A team of researchers from Cartagena Polytechnic University (UPCT) has developed an active container that can extend the shelf life of vegetables contained in it by more than 40%, significantly reducing the percentage of rotting fruits.

This new packaging solution, marketed by Murco's Newfresh brand for the production of SAECO corrugated board, uses essential oils encapsulated with cyclodextrin, a natural polysaccharide to delay the development of changing product quality microorganisms such as mold and bacteria, UPCT sources said in a statement.

Tests conducted during the dissertation, led by Prof. Antonio Lopez Gomez, Maria Ros Cumillas and Sonya Soto Jover, modeled the agro-industrial packaging and transportation of tomatoes and peppers to conclude that the active packaging of Newfresh significantly reduces the presence of rotten fruit.

The container, already patented, is designed to support exports, which allows you to expand the fruit and vegetable market to countries that still could not send goods with guarantees of their optimal storage.

There are so burning types of pepper that one touch of them can cause a chemical burn.

Large companies in the agri-food sector, such as Agroponiente and Fruca, have already successfully tested these active cardboard boxes and sell their products in them.

The use of encapsulated essential oils makes active cardboard containers a recyclable, sustainable and viable alternative to plastic containers.

The UPCT Cold Engineering and Food Safety Research Group also conducted tests to test the effectiveness of these active carton packs in other foods such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, nectarines, strawberries, broccoli, Iceberg lettuce, cucumber and grapes.

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