PrimePro® is a unique packaging technology developed by Chantler Packaging.

PrimePro® extends the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables, helping them to stay fresher during shipping, storage and sale.

It works by removing ethylene gas, the plant hormone that triggers the process of ripening and decay.
What is ethylene gas?
Ethylene (C2H4) is a plant hormone. It triggers the process of ripening and decay in plants. 

Ethylene is produced naturally by many kinds of fresh produce.  It is found in the air around us from natual and artificial sources.

Many types of produce are sensitive to ethylene at very small levels - parts per million. One part per million is like one drop of water in a 50 litre gas tank.

This photo shows parsley that has been exposed to different levels of ethylene.
The difference between produce the consumer would buy and produce the consumer would pass over is less than 1 part per million of ethylene.
Effects of ethylene
More effects of ethylene
Increase in respiration
Accelerated ripening, ageing and decay
Production of more ethylene
Yellowing or spotting
Reduction in nutrient content
Taste and aroma changes, off-flavours such as bitterness
Loss of leaves, sprouting, toughening
Stimulates the growth of mould
Water loss




Ethylene makes lettuce
 develop brown spots
It makes carrots taste
bitter after storage
Ethylene turns broccoli yellow, 
even in small amounts
Ethylene causes cauliflower
leaves to drop off
Ethylene makes produce lose 
moisture and crispness
Ethylene controls the ripening process of most fruits and vegetables
Example - bananas
Ethylene turns bananas from green to ripe
Increases respiration
Turns peel from green to yellow
Softens pulp
Converts starch to sugar
Produces "ripe" taste and smell
Without ethylene, some fruits and vegetables will never ripen.

In other types of fruits and vegetables, the fruit will ripen without ethylene. But exposure to ethylene will speed up the ripening process.

Most types of commercially-significant produce are sensitive to ethylene.
What makes PrimePro® unique?
Can be used as a sheet, pallet cover, carton liner, bag, or rollstock
Can be vented
Can be made oxobiodegradable
Works even if the film is torn or punctured
Requires no gas injection
Puts nothing into the produce - just removes ethylene from the air around the produce
Uses the latest technology for maximum consistency
Ethylene
Why does produce lose crispness?
Stomata are the tiny pores that help produce breathe.

After exposure to ethylene, stomata open up, letting water escape.

The produce will lose:
crispness
crunchiness
weight
One bad apple...
"One bad apple spoils the bunch" is an old folk saying, but it's based in the truth.

When fruit is bruised or damaged, it produces more ethylene. That ethylene causes the rest of the fruit to mature faster and eventually become rotten. This process continues as a chain reaction, quickly spoiling a load of produce.
Why PrimePro®?
A pear needs ethylene in order to ripen
Spinach will ripen on its own, but it will last longer if it is protected from ethylene
How to use PrimePro®
Bags
Pallet covers
Sheets
Rollstock
Carton liners
Preserve net weight
Hold product to extend a season or take advantage of higher prices
Minimize waste
Reach distant markets
Maximize quality
Prevent returns
Harvest produce at its peak of ripeness and flavour
Each type of produce is different...
Custom-sized PrimePro® carton liners are placed in cartons and produce is packed inside. The top is loosely folded closed or sealed with a cable tie.

PrimePro® carton liners offer the highest level of ethylene protection. They are ideal for commodities like:
Pears
Apples
Plums
Broccoli
Peppers
Zucchini and summer squash
Cherries
Green beans

Form-fill-and-seal rollstock can be applied by any machine capable of sealing polyethylene film. It can be used in both horizontal and vertical machinery.

Its great advantage is that it can protect produce all the way from the packing house, through the distribution and sales chain, right into the consumer's fridge - a unique feature in shelf life extension packaging.

It is excellent for high-speed packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The film can be printed for maximum marketing effectiveness.

Unlike other shelf life extension technologies, PrimePro® can be used as a sheet. That's because PrimePro® works by removing ethylene gas, not by regulating the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen through the package. Even a minimal reduction in ethylene levels can be enough to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

Sheets are ideal for applications where pre-cooling is difficult or breaks in the cold chain are likely.

Sheets are extremely fast to pack and are custom-sized to fit the carton. They can also be printed.

They are ideal for:
Tomatoes on the vine
Eggplant
Zucchini and summer squash
Pallet covers protect entire pallets of produce.

They are extremely quick to apply and are a cost-effective alternative to gas-flushed pallet cover systems.

After produce is brought to the correct storage temperature, PrimePro® pallet covers can be applied. 

PrimePro® pallet covers are ideal for:
Peaches
Nectarines
Plums
Strawberries
Pomegranates
Bags for retail packaging are ideal for protecting produce for the maximum length of time - all the way from the packinghouse to the consumer's fridge. They are ideal for specialty items because they give consumers the confidence to try something out of the ordinary.  

They are fully printable and are ideal for retail applications where ethylene protection is important.

PrimePro® bags are ideal for:
Asian greens (bok choi, gai lan, etc.)
Belgian endive
Salad greens
Herbs (parsley, mint, basil, chives, etc.)
Bananas (especially baby bananas and other specialties)
Exotic / tropical fruit 
PrimePro® shelf life extension technology comes in five different forms.
Which form is right for your application?
PrimePro® removes ethylene.