ANTIMICROBIAL COVER

Abstract

This invention relates to an antimicrobial cover comprising or consisting of an antimicrobial agent-generating article for use with a container for transporting or storage of fruit and a container comprising the antimicrobial of the invention. The invention further relates to a method of preventing or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, particularly fungal organisms, in packaged fruit comprising the use of the antimicrobial of the invention.

Claims

1. A container for transport or storage of fruit having a solid base, four sides, and an open end comprising: (i) a plurality of apertures in the horizontal plane of the container for air flow, cooling or both and (ii) an antimicrobial cover of uninterrupted material adapted to fit over the open end of the container comprising or consisting of an antimicrobial agent-generating article.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial agent-generating article is a sulphur dioxide (SO.sub.2) generating article.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the SO.sub.2 generating article is a dual-release SO.sub.2 generating article.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial cover or antimicrobial agent-generating article or both further comprise an ethylene scrubber, or a carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) generating, article, or both.

5. The container according to claim 1 which is comprised of a moisture resistant material selected from the group consisting of plastic, wax coated, wax paper lined, and polystyrene foam.

6. The container according to claim 1 which is a stackable container comprising interlocking lugs or stacking feet.

7. (canceled)

8. The container according to claim 1 wherein the antimicrobial cover is transparent.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial agent-generating article is affixed to an operably inwardly facing surface of the antimicrobial cover.

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial cover is integrally formed with or consists of the antimicrobial agent-generating article.

11. (canceled)

12. A method of preventing or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in packaged fruit comprising the use of the container according to claim 1.

13. The method according to claim 12, for preventing or inhibiting the growth of Botrytis.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising the steps of: (i) providing the container according to claim 1; (ii) packaging and/or positioning the fruit in the container; and (iii) slipping the antimicrobial cover over the open end of the packed container such that the antimicrobial agent-generating article is adjacent to, but not in direct contact with, the fruit in the container.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fruit comprises grapes, berries comprising strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, and raspberries, melons, kiwi fruit, bananas, apples or pears.

16. A method of making an antimicrobial cover for use with a container according to claim 1, comprising processing a sheet of antimicrobial cover material comprising an antimicrobial agent-generating article, an ethylene scrubber, or a CO.sub.2 generating article, or any combination thereof, to the dimension of the open end of the container, such that the antimicrobial cover operably fits over the open end of the container, with a margin of overhang of between about 20-80 mm.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the antimicrobial agent-generating article, the ethylene scrubber, or CO.sub.2 generating article, or any combination thereof are integrally formed with the sheet of antimicrobial cover material.

18. The method according to claim 16, comprising the following steps: (i) processing the antimicrobial agent-generating article such that the antimicrobial agent-generating article operably covers a surface of about 60 to 100% of the surface area of the antimicrobial cover; (ii) affixing the processed antimicrobial agent-generating article to the sheet of antimicrobial cover material; and (iii) processing the sheet of antimicrobial cover material, of step (ii) to the dimension of the open end of the container, such that the antimicrobial cover operably fits over the open end of the container with a margin of overhang of between about 20 to about 80 mm.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the antimicrobial agent-generating article operably covers a surface of about 80% of the surface area of the antimicrobial cover.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sheet of antimicrobial cover material or the sheet comprising the antimicrobial agent-generating article is a dual-release SO.sub.2 generating material.

21.-22. (canceled)

23. The container according to claim 6, wherein the antimicrobial cover comprises a plurality of slits at the periphery of the antimicrobial cover through which interlocking lugs or stacking feet between containers operably fit.

