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StePacPPC’s pallet -shrouds preserve produce freshness
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Tuesday, 26 August, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Tefen, Israel
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A sustainable packaging solution created by packaging innovator StePacPPC is working at full-pallet level to protect fresh produce from farm to retail. The company’s advanced pallet shrouds ensure fresh berries and other produce items reach their destination in peak freshness while helping minimise plastic use.
It has been actively addressing the need for climate-positive packaging that can extend the shelf life of fresh produce during lengthy freight journeys for over 30 years. Xtend Pallet Shrouds were specifically developed to accommodate scenarios for which the company’s traditional Xtend bulk carton liners are impractical.
These advanced protective covers preserve the quality of select fresh produce items stacked on a pallet for shipment at temperatures near 0°C. Delicate berries that present low-respiration rates, including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries, especially benefit from the shrouds and are an example of produce items for which conventional Xtend products, despite offering superior performance, are sometimes impractical. In North America, berries are typically field-packed. Since berries need to be at least partially cooled before being packed in Xtend bulk bags, this creates a logistical challenge that complicates their use for field- packed produce.
The pallet shroud is uniquely designed to keep produce fresh up to the final destination, where it is simply removed upon arrival. The covers are inbuilt with advanced modified atmosphere (MA) and modified humidity (MH) technology, which enables atmosphere and moisture control. They create the optimal environment to retain freshness and quality during storage and transit, often requiring lengthy periods. A further benefit is that the amount of plastic-per-unit weight of produce is kept to an absolute minimum.
Gary Ward, CTO for StePacPPC, said, “We can tailor the pallet shrouds to meet the unique preservation needs of a variety of fruits and vegetables. For produce items that do not benefit from modified atmosphere, we provide a variant that relies solely on modified humidity to reduce weight loss. It is also critical to understand for which produce items the use of pallet shrouds represents a risk due to the potential for ethylene accumulation, temperature increase or both. This is where our know-how and deep understanding of fresh produce and cold-chain logistics help us support our customers with the most effective packaging solution possible for their specific needs.”
Xtend Pallet Shrouds are constructed from advanced polyamide-based film with moderate to high water vapor transmission rates (WVTR). They address a key challenge in pallet-level packaging: moisture accumulation. A pallet shroud’s small surface area to volume ratio makes it prone to trapping excess moisture, especially under fluctuating or poorly managed temperature conditions. This increases the risk of microbial decay and carton collapse. Xtend Pallet Shrouds effectively alleviate these risks through superior moisture control.
Packers and shippers in Mexico are using its solution to preserve quality of berries during lengthy shipment across Central and North America. It is proving effective in slowing the ripening of this perishable berry, minimising microbial decay and dehydration.
Felipe Martinez C. CEO Cima Berries Mexico, said, “Blueberries are extremely delicate fruits and highly sensitive to handling, temperature changes, and moisture and typically have a very short shelf life. The MAP properties of Xtend pallet shrouds helped us reduce weight loss and preserve the quality of our organic Blueberries that we send by truck from Mexico to Guatemala. Once the shroud is removed, the berries are still firm and maintain their vibrant blue colour for display.”
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