A system including a flume. The flume can include a fluid and be configured to receive crops. The system also can include crop selectors each sized to move the crops individually from the flume into a scale. The system additionally can include the scale. The scale can be configured to weigh the crops while the crops are in the scale. The system further can include a container carrier configured to (i) hold a container that is submerged in the fluid while the crops are dumped from the scale into the container and (ii) lift the container out of the fluid to allow the fluid to drain from the container while the container holds the crops. Other embodiments are described.

An apparatus and system for aligning and packing rollable items such as prolate or spherical fruit; an apparatus to remove a single tray from a stack of trays and method therefor; a wrapper to wrap a tray in plastic film and method therefor; an apparatus to laterally retain a spherical or prolate fruit and method therefor; and an apparatus for aligning a fruit via series of rollers and/or suction heads and a method therefor.

An apparatus and system for aligning and packing rollable items such as prolate or spherical fruit; an apparatus to remove a single tray from a stack of trays and method therefor; a wrapper to wrap a tray in plastic film and method therefor; an apparatus to laterally retain a spherical or prolate fruit and method therefor; and an apparatus for aligning a fruit via series of rollers and/or suction heads and a method therefor.

The present invention relates a method for increasing the shelf life of fruit comprising the steps of: treating a fruit with UV light from a UV light source, packaging the fruit in packaging film that allows the fruit to be stored in a modified atmosphere within said film, and storing the packaged fruit.

A method of packaging respiring produce comprises the steps of:providing a portion of packaging material, in particular a polymeric packaging material;providing a portion of the produce;forming, from the portion of packaging material and the portion of the produce, a closed package defining a package volume and containing in the package volume the portion of produce and a modified atmosphere; wherein the modified atmosphere is modified with respect to the ambient atmosphere. The method further comprises generating an atmosphere modification gas and/or an atmosphere modification gas mixture and/or establishing a modified atmosphere having an elevated ozone concentration in the package volume. An associated apparatus is also provided.

The invention relates to a filling device (2) for filling a holder with vulnerable products, for instance apples, and a method therefor. The filling device according to the invention comprises: —a main frame (14) provided with an elevator conveyor (4) with a supply side (10) and a filling side (12); —a distributing device (28) connected operatively to the filling side of the elevator conveyor and provided with one or more distributors configured to distribute products over the holder; —height adjusting means (42,44) configured to move the distributing device in the height relative to the holder such that the distributing device is movable in the height during filling of the holder; and—a supply side guide arranged (66,68,70) on the main frame (14) for operation with the height adjusting means and configured to align the supply side of the elevator conveyor with a delivery end of a feed conveyor during a movement of the distributing device in the height.

A method for packaging products, in particular oxygen-sensitive ones, in containers, each of the containers having an opening. The set-up of the controlled atmosphere is carried out in a transfer cabinet inside which the open containers progress in the direction of the closure cabinet, by the following combined actions: an action a) of injecting a process gas flow into the closure cabinet downstream of the transfer cabinet according to the progress direction of the open containers, and an action b) of vacuumising the open containers present inside the transfer cabinet.

Stable compositions comprising 1-methylcyclopropene and a low volatility stabilizer, and methods of using the composition, are provided. Methods for using the compositions in delaying the maturation of plants, such as fruits, vegetables, and flowers are also provided.

The invention relates to a method for packaging objects (2) which are included in a plurality of objects belonging to the fruit and vegetable group and the shape of which is such that the objects included in the plurality of objects can roll along a surface, characterised in that the objects (2) included in the plurality of objects are deposited onto a solid surface, referred to as the deposition surface (1), of a system (10) for packaging the objects, the deposition surface (1) being substantially horizontal, suitable for receiving the objects included in the plurality of objects and elastically deformable such that the deposition of each object on the deposition surface (1) creates, under the weight of the object concerned, a recess (3) in the deposition surface (1) which tends to wedge the object in the recess (3), then the objects included in the plurality of objects deposited onto the deposition surface (1) and held in a position

The invention relates to a method for packaging objects (2) which are included in a plurality of objects belonging to the fruit and vegetable group and the shape of which is such that the objects included in the plurality of objects can roll along a surface, characterised in that the objects (2) included in the plurality of objects are deposited onto a solid surface, referred to as the deposition surface (1), of a system (10) for packaging the objects, the deposition surface (1) being substantially horizontal, suitable for receiving the objects included in the plurality of objects and elastically deformable such that the deposition of each object on the deposition surface (1) creates, under the weight of the object concerned, a recess (3) in the deposition surface (1) which tends to wedge the object in the recess (3), then the objects included in the plurality of objects deposited onto the deposition surface (1) and held in a position