Ever gone to the supermarket, looking for bananas – only to find the shelves totally empty? If you’re anything like us, then you might feel like a day without a banana is a day not worth living. So, you’ll go the extra mile to get your bendy yellow snack, and start rummaging through the drawers underneath the banana shelf…
And most of the time, you’ll be in luck – finding yourself an untapped bounty of bananas, wrapped up in good old polythene packaging. Probably a little on the green side, but well worth the extra effort to find!
Those bananas are part of the cold chain: the transportation and logistical management of temperature-sensitive goods that runs around the world. The cold chain must be kept cold throughout its entire journey – and one weak link could spoil an entire shipment.
The humble banana is one of the world’s most valuable internationally traded goods. But it’s just one of the many perishable items that rely on cold chain logistics – and the polythene packaging that plays such an important role within it.
Polythene packaging has some insulation properties, but that’s not why it’s so great for the cold chain. It’s superpower is in flexibility, both literally and figuratively! Whether it’s fresh produce, dairy or frozen items, polythene sheets and bags help maintain stability, control moisture, banish dust – and maximise freshness.
But we’d be bananas if we didn’t also mention medicines here. You see, food isn’t the only thing that needs to be kept cold in transit; medicines rely on the cold chain, too.
Medical transport
You might remember back when the coronavirus was in the news every day. Well, the vaccines developed to help get it out of the news were particularly reliant on the cold chain for distribution and storage.
When it comes to medicines, especially vaccines and certain biological products, maintaining the correct temperature is probably the most important variable. This is why the NHS has a cold chain policy for vaccines, with an ideal storage temperature of 5ºC for vaccines that are due to be used within 10 weeks, and possibly up to six months.
But during the covid pandemic, the storage of the now famous Pfizer-BioNTech jab required absolutely frigid temperatures of as low as -70ºC, and that posed a major challenge to cold chain logistics as they stood at the time. No vaccination site could stand to accommodate that requirement, and once thawed in a vaccine fridge, the vaccine had to be used within 3 days.
Still, it was all worked out with off-site storage and logistics teams. But protecting the world-changing drug in transit needed resilient packaging that was up to the job.
Polythene’s protective qualities help guard sensitive products from outside contamination – and when paired with thermal insulation materials like expanded polystyrene or reflective barriers, a solid protective packaging system can be developed.
But there is a catch. Polythene is only naturally capable of withstanding temperatures down to -40ºC without deforming or losing flexibility – and with prolonged cold exposure, it cracks and becomes brittle. The solution? Additives.
Polythene additives for cold chain logistics
To ensure that polythene can withstand the challenges of extreme cold, special additives are often introduced to the masterbatch (the mixture of materials that make up the final product) during the manufacturing process. Cold-resistant plasticisers enhance flexibility and prevent brittleness at low temperatures – and that’s vital for maintaining the integrity of packaging in extreme environments.
Polythene’s versatility and adaptability make it an indispensable material in cold chain logistics.
Thanks to this modern day wonder material, temperature-sensitive goods – everything from fresh foods to life-saving medicines – can reach their destination safe and sound.
With special polythene additives and innovative packaging design, polythene helps extend the shelf life of perishable items while keeping them safe.
Polythene for cold chain logistics
Talk to the polythene experts at NPF Packaging – and design your own cold chain polythene packaging, ready to withstand the most extreme temperatures. Get a quote now, or call us on 01773 820415 to find out more about our manufacturing and design process.
