Innovations in Fresh-Cut Produce Packaging and Technology

In Sormac’s PepperCorer Robotic (PCR), a robotic arm picks up each pepper, places it in the machine, cores it, and cuts it into the desired shape — rings, wedges or cubes. The PepperCorer Robotic has a capacity of up to 2,500 pieces per hour. PHOTO COURTESY SORMAC

Technological advancements are shaping the fresh-cut produce market.

Try this test at work: Swap the morning doughnuts for a basket of whole apples or oranges, along with pre-cut slices of the same fruits. Which is eaten fastest? That’s right, it’s the easy-to-eat, fresh-cut form.

“There is no question that fresh-cut produce meets our customers’ demand for convenience when it comes to healthy eating, providing quick meal solutions without compromising on nutrition,” says Chris Harris, category director of produce and floral at New Seasons Market, a 22-store chain headquartered in Portland, OR.

Value-added fruits and vegetables in the supermarket produce department represented a dollar sales share of 15.4% and a pound sales share of 8.2%, compared to non-value-added produce for the 52 weeks ending Feb. 23, 2025, according to the report, A New Year & New Opportunities in Produce & Floral, released March 6 by Circana and the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA).

“Retailers prioritize fresh-cut produce with high consumer demand, convenience, and good shelf life, such as lettuce, salad greens, carrots and celery,” says Joe Bradford, vice president of sales, produce, at PPC Flexible Packaging, in Payson, UT.

“Certain fresh-cut items are experiencing rising demand due to health trends, snacking habits, meal prep convenience, and packaging advancements,” Bradford adds. “These include pineapple chunks, mango cubes, sweet potato cubes, and halved or shredded Brussels sprouts.”

Melons, mixed fruit, pineapple, berries, apples, mangos, grapes, mandarins, papayas, and avocados were the 10 top-selling value-added fruits for the year, ending Feb. 23, 2025, according to data in the Circana and IFPA report. Salad kits, broccoli, lettuce, garden salads, carrots, mushrooms, celery, salad blends, slaw salads, and beans ranked as the top 10 selling value-added vegetables.

The key to the continued growth and success of fresh-cut fruit and vegetable products is innovation in cutting and packaging.

CUTTING-EDGE ADVANCEMENTS

Peeled, cored and spear-shaped cut pineapples are a customer favorite at Kowalski’s Markets, an 11-store chain based in Woodbury, MN. “We don’t sell many whole pineapples anymore, except for the new pink-fleshed variety, and even those we’re starting to offer in fresh-cut form now,” says Max Maddaus, produce director.

The KA-750 Pineapplator, a counter-top size pineapple peeler ideal for retailers’ use back-of-the-house, in a central commissary, or by fresh-cut processors, is one of the best-selling pieces of equipment sold by Denver, CO-based Dark Side Equipment, a licensed distributor for Astra Inc. Astra is a company headquartered in Fukushima, Japan, that produces a wide range of automated peeling equipment.

“This vertical peeling system also works on papaya, mangos, melons and gourds, and offers product yields 15-20% higher than traditional hand peeling,” says Maxwell Krieger, U.S. sales manager.

The company has recently released a retail floor version called Pineomatic. This enables customers to choose a whole pineapple from the produce display, ideally co-located adjacent to the cutter, then employ a quick three-step self-serve process to peel, core, cut into rings, and place into a container ready to go. The unit also has a self-cleaning function.

“The marketing plus to the Pineomatic is an interactive action station for the customer and in-store theater for other shoppers,” says Krieger.

“The driving factor today is fresh cuts to meet consumer demand, rather than fresh cutting to help reduce shrink and hope it sells,” he adds.

In February, Dark Side Equipment introduced its Astra Inc./Fruit Peeling Machine, which peels citrus, like lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits and pomelos one at a time.

According to Mira Arts, head of marketing for Sormac B.V., headquartered in Venlo, The Netherlands, there is increased attention to hygiene in fresh-cut produce. “This is not only essential to food safety, but it is also ultimately beneficial to shelf life and maintaining freshness.”

For example, she says, damaged leaves in a salad pack lead to cell fluid leaking within the pack, stimulating the growth of bacteria and ultimately shortening shelf life. “We design equipment on the principles of easy cleanability, which leads to effective disinfection, resulting in microbiologically safe machinery, and eventually, improved food safety.”

Sormac is also exploring ways to automate repetitive cleaning tasks. One example is the built-in flush-in-place functionality in vegetable washing machines.

In February, Sormac unveiled several innovations in fresh produce processing technology. The PepperCorer Robotic (PCR) and a three-dimensional Dice Cutter (CD-145) are two. In the first, bell peppers are fed in bulk and then automatically delivered one by one to the machine, which uses vision technology to determine their orientation.

A robotic arm then picks up each pepper, places it in the machine, cores it, and cuts it into the desired shape — rings, wedges or cubes. The PepperCorer Robotic has a capacity of up to 2,500 pieces per hour.

The new Dice Cutter features a 15.7-inch drum diameter, the largest in its class. It has an easy-to-use touchscreen HMI (human-machine interface), which operators use to digitally set up the slice, dice, and/or stick thickness without needing mechanical adjustment. The cutter, suitable for potatoes, carrots, onions and fruit, has a capacity of over 13,000 pounds per hour, depending on the application.
The growth of automation and AI is another trend in fresh-cut processing.

