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Fruit exports from farms to foreign supermarkets are difficult and strenuous for exporters. Boxes are placed on pallets, put on containers, taken over sea, loaded on trucks and put on retail shelves. They are subjected to temperature change, humidity, vibration and compression as they go. It is during this trip that poor quality fruit boxes get destroyed, resulting in damaged fruit, rejected shipments and lost customers. Good fruit boxes, on the other hand, will shield the product, maintain brand's reputation and open new areas for high quality markets. Here are reasons why they're important to export companies.
Protection Against Long-Distance Transport Damage
Mechanical stresses are additional to those of export shipments, which domestic deliveries don't experience. Ocean transport containers move while they are in motion. Pallets are moved several times with the forklift. The bottom boxes in a stack support the weight of the top boxes. The box may be sturdy enough to survive farm-to-market road trip, but not on high seas.
Good quality fruit boxes are designed for export use. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PP (polypropylene) material provides strong impact resistance and crush strength. The RPET (recycled PET) actually offers the same performance and sustainable features. Premium boxes are thicker on flange rims, have reinforced corners and ribbed sidewalls, to handle stacking loads. Each compartment is custom molded to hold a fruit securely, so that there is no fruit-to-fruit bruising when vibrating.
For delicate produce such as cherries, berries or figs, a good quality box with individual pockets and a good clear lid will reduce damage from 5 to 10% to less than 1%. This cost savings may be tens of thousands of dollars for a high quality fruit container, and many happier customers.
Compliance with International Food Safety Regulations
Exporting fruit isn't just an issue of physical protection, it's also a legal one. There are various markets with various food contact material regulations. Packaging that is not compliant can be refused entry at customs, destroyed and/or subjected to fines and blacklisting.
A fruit box manufacturer is able to provide you with certifications to prove adherence to high quality standards. For instance, Xiamen Xiefa Vacuum Forming Packaging Co., Ltd., has ISO 9001, BSCI, BRC, HACCP and GRS certification issued by SGS. These certifications cover:
For packaging sold to European retailers, it is essential that it be covered by the BRC for food safety.
A HACCP plan for hazard analysis, evidence of risk assessment as well as management.
GRS recycled content – for RPET products sold in eco preferred procurement programs
If exporter purchases goods from a certified manufacturer, he will get a document which customs brokers and importers can trust. This documentation is required for dispatching goods or else it might be postponed or rejected. As a result the way towards the market is smooth and predictable.
Extended Shelf Life Through Advanced Material Design
Even after the fruit has been packed, it actually continues to ripen. There is still respiration taking place, water loss is occurring, and there is a buildup of ethylene gas. Each of these are factors which cause food to spoil prematurely, and poor packaging will increase the rate at which these take place. A fruit box of good quality will have the ability to regulate the atmosphere inside so as to extend the shelf life of the fruit by days or weeks.
Important features of such boxes are:
Precise ventilation patterns in place that are accurately engineered to provide an appropriate ratio of CO2 to O2.
Anti fog coatings will prevent condensation on top of clear lids.
Moisture management, the right materials (PET and PP have low rates of water vapor transmission) will mean that fluctuations in moisture will not be great.
Tolerance to temperature, temperature resistance will be sufficient to allow the box to move through the cold chain at 2°C before being exposed on a warm retail shelf.
This increased shelf life allows exporters to send fruit further and also reduces the risk and therefore the level of retailer claims made for spoiled fruit, as the fruit will keep fresh for longer periods, and thus there will be no need for slow, cheap sea freight for example. An extra day's shelf life for fruit is enough of a competitive advantage to mean a lot to a fruit exporter.
Premium Presentation for Brand Differentiation
Fruit is sometimes a commodity in export markets. Red grapes from one country are actually very similar to red grapes from another country. That is where high quality packaging comes in. A quality, thoughtfully designed fruit box is a sign of quality, care and professionalism.
Boxes are made of PET or RPET with clear material, which displays the fruit's color and freshness. The lid or base is actually custom printed with the exporter's brand and product information. The smooth, shiny appearance and uniformity of the boxes will make it easy to create a uniform, attractive retail display.
These are observed by importers and the supermarket buyers. An entrepreneur who is an investor in the packaging of fruits will easily stand out among others who rely on cheap general and cheap packages. This is a differentiation that enables exporters to obtain better prices, longer contracts, and recognition of their brands abroad.
Summary
For export operations, high quality fruit boxes are important as they offer four key benefits – protecting against damage during transit, meeting international food safety standards, giving longer shelf life due to improved design of material and creating a worthwhile look for differentiation. Xiamen Xiefa Vacuum Forming Packaging Co., Ltd. was founded in 2009, and provides one-stop OEM and ODM fruit packaging solutions. Xiamen Xiefa offers exporters quality and documentation certification such as ISO 9001, BRC, HACCP and GRS, with processing technology of PP, RPET/PET and PLA and other materials. Contact us today to discuss your export fruit box needs and to request certification paperwork.
