Potatoes have always presented a unique challenge with their sensitivity to light exposure and the resulting green discoloration. Shoppers learned to address this issue at home by storing potatoes in closed bins that prevented any light exposure at all. But retailers also needed a solution to manage the greening happening while the product sat on the store shelf. Efforts had included tinted poly bags, ‘special’ lights and tarping the displays at night to minimize hours of light exposure, but nothing seemed to yield adequate results. And with the greening, came costly product loss.
In 2010, Fox Packaging addressed this challenge head on by commissioning a study with researchers at Michigan State University’s School of Packaging. The study was to evaluate the quality of fresh potatoes as affected by light with different film and mesh bags. Four potato varieties and six bag styles were selected for evaluation in lighted and unlighted lab chambers. Included in this study was Fox Packaging’s Fox Combo Ultra Shield® Bag.
The study conclusively showed that the Fox Combo Ultra Shield® Bag blocked nearly 100% of light, preventing potato greening while also allowing maximum respiration through the bag’s mesh back. The solution was found in the two-layer black and white poly film side that served to both reflect and absorb light waves before they could reach the product inside.
Today, this method of potato bag engineering is widely embraced by flexible packaging suppliers across the industry. Offered in a variety of sizes, the Fox Combo Ultra Shield® Bag is also available to customers in wicketed or non-wicketed styles as well as a draw-tape closure. Contact us today for a sample!
