WILMINGTON, DE - DuPont is extending its current offering to the produce industry by providing a value-adding offer that enables cost reduction by providing sustainability to produce that often suffers loss during the cold chain with the company’s innovative DuPont™ Tyvek® Cargo Covers. These covers have seen wide use in pharmaceutical applications since the product launched and has recently been endorsed by several major cargo airlines. In the past 4 years, use of the covers has expanded into protecting perishable products worldwide including fruits, vegetables, cut flowers and plants.

Annette Kim, DuPont™ Protection Technologies Growth Program Manager, joined me to talk about this growing segment of the Protection Technologies business, and the highlights of the proprietary covers.

“Produce is a relatively new application for Tyvek® Cargo Covers. Customers are seeing the value in this product and we are conducting more and more trials across perishable categories. It has been very exciting to be a part of this product’s growth,” Annette said.

DuPont is constantly making moves to enhance its product mix and offer more options for produce customers. So what exactly are the benefits of DuPont™ Tyvek® Cargo Covers? Annette tells me that these protective covers are made from a proprietary high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufacturing process that creates a unique balance of properties that are ideal for a protective cover.

“Because we are first targeting air transportation for perishables, one of the primary categories for us has been asparagus as a large amount gets flown into the U.S. through Miami, FL from Lima, Peru,” Annette said. “We have also been working with berry and cherry companies as well and gaining much interest from the growers and shippers of fresh cut flowers. As more people continue to see the value in Tyvek® Cargo Covers, we will continue to evolve the program.”

Tyvek® Cargo Covers help reduce losses, have ease-of-use and can be installed or removed in as little as one minute. They also offer a simple, robust design, which means there is no complicated training and no return logistics required. Tyvek® Cargo Covers help improve the bottom line by reducing costs associated with temperature excursion loss and are specifically engineered to address the threat of cold chain breaks during transit.

Tyvek® Cargo Cover protective advantages include:

• Excellent protection against temperature excursions by shielding your products from the threats of solar radiation and extreme ambient temperatures (hot and cold).
• Protection from physical hazards including rain, snow and insects.
• Breathable cover allows perishables to respire normally, vents harmful gases such as ethylene and reduces probability of condensation damage. Breathability also allows perishables to be fumigated while covered, preserving your cold chain protection during this process.
• Enhanced shipment security because these white opaque covers shield your cargo from view and are inherently tamper-evident.
• Superior protection from solar radiation as a result of their unique reflective outer surface.
• Excellent protection from ambient temperature extremes–hot and cold–without the weight or bulk of alternative covers.

DuPont™ Tyvek® Cargo Covers come in two basic designs: a one-piece top cover, and a two-piece top and bottom cover. The covers are tailored to fit upper and lower deck standard cargo sizes, such as Euro and UK/US pallets, ULD, PMC, PAG, AKE, and LD3 and are also customizable.

As the import/export opportunities continue to grow, so will DuPont and its evolving Tyvek® Cargo Cover program.

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