The handling of fresh fruit and vegetables in reusable packaging helps prevent food spoilage

This is the result of a study carried out by Fraunhofer Institute and the University of Bonn throughout the entire supply chain for fresh fruit and vegetables. In the case of disposable packaging, around 4% of all packaging is damaged on its way to the consumer. For reusable packaging, the corresponding figure is around 0.1%. Damage to transport packaging can also lead to the quality of the goods transported being compromised. This is, for example, the case in the central warehouse for 40% of the fruit and vegetables transported in damaged disposable cardboard boxes; for reusable packaging, however, the proportion is only 22%. It should be noted that the study does not take into consideration the final destination of damaged produce (News Item ARECO, 5 July 2013).