Choosing fruit packaging is not about picking the cheapest tray. It is about landing the lowest total cost — the pack price plus the cost of damage, claims and lost reorders. Get the structure right and a slightly more expensive pack pays for itself many times over. Here is the framework our engineers use with buyers.

Start with the fruit, not the pack

Every packaging decision flows from the physical properties of the fruit itself:

  • Soft berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries): bruise and weep under the lightest pressure. They need ventilation to release field heat and moisture, plus cells or a shallow depth that stops them stacking on each other.
  • Stone and pome fruit (peaches, apples, pears): heavier and rounder, so they need individual cavities that stop them rolling and knocking during transit.
  • Delicate specialty fruit (figs, cherries, avocados): high value and easily marked — worth a snug, suspension-style pack that immobilises each piece.

Match the structure to the job

Clamshell punnets

The default for retail berries. A hinged, clear PET clamshell shows off colour, protects against crushing and stacks cleanly on shelf. Choose cavity counts and vent patterns to match your grams-per-pack and cold-chain.

Cavity trays

For larger fruit sold in counts — a 4-cavity apple tray or a 6-cavity fig tray cradles each piece so nothing moves. Trays also upgrade the look of a gift or premium line.

Vented e-commerce packs

Courier networks are brutal. A suspension or vented pack holds fruit away from the box wall, absorbs drops and breathes, which is why online berry sellers see far fewer damage claims after switching.

Rule of thumb: the further your fruit travels and the more it is handled, the more you should invest in structure — ventilation, suspension and snug cavities — rather than just film and cardboard.

Then choose the material

Clarity, strength, cost and sustainability all trade off:

  • Virgin PET — the clearest, strongest option for premium retail.
  • Recycled rPET — near-identical clarity with a lower carbon story; increasingly required by EU and UK retailers.
  • PP — tougher and more temperature-tolerant for demanding cold-chain lanes.
  • Degradable / compostable and moulded pulp — for brands leading on sustainability.

Don't forget freight efficiency

The best pack also ships efficiently. Nesting depth, carton fit and stackability decide how many kilos of fruit — versus air — you pay to move. A pack designed to your carton can cut freight cost per unit noticeably.

The shortcut: send us your fruit

If this feels like a lot of variables, it is — which is why we do it for you. Send your fruit type, target pack weight, freight lane and a sample or photo, and we will recommend a structure and material, then confirm with a physical sample before any tooling.