Reducing Food Waste: How Packaging Makes a Difference for Strawberries and Asparagus

Strawberries that don’t go limp? Asparagus that doesn’t turn woody? What may sound like a retailer’s dream is in fact the outcome of a practical shelf-life study conducted by an interdisciplinary research team at Geisenheim University. Their focus: How do different packaging solutions affect the quality and shelf life of fresh produce? 

At the Institute for Fresh Produce Logistics, student Franziska Schulze examined various packaging systems in terms of freshness preservation, quality loss, and marketability. Even the initial results provide valuable insights for the packaging industry – demonstrating how targeted material selection and supply chain management can significantly reduce food waste.

In her study, white asparagus was stored under realistic conditions and temperatures – sometimes unpackaged, sometimes in biodegradable cardboard/cellulose film, sometimes in fossil-based film, in some cases with a moisture pad. Over a nine-day period, physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory parameters were analyzed – including qualities like texture, color, sugar content, and total germ count.

First insight: Compared with the unpackaged variants, both packaging solutions significantly extended shelf life. In particular, suitable packaging helped delay the asparagus from drying out and turning woody. Schulze explains: “By extending shelf life, the marketing window is widened, meaning there is a longer sales period. This can significantly reduce waste, especially for products with traditionally short shelf lives such as asparagus. In turn, it helps conserve valuable resources invested in production, storage, and transport of both food and packaging.

The strawberry study also demonstrated that packaging makes a difference, explains Marius Martin, research associate at the institute. The findings showed that strawberries stored in PE flow-pack film at 7 °C lost only half as much weight over ten days compared with unpackaged fruit. According to Martin, material choice is crucial but cannot be evaluated in general terms. Factors such as breathability, composition, and the product’s ability to absorb water must be assessed individually.

Both studies show that shelf life results from a finely tuned interplay of packaging system, storage conditions, and logistics. “It is important to take a close look at the supply chain and determine what level of protection and shelf life is required for the specific distribution route. One must always consider how long the product will be in transit and under what temperature and humidity conditions it will be stored and transported,” says Martin. In other words: “Depending on the supply chain, different packaging systems may be suitable for the same product. For example, a simple punnet without film may be sufficient for a local strawberry producer, while longer distribution chains require more complex packaging.”

The researchers recommend that producers and retailers regularly conduct storage tests with different packaging solutions – tailored to the specific supply chain of each product. As part of the PackAn project, a new evaluation tool is currently being developed to assess the sustainability of packaging in terms of shelf life and waste levels. The ultimate goal is to create a sustainability scoring system that also provides clear guidance for consumers.