StePacPPC develops modified atmosphere packaging for dragon fruit exports
Israeli packaging specialist StePacPPC has developed a modified atmosphere/modified humidity (MA/MH) packaging solution specifically designed to preserve the freshness and appearance of pitaya (dragon fruit) during extended ocean freight from South America to global markets.
The company adapted its Xtend bulk packaging films to address the unique postharvest challenges faced by dragon fruit exporters, particularly those shipping from Ecuador to the US and Europe – journeys that can exceed three weeks.
Addressing quality deterioration during transport
Dragon fruit faces multiple quality challenges during sea shipment, including high respiration rates, moisture loss, and susceptibility to microbial decay. These factors typically begin compromising fruit quality within days of harvest.
“South American pitaya growers often struggle to reach distant markets with this high-demand delicacy,” said Gary Ward, Ph.D., CTO for StePacPPC. “Even under optimal cold chain conditions, the long sea freight from Ecuador to North America and Europe takes its toll on the delicate fruit, resulting in weight loss, shrivelling of the skin and the bracts, a dulling of the characteristic brightly coloured peel, accompanied on occasion by microbial decay.”
Technical specifications of the packaging solution
The new packaging solution balances oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations whilst providing moisture control throughout extended storage and shipment. The system reduces dehydration, slows the fruit’s respiration rate, and inhibits microbial decay.
A key feature of StePacPPC’s technology is its range of film structures incorporating antifog properties and varying water vapour transmission rates (WVTR). This enables precise moisture management tailored to specific produce requirements, balancing the mitigation of microbial decay risk with prevention of excessive weight loss whilst maintaining product visibility.
Development of the specialised film took over three years and involved close cooperation with pitaya exporters to optimise postharvest handling, packaging design, and overall performance.
Maintaining visual quality indicators
The Xtend packaging has proven particularly effective at preserving the vibrant colour and glossy appearance of dragon fruit, whilst maintaining the firmness of the protruding bracts – a key quality indicator that tends to curl and wilt when dehydrated.
Applications across tropical fruit categories
The pitaya packaging represents the latest addition to StePacPPC’s portfolio of solutions for tropical fruits, which already includes successful applications for bananas, passion fruit, lychee, longan, rambutan, mango, and papaya.
The company’s Xtend bulk and Xgo flow-pack retail packaging for passion fruit has become an industry standard for shipments from Colombia to the US and Europe, whilst preformed bags are used extensively in South Africa for packaging green bananas that are subsequently ripened in the sealed bag.
“This breakthrough has created new opportunities for exporters, enabling them to reach more distant markets with fruit arriving in prime condition,” Ward added. “This applies not only to Ecuador and South America but to other key producing regions, including Southeast Asia – a major hub for the cultivation and export of dragon fruit.”
The technology works by slowing respiration rates, inhibiting ethylene production and action, and suppressing microbial decay – extending shelf life beyond that achievable with conventional packaging solutions.
- For more information, visit: www.StePacppc.com
