Food packaging · Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and Vegetable Packaging: Freshness That Reaches the Shelf
Which film keeps respiring produce fresh from packhouse to shelf and still presents it cleanly at retail? orfix NJB is a packaging partner, not a product supplier, so we start from your produce, not from a catalogue.
Fresh fruit and vegetables keep breathing after harvest, so the pack has to let them respire, not seal them airtight. That means managed gas exchange through perforation, anti-fog for a clear chilled window, and the right film matched to the produce and the line. For more than 40 years, NJB Packaging has supplied food manufacturers across Ireland and beyond, and orfix now brings that capability to producers across Europe.
Common challenges in fruit and vegetables
What goes wrong when fresh produce is packed with the wrong film? The failures are predictable, and each one points back to a film choice the page can route you to.
Respiration and freshness
Fruit and vegetables keep respiring after harvest, so an airtight pack traps heat and moisture and the produce spoils. The fix is controlled gas exchange, micro-perforation for a measured exchange or macro-perforation for high-respiration produce, with the film matched to the respiration rate.
Shelf-life and waste
Condensation, mould and over-ripening drive shrink and returns. Anti-fog keeps the pack clear so the produce still sells, and a managed atmosphere plus perforation adds days on shelf.
Machinery fit
Berries, cut produce and whole heads each suit a different line (flow wrapper, tray sealer, L-sealer plus heat tunnel). The film must match the line, not the other way around.
Sustainability honesty
High-clarity produce films are not all easy to recycle. We are candid about that: a mono-material or recyclable route exists where the produce and shelf-life targets allow it, and it is not a fit for every line.
Certified sustainable packaging is possible in principle, depending on the product line. Whether a specific film and application qualify for the Blue Angel or the orfix GREEN LABEL is reviewed individually.
Packaging options for fruit and vegetables
There is no single best film for fresh produce, only the right film for your produce, line and shelf-life target. The three options below run from a breathable flow wrap to a clear lidded tray to a tight shrink sleeve.
OPP Flow Wrap Films
High-clarity flow wrap for respiring produce. Micro-perforation uses laser holes for a controlled gas exchange, and macro-perforation uses visible holes for maximum airflow on high-respiration produce, with hole sizes agreed individually. An anti-fog option keeps the pack clear, the film is MAP-ready, and it runs on standard horizontal flow wrappers.
Example: tomatoes in a perforated OPP flow pack
Tray Lidding Films
For retail trays of berries and cut produce where the on-shelf look matters. Mono-PET is the recyclable hero, with anti-fog and laser-perforated grades, and the film seals to PP, PE, APET and CPET trays. It is MAP-ready for tray-sealing lines.
Example: blueberries in a PET tray with an anti-fog lid
POF Shrink Films
Tight-fit shrink for whole produce and multipacks. Cross-linked POF with excellent clarity, plus anti-fog and pre-perforated options, running on an L-sealer plus heat tunnel, which is a different machine world from flow wrap.
Example: broccoli in a POF shrink sleeve
Flow wrap, tray or shrink? Flow wrap suits whole or loose produce on a flow wrapper. A lidded tray suits berries and cut produce that need an anti-fog window. POF shrink suits whole heads and multipacks on an L-sealer plus heat tunnel. If you are still choosing the flow-wrap family, the flow wrap films overview compares OPP against PE before you settle on a grade. We help you place the choice where it fits the produce and the line.
How we match the right film
How does orfix NJB choose the film for your fruit or vegetable product? We follow the same four-question needs-analysis we apply to every food-packaging material, so the spec is built from your reality, not from a default.
Product type and shelf-life
Which produce (berries, cut and prepared, whole heads, herbs), its respiration rate, and the target number of days on shelf.
Production efficiency
Which line the pack runs on (horizontal flow wrapper, tray sealer, or L-sealer plus heat tunnel) and at what throughput.
Convenience
Whether you need micro- or macro-perforation for respiration, anti-fog for a clear chilled window, or a gas-flush or MAP atmosphere.
Presentation
Clarity that shows the produce, a clean breathable pack, and print where the brand carries graphics.
Samples are available, and we spec the material to the produce you actually pack, not to a generic category.
Industries we already supply
For more than 40 years, NJB Packaging has supplied food manufacturers across Ireland and beyond. As part of orfix International, the same hands-on partnership now reaches fresh-produce producers across Europe.
We start with your produce, your line and your shelf-life, not a catalogue. From small artisanal growers to large produce packers, the film is matched by application, not by company size.
- Growers and packhouses
Films and bags that protect fresh produce from field to packhouse, produced in house in Europe. - Fresh-produce packers
Flow-wrap, tray-lidding and barrier formats matched to high-throughput packing lines. - Retail produce brands
Consistent, certified quality backed by more than 40 years of NJB food-packaging know-how.
40+
40+ years of food-packaging expertise (NJB, Maynooth, Ireland)
10,000+
10,000+ customers trust orfix quality and service
2,000+
2,000+ products covering real packing demand
5
5 European sites, produced in house in Europe
Start a Packaging Consultation
A packaging consultation is not a catalogue decision. It starts with your produce, your line and your shelf-life goal, and it ends with a material specification you can run.
Frequently asked
Certified sustainable packaging is possible in principle, depending on the product line. Whether a specific film and application qualify for the Blue Angel or the orfix GREEN LABEL is reviewed individually.
We would be pleased to advise you individually!
Your competent partner with a full range for everyone who counts, packs, transports or stores.
