Development and Adaptability of Individual Packaging Containers for Strawberries

Abstract

We have previously reported on the design of individual packaging containers for strawberries to prevent the degradation of quality. The container is bivalve-shaped and the two “shells” of the bivalve grip the peduncle of the fruit, thereby allowing packaging without the fruit coming into contact with the packaging material. We observed that the rate of weight loss and the extent of damage were lower for strawberries packed in individual containers than for strawberries packed in conventional packages. Thus, these containers preserve the quality of strawberries more efficiently (Konya et al. 2015). This review reports on the development of a practical-type container with improved shape and material. We measured the container’s basic performance, such as temperature following capability and peduncle grip force, and also conducted vibration and dropping tests to examine its practical utility. As a result, we observed that the practical-type container is resistant to vibration during transport, but vulnerable to dropping when the peduncle is positioned at the top. Thus, in case of long haul or transshipment transportation, the peduncle should be positioned at the bottom.