The next step in banana packaging

Landec had filed the patent application with the European Patent Office surrounding the use of its Intelimer polymer based packaging technology for storing and ripening bananas. The company has subsequently been issued with a Notice of Intended Grant for this application - adding to the company's patents for the technology in both the US and other markets.

The Company, as a matter of general practice, files patent applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office and other foreign agencies for the use of its Intelimer technology for packaged produce, including bananas and seed coatings.

"The expansion of our patent protection in packaged fruits and vegetables supports our growing value added business at Apio, Landec's food subsidiary, which is focused on commercialising specialty packaged produce products. This banana packaging patent will assist Apio's expansion beyond packaged vegetables into leading global fruit products, such as bananas,"​ said David Taft, chief operating officer of Landec and Apio.

In recent years Landec has been developing the sourcing of banana's from five primary banana producing countries in Central and South America, and has been developing the use of its banana packaging technology in parallel to this. The first commercial sales of bananas using the packaging technology were made in 2002, and since then it has been extended to all of its markets.

Landec designs, develops, manufactures and sells temperature-activated and other specialty polymer products for a variety of food applications. It specialises in the area of fruit and vegetables packaging and is a leading supplier to Dole. The Company's temperature-activated polymer products are based on its proprietary Intelimer polymers which differ from other polymers in that they can be customized to abruptly change their physical characteristics when heated or cooled through a pre-set temperature switch.