Del Monte is in a trial period for their individually wrapped bananas. They're sealed for freshness!----
The price has not yet been revealed, but is likely to be significantly higher than the cost of buying a loose banana at a supermarket – typically around 15p.
While the trial may seem bizarre at a time when big businesses are under pressure to reduce packaging waste, Del Monte insists the addition of a clear plastic bag is actually a green measure.
The company claims that the bag contains ‘Controlled Ripening Technology’ – which extends the shelf-life of the banana by up to six days.The banana is put into the plastic bag when it is green and, according to the manufacturers, goes on to ripen more slowly than if it had been left in the open air.
The product is also being trialled in the U.S. where the wrapped bananas are selling for one dollar each – around 62p.
Gary Porter, of the Environment Board of the Local Government Association, said: ‘The man from Del Monte should say no. This is a backwards step which will contribute to the twin problems of landfill and litter.
‘Nature has designed out the need for bananas to have extra packaging even for sale at service stations. It’s the same yellow wrapper that protects them on the supermarket shelf.
‘Retailers and manufacturers need to cut back on packaging, not create more.
‘Every year it costs councils more than £600million in taxes to send waste to landfill. Councils and residents have made great steps in bringing that cost down by increasing recycling but we need the food industry to do much more to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging.’
James Harvey, Del Monte’s UK managing director, told the Fresh Produce Journal: ‘Del Monte’s new CRT packaging is designed to provide significant carbon footprint savings by reducing the frequency of deliveries and the amount of waste going to landfill. The packaging is also recyclable.
‘It is a great product and consumer feedback shows a marked taste benefit too.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361666/Del-Monte-packaging-Bananas-second-skin.html#ixzz1FWSM2gq3
Source: The Daily Mail
