PrimePro Removes Ethylene Gas
PrimePro® is a polyethylene plastic film containing a proprietary additive. This additive is specially designed to remove ethylene from the air around fresh produce. As ethylene is removed, the process of ripening and decay can be slowed, dramatically extending the shelf life of fresh produce.
Besides removing ethylene, PrimePro® is breathable, to allow the right exchange of gases through the package and prevent anaerobic bacterial infection. It also contains an anti-fog additive to reduce the buildup of water droplets inside the package – a source of potential decay.
It’s important to note that – unlike other shelf life extension technologies – PrimePro®‘s shelf life extension effect does not depend on changing the levels of O2 and CO2 inside the package. This allows more forgiveness of breaks in the cold chain and allows some packages to be ventilated. It also allows for the creation of packages that can be shipped and stored at low temperatures and then merchandised in a grocery store at room temperature.
This chart shows the speed at which a PrimePro® carton liner removes ethylene gas. A sample of ethylene gas was injected into a PrimePro® bag, and into a normal plastic bag. Almost instantly, the PrimePro® bag reduced the level of ethylene to a fraction of what it was before. Over time, the level of ethylene in the bag dropped almost to zero.
In the normal bag, ethylene levels reduced somewhat (due to diffusion) but never approached the low levels found in the PrimePro® bag.