24. The method according to claim 12, wherein the microorganisms are fungal organisms.

25. A set of articles comprising (i) a container for transport or storage of fruit having a solid base and four sides, a plurality of apertures in the horizontal plane of the container for air flow, cooling or both; and (ii) an antimicrobial cover of uninterrupted material comprising or consisting of an antimicrobial agent-generating article.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a antimicrobial cover according to the invention in use, situated over the receiving end of a container for transporting and/or storage of fruit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] The current invention provides an antimicrobial cover comprising or consisting of an antimicrobial agent-generating article for use with a container for transporting or storage of fruit and a container comprising the antimicrobial cover of the invention. The invention further relates to a method of preventing or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, particularly fungal organisms, in packaged fruit comprising the use of the antimicrobial cover of the invention.

[0044] As used herein, “antimicrobial cover” means a fitted cover for a container for transporting and/or storage of fruit that may be easily slipped on or off a receiving end of the container.

[0045] As used herein “container” means any type of container for holding fruit, including but not limited to cartons, boxes, punnets, cases and the like.

[0046] Current methods of preserving fruit when in transit, in particular over large distances of for extended time periods are labour intensive. Furthermore, no single solution exists that addresses various problems associated with long distance travel and extended shipping periods such as over-ripening, premature ripening and spoiling of fruit due to infection by pathogens.

[0047] The applicant sought to develop a product that could be used with fruit transport and/or storage containers to preserve the fruit from spoiling and/or over-ripening. The applicant determined that surprisingly, it was possible to preserve the fruit transported in containers by means of a simple antimicrobial cover for the container comprising an antimicrobial agent-generating article.

[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the product developed is a simple antimicrobial cover (10) comprising an antimicrobial agent-generating article and optionally an ethylene scrubber, or CO.sub.2 generating article, or both, dimensioned to fit over a receiving end (12) of a fruit container (14) such that the edges (16) of the antimicrobial cover overhang the receiving end of the container sufficiently to prevent easy dislodgement of the antimicrobial cover. Optionally, the antimicrobial cover may further comprise slits (18) positioned to receive the stacking feet or lugs (20) of the container where the containers are designed to stack one on top of the other.

[0049] The antimicrobial agent-generating article (22) and optionally an ethylene scrubber, or CO.sub.2 generating article, or both is typically affixed (for example, by means of glue or staples, or other means known to those skilled in the art) to the operably inwardly facing surface of the antimicrobial cover adjacent to, but not in direct contact with the fruit.

[0050] The antimicrobial cover is simple to use, in that packages of the antimicrobial covers cut to the desired size of the customer, depending on the dimension of the containers to be covered are provided to the customer. The customer packages the fruit into the containers according to their standard practice. Next, one of the antimicrobial covers is selected and slipped over the open receiving end (12) of the container of fruit (14) such that the antimicrobial agent-generating article (22) and optionally an ethylene scrubber, or CO.sub.2 generating article, or both face inwardly towards and adjacent the fruit, but not in direct contact thereto.

[0051] The antimicrobial covers can be sized to any shape of container by cutting them to the desired size. They can also be fitted onto any typical fruit container.

[0052] Should the customer desire it, the antimicrobial cover may be transparent so that the fruit is visible through the antimicrobial cover.

[0053] The product is versatile and may merely include the antimicrobial agent-generating article (22), or alternatively may comprise any one or both of an ethylene scrubber, or CO.sub.2 generating article as well.

[0054] Although other antimicrobial agent-generating articles known to those skilled in the art may be used, typically, the antimicrobial agent-generating article (22) is a dual release SO.sub.2 generating sheet as claimed in the published patents ZA8900691, ZA9507170, U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,596 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,182 which is then processed either to be affixed to the antimicrobial cover (10) or to the desired size for fitting directly onto the container (14), including an overhang of about 20 to about 80 mm 20-80 on each edge (16). When affixing the antimicrobial agent-generating article (22) to the antimicrobial cover material, it is positioned approximately centrally relative to the antimicrobial cover (10) when processed to fit over the receiving end (12) of the container (14). The antimicrobial agent-generating article and optionally the ethylene scrubber, or CO.sub.2 generating article, or both typically operably cover a surface of 80% of the surface area of the antimicrobial cover.