Tara Minerals Corp., Henderson, Nev., USA, this week announced that it has closed the acquisition of intellectual property for the preservation and protection of fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers during extended periods of shipping and storage. The mining assets and the newly acquired packaging assets will be held under separate subsidiaries. 

 

The acquisition is comprised of patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property in the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Canada, South Africa, Japan, and Chile regarding systems and methods for packaging of bulk quantities of fresh produce and flowers incorporating modified atmosphere packaging. The acquisition also includes pending applications throughout the world regarding the active treatment of modified atmosphere packaging. 

 

The commercially demonstrated SmartPac system replaces industry-standard shipping cartons with a sealed see-through container system that preserves produce in virtually the same condition it was in when newly picked, for up to one month during shipment or storage. The packaging system reduces spoilage, extends market reach to far-away customers, and opens up cheaper (ship/rail vs. air) transportation options. The SmartPac system also improves food safety through an efficient mechanism for the distribution of anti-microbial agents, which deter mold, disease, and infestation while in transit or in storage. 

 

The solution caters to the quality needs and wants of the end user, opens up new distribution channels, improves the logistics service to customers, and enables lower system-wide costs, Tara Minerals notes. The SmartPac solution will be made available for the packing, storage, and shipment of bulk quantities of produce to growers, packers, and end-users. 

 

 More information is available online.