Badger Common’Tater October 2019 Issue
Paper Potato Packaging is Back
What once was old is new again in the bagging and packing industry
By Mark G. Resch, freelance writer, packaging design specialist and consultant
For any of us lucky enough to grow up in the potato industry during the 1950’s though the early ’80s, one thing was constant. The most popular packaging of the day was a paper bag.
The iconic mesh-windowed bags of the era allowed packers to distribute high-quality produce branded with their farm names and colors.
The paper bags were easy to pack on the Weigh-O-Matic baggers of the day and could be hand packed off the end of a grading line with their SOS (self-opening square) bottoms allowing each package to stand up all on its own.
Bag companies of the day focused on the market with their own special, uniquely named bags. Bemis had the “Foto Pak,” Union Camp offered the “Vent Vu,” Chase Bag boasted a “Vision Air,” and International Papers offered the “Hydrotuff” bag.
General Bag, Equitable Bag, PEI Bag, Nepco and many others offered windowed bags along with regional suppliers serving the growing markets.
To this day, the paper bag is known to be the best recommended container for fragile tubers. Paper bags offer excellent light protection compared to mesh and poly bags and have a natural moisture absorption characteristic not found in other produce packaging.
