Proposal for an Efficient Packaging System for Preventing Shock‐Induced Berry Drop in Grapes during Transportation and Handling

Abstract

　In order to develop a packaging system for grape berries that would prevent them from falling owing to shocks caused during transportation and handling, we investigated the effects of the direction of the shock on the occurrence of berry drop. To verify this, we conducted a drop test by using a conventional corrugated fiberboard box employed for transporting grapes in Japan. The results of the drop test suggested that attenuation of the shock from the bottom of the box was necessary to prevent the grape berries from dropping. Our results also suggested that in order to reduce the occurrence of berry drop further, free spaces inside the box needed to be reduced. Based on these findings, we designed a packaging system that not only attenuates the shock from the bottom of the box, but also adapts to the different shapes of individual grapes. This was achieved by stacking several sheets of the cushioning material inside the corrugated fiberboard box. The results of the drop test obtained using the above-mentioned packaging system confirmed that this setup was effective in preventing the shock-induced dropping of grape berries. The study also revealed that it was indeed effective to attenuate the impact caused by the shocks, especially those emanating from the bottom and the side walls of the box during transportation and handling.