethylene scavengers for the preservation of fruits and vegetables: A review. Food Chemistry, 337, 127750–127750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127750