Systems, methods and apparatuses for covering a storage compartment of a receptacle, reducing exposure of items inside the receptacle to the surrounding environment and decreasing the risk of damage or undesirable impacts on the products being transported. The covered receptacle systems, methods and apparatuses not only provide a physical barrier over the exposed opening of the receptacle's storage compartment, but further passively facilitate the removal of the environmental hazards from the receptacle cover, leading the environmental hazard in a direction away from the receptacle. The removal of environmental hazards may be performed by directing the hazard in a direction away from the storage compartment of the receptacle via a downwardly sloping top surface of the receptacle cover.

Cases and containers for cooling produce may be cooperatively designed to provide cooling efficiencies in both passive ventilation and forced air cooling environments. Each container may include an element for helping form an opening or ventilation funnel within the center area of the cases, with a corresponding opening in the same area of the case for allowing cooling fluid to pass therethrough. Further, each container may include an element for parsing or dividing incoming forced cooling fluid into both the lid and the base. In some versions of the containers, the air may be divided based at least in part on the design of the container, including the proportions of the containers lid to base structure. In this way the forced cooling fluid may be proportionately passed into the overall container to more efficiently cool the produce therein.

The present invention provides a freshness preservation method and a freshness preservation bag that enables to keep freshness of a vegetable, fruit or fresh flower for a long period. A storage bag 10 is formed by a nonporous film 1. Non-adhesive portions are continuously formed on a heat sealed portion 11 of the storage bag 10. The non-adhesive portions function as the vent holes 2 communicating with the outside of the storage bag 10. The carbon dioxide generated from the vegetable, fruit or fresh flower in the storage bag 10 is discharged from the vent holes 2. The oxygen of the outside is shut off by the vent holes 2. The vegetable, fruit or fresh flower is allowed to breath only by the oxygen sealed in the storage bag 10. An oxygen concentration is gradually reduced according to a degree of breathing of each of the vegetable, fruit or fresh flower.

A humidity controlled package that uses a humidity sensitive valve that opens and closes an opening to control a humidity in the package. The package has a package holding area inside the package. The humidity level in the package controls the valve to open to allow air flow between an inside of the valve and an outside of the valve, and close to prevent air flow between the inside and outside of the valve. At least part of the valve is in the package. In one embodiment, the package is vented when the humidity value gets higher than a setpoint. In another embodiment, a sachet of dessicant is opened by the humidity level.

Systems and methods for airflow management around palletized cases of goods in a warehouse storage facility are provided, in which airflow around each individual layer of cases is facilitated while airflow spillage around the sides, top or bottom of pallet assemblies is minimized or eliminated. One exemplary device for such airflow management includes palletized product spacers disposed between respective layers of vertically stacked cases, in which the product spacers facilitate a substantially unidirectional longitudinal airflow. Another exemplary airflow management device is a series of automatically adjustable air dams disposed at the tops of respective pallet assemblies which prevent air spillage and establish intermediate air manifold spaces. Yet another device is a lateral pallet spacer prevents direct abutment of the side surfaces of neighboring pallet assemblies and thereby ensures that the air manifold spaces are in fluid communication with the spacers of multiple pallet assemblies.

A package for preserving respiring produce contained in the package, in particular vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices and/or flowers, and an associated method are provided. The package defines a package volume for containing a portion of the produce and a package atmosphere, and comprises a packaging material, in particular a BOPE or MDOPE-containing polymer film, with a haze of at most 10, preferable at most 5, more preferably at most 3, and most preferably at most 2, provided with one or more perforations enabling gas exchange with the atmosphere surrounding the package to form the package into a Controlled Atmosphere Package (CAP). The package has a package carbon dioxide transmission rate (CO.sub.2TR.sub.pack) and the CO.sub.2TR.sub.pack is at least 1000 ml per 100 gram produce to be packed over 24 hours.

A kit for take-out pizza includes a container and a cover, wherein the pizza container includes a basin-shaped tray having slanted lateral sides that enable stacking a second tray on the first tray by having the slanted walls support a bottom of the second tray received into the slanted walls, and stop projections provided on lower inner portions of the lateral walls of the tray, which support the second tray to form a stack of trays and to define, within the lower tray, a chamber for housing a pizza to be transported.

Product transport containers are disclosed. Such containers can provide one or more advantages compared to existing containers. For example, product transport containers described herein can maintain a product at a desired temperature for an extended period of time, including without the use of an active heating or cooling component. Such product transport containers described herein may also provide improved breathability, thermal insulation, and/or mechanical strength or dimensional stability. Such containers can include a plurality of walls defining an interior volume and a selectively openable side permitting movement of the product into and out of the interior volume of the container. The walls can be formed from a thermoformed non-woven fabric.

A ventilation structure (100) includes a metal housing (10) and a ventilation member (30). The metal housing (10) is a housing that requires ventilation, and has a ventilation hole (12) and a hole-surrounding portion (14). The ventilation hole (12) is covered by the ventilation member (30). The hole-surrounding portion (14) defining the periphery of the ventilation hole (12) has been subjected to an alumite treatment, a Veluscudo treatment, a chromium-plating-on-aluminum treatment, or an oil-repellent treatment.

Containers for food, and methods and systems for making and using the same. An exemplary container for food can include an insulated tray including one or more sub-units and one or more heat sink units configured to store the food and fit in the tray. An alternative container can include a container base and a receptacle fitting in the container base, the container base including one or more thermal function pieces therein for maintaining a temperature of the receptacle. An alternative container can include a serving base defining one or more slots for holding the food items, respectively, and a cover configured to cooperate with the serving base, wherein at least the serving base, or at least the cover, includes a thermal function piece, the thermal function piece including a phase-change material. An exemplary method for using the container includes treating the phase-change material to an initial temperature.