Early on in its 20 year history, StePac realized the hard way, that sustained success of Xtend® packaging requires a holistic approach. As good as the packaging may be, its performance is dependent upon numerous factors such as quality of the produce that is being packed and good postharvest handling. In particular, sanitation, rapid and efficient cooling and good cold chain management.
One of the early awakenings was with cherries. We received reports of off flavours upon arrival of Xtend-packed cherries in Western Europe. Upon investigation, it turned out to be due to unfavourable gas conditions developing in the packaging as a result of high supply chain temperatures - the package was designed for storage and shipment at 0ºC.
This costly event taught StePac several lessons:
• That they needed to make sure they fully understood the customers supply chain and that they could deliver a solution that provided added value under existing conditions. Postharvest supply chains are not always optimal and temperature abuse can and will happen.
• Stepac needed to strive to optimize both the customers supply chain and their packaging and thereby improve performance. StePac has since established a broad spectrum technical support program implemented by highly experienced agronomists and postharvest specialists that work closely with customers and are backed up by StePac’s R&D team in Israel.
The company’s R&D team comprises highly qualified and experienced polymer engineers, postharvest scientists and a plant pathologist. They are not only responsible for development of new products to meet the customer’s needs, but also validation and fine tuning of existing products, comparison of packaging performance with those of competitors, evaluating means for control of postharvest decay caused by moulds, yeasts and bacteria and identifying new, innovative solutions that bring added value to StePac’s customers by complementing Xtend® packaging.
The fruits of their labour are the most suitable packaging solutions coupled with the optimal postharvest handling protocols. This approach makes StePac unique amongst modified atmosphere packaging suppliers in the postharvest industry.
The R&D team performs all of the aforementioned tasks in StePac’s postharvest and polymer lab in Israel. The lab has 9 cold storage chambers, state-of-the-art postharvest equipment, tools and equipment for analysing polymer properties and an embedded microbiology lab.
