Research profiles

North Americans demand the highest quality local and exotic fruit and vegetables, consuming approximately 44 million tons of fresh produce each year. Yet this figure represents only half of the fresh fruit and vegetables which leave farmer’s fields; much of it is destroyed during handling and transportation. To reduce this waste, a team of researchers from the Université Laval, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and IPL Inc. designed a packaging system which provides greater protection for the produce and costs 80 percent less than existing crates.