Patent ID: 7832585

Claim:
A produce packaging and shipping system configured to enhance cooling properties and increase packing density, the system comprising: a produce packaging tray having an approximate dimension of about 16 inches by about 20 inches, the tray including a venting arrangement with a first cutout on one end of the tray and a second cutout on an opposite end of the tray from the first cut out; nine produce packaging containers arranged in the tray, each container including a lid that is connected to a body with a hinge and configured so that the closed container can be secured with latches and further configured such that when the lid is closed it defines at least two horizontal ventilation slots between the lid and body, the slots being disposed at opposing ends of the container, the containers being arranged in the tray in three columns of containers with each column having three rows of containers, with each container adapted to contain about 1 lb of produce product, each container having an exterior width dimension of in the range of about 5inches to about 5½ inches and an exterior length dimension of in the range of about 6 inches to about 6¾ inches, and having substantially vertical sidewalls; the plurality of containers further arranged inside the tray so that ventilation slots of the packaging containers of each row of containers are in alignment with ventilation slots of other packaging containers in the same row of containers, and wherein the ventilation slots of the packaging containers of each row of containers are in alignment with the ventilation cutouts of the trays, enabling airflow to pass into the tray through the first cutout into the ventilation openings of the containers and through each of the containers by passing through the aligned ventilation slots of the containers and out of the cooling tray through the second cutout at the opposite end of the tray.