“This includes using robotics, imaging technology, and AI-powered product recognition to help detect defects and mistakes and ensure faster troubleshooting at the production floor in case issues occur,” says Arts. “The PepperCorer Robotic is one example, and so is our OptiPro. The OptiPro visual automation system is a solution that uses deep learning software for product recognition at the processing line. In case of a discrepancy versus the recipe, a signal will be sent to the line controls to trigger corrective actions.”

PACKAGING DEVELOPMENTS

One of the first factors Maddaus, at Kowalski’s Markets, looks for in fresh-cut packaging is sustainability. “It should be environmentally friendly, recyclable or biodegradable.”

The fresh-cut produce industry is driving sustainability by incorporating post-consumer content, compostable and biodegradable packaging, according to Carrie Cline, senior brand manager for Inline Plastics Corp., in Shelton, CT.

“Consumers are increasingly pushing for higher post-consumer recycled content in food packaging, and larger companies are progressively setting sustainability targets to increase this percentage,” Cline says. “These industry advancements reflect a strong commitment to reducing plastic waste, while maintaining high product quality and sustainability standards.”

Currently, every PET product in Inline Plastics’ portfolio contains 10% post-consumer recycled content. The company is also a member of the How2Recycle labeling program, which has introduced label guidelines to give consumers clearer instructions on how to recycle packaging.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which holds producers accountable for their products, from design to disposal, is also driving sustainable and lightweight packaging.

“This may spur possible transitions from rigid packaging to flexible packaging,” says Jeff Travis, senior manager of innovation and sustainability for American Packaging Corp., in Columbus, WI. “Packaging manufacturers like ourselves are responding with various sustainable packaging options, including Design for Recycle, Design for Compost, Certified Circular Content, PCR Content, Renewable (or Bio-Based) Content and Source Reduction.”

PPC Flexible Packaging’s R&D efforts primarily focus on developing sustainable films for modified atmosphere packaging and qualifying them for various applications. It has introduced a fully recyclable, multilayer film designed for fresh-cut applications.

“This film runs smoothly on automated machinery and is cost-effective compared to other environmentally responsible alternatives. With its low OTR (oxygen transmission rate), we can easily regulate permeability through laser perforations, ensuring optimal performance,” says Bradford.

New Seasons Market has a circular recycling program that supports its fresh-cut produce.

“In partnership with D6 (a Sulphur Springs, TX-based recycler), all our fresh-cut packaging carries special labeling to communicate some key points: each container is crafted specifically for us utilizing post-consumer recycled No. 1 PET flake,” says Harris.

Customers are encouraged to return the packaging to recycling centers across all 22 stores. “Once returned, the packaging will be repurposed into new containers, supporting a cycle of reuse that aligns with our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.”

Maintaining the quality of the product inside is another essential factor Kowalski’s Markets’ Maddaus looks for in cut produce packaging. “Shelf life, breathability, and how the product presents to the consumer are all things we consider in our holistic approach to packaging,” says Harris.

Inline Plastics’ newest innovation is the “Flip and Mix,” designed for the 7-by-7-inch Safe-T-Fresh Squares line. This three-compartment insert sits atop the main dish, featuring two equal-sized compartments and a larger showcase section, keeping ingredients separate until consumption. This design preserves the texture and freshness of components, like croutons, vegetables or toppings, enhancing the consumer’s dining experience.

PPC Flexible Packaging’s Bradford recommends retailers prioritize packaging that extends shelf life, as well as highlights its important environmental benefits. “Food waste accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to global warming. In my opinion, when developing packaging for fresh produce, functionality should take priority over recyclability or compostability to minimize waste and its environmental impact.”

Consumers want to be assured their produce is safe and high quality. Intelligent packaging can be used to communicate this.

“Intelligent packaging simplifies retailer stock rotation and reduces consumer-generated food waste by monitoring product freshness after opening the package,” says Claire Sand, owner of Packaging Technology and Research LLC, in Stillwater, MN, and a member of the Food Packaging Division at the Chicago, IL-headquartered Institute of Food Technologists.

“This is important in food waste prevention since much of the food waste is consumer- and retailer-derived, and fresh-cut produce has a short shelf life,” she says. Higher food prices; laws against food waste, like those in Vermont; the 40% surge in listeria, salmonella, and E. coli cases in 2024; and the dissolution of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and other governmental bodies responsible for food safety “point to the need to implement intelligent packaging to communicate food safety and quality effectively.”

Connecting intelligent and active packaging is the next step for packaging innovation, adds Sand. “This integration would use intelligent packaging to detect spoilage, and then active packaging would be triggered to mitigate the spoilage. For example, if microbial growth is sensed in fresh-cut produce, antimicrobials can be released to inhibit further growth. This would allow preservatives to be released only when needed and extend the shelf life.”

The future of fresh-cut produce packaging continues to shift to convenience, portion control, and grab-and-go formats to align with consumers’ increasingly busy lifestyles, says Inline Plastics’ Cline. “Single-serve and resealable packaging is in high demand, allowing for better portion management and on-the-go consumption, while variety packs and customized packaging solutions are growing in popularity among retailers looking to offer more flexible options for consumers.”