| US 7,601,374 B2 | ||
| Packaging of respiring biological materials | ||
| Raymond Clarke, Los Altos, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Landec Corporation, Menlo Park, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 20, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/989,682. | ||
| Application 09/989682 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/858190, filed on May 15, 2001. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/325762, filed on May 26, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2002/0127305 A1, Sep. 12, 2002 | ||
| Int. Cl. A23B 7/148 (2006.01); B65D 81/20 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 426—124 [426/106; 426/415; 426/419] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A sealed container which
(A) has a volume of at least 8 m3,
(B) contains
(i) a controlled atmosphere in which the content of oxygen is less than in air, and
(ii) a plurality of sealed packages which are surrounded by the controlled atmosphere, each of the sealed packages comprising
(a) a sealed polymeric bag, and
(b) within the sealed polymeric bag, bananas and a packaging atmosphere around the bananas, the packaging atmosphere being
an equilibrium atmosphere comprising O2, CO2, and exogenous ethylene or the residue of exogenous ethylene, the O2 content having a substantially constant value which is 1.5 to 6%, the CO2 content having a substantially constant value which is less than 15%, and the total quantity of O2 and CO2 being less than 16%;
the sealed polymeric bag
(a) having an O2 permeability at 13° C. per kg of bananas in the package (OP13/kg), of at least 1500 ml/atm. 24 hrs, an ethylene permeability
at 13° C. per kg of bananas (EtP13/kg) which is at least 2 times of the OP13/kg, and an R ratio at 13° C. of at least 3; and
(b) including at least one atmosphere control member which provides a pathway for O2, CO2 and ethylene to enter or leave the packaging atmosphere.
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