Patent ID: 7601374

Claim:
A sealed container which (A) has a volume of at least 8 m 3 , (B) contains (i) a controlled atmosphere in which the content of oxygen is less than in air, and (ii) a plurality of sealed packages which are surrounded by the controlled atmosphere, each of the sealed packages comprising (a) a sealed polymeric bag, and (b) within the sealed polymeric bag, bananas and a packaging atmosphere around the bananas, the packaging atmosphere being an equilibrium atmosphere comprising O 2 , CO 2 , and exogenous ethylene or the residue of exogenous ethylene, the O 2 content having a substantially constant value which is 1.5 to 6%, the CO 2 content having a substantially constant value which is less than 15%, and the total quantity of O 2 and CO 2 being less than 16%; the sealed polymeric bag (a) having an O 2 permeability at 13° C. per kg of bananas in the package (OP13/kg), of at least 1500 ml/atm. 24 hrs, an ethylene permeability at 13° C. per kg of bananas (EtP13/kg) which is at least 2 times of the OP13/kg, and an R ratio at 13° C. of at least 3; and (b) including at least one atmosphere control member which provides a pathway for O 2 , CO 2 and ethylene to enter or leave the packaging atmosphere.