196 AMERICAN"POTATOJOL'RNAL [Vol. 31 PLASTICS HELP SELL POTATOES 1 Long relegated to grocery store bins and brown paper bags, potatoes are being glamorized by many packers making imaginative use of the new polyethylene plastic packaging materials. (Figure 1) To the delight of grocery store operators, many potato industry packers are putting up their spuds in 5 and 10-pound polyethylene bags, often brightly printed in two or three colors. This not only attracts shoppers who like the strong, convenient packages, but helps solve storage problems and gives grocers a chance to display potatoes effectively for the first time. Consumer acceptance has proved exceptionally good, with surveys !ndicating a 10-to-1 preference among housewives for potatoes packaged m polyethylene. Grocers stocking the packaged potatoes report marked increases in sales. One of the materials being most widely and successfully used is VisQueen "C," a polyethylene film made by The Visking Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana. The film is treated to take and retain color printing brilliantly. Packers have already taken advantage of this by printing potato recipes and health factors on the bags. They also are experimenting with Kodachrome prints such as a full-color of an open baked potato complete with dripping butter. Development of polyethylene film has made the packaging revolution possible. Unusually strong, it is chemically inert, not subject to damage through temperature change, nontoxic and tear-resistant. One of the biggest advantages is that it can be perforated for ventilation, an important factor in potato packaging, without being weakened. Some packers using polyethylene are employing a translucent brown film for unwashed potatoes because it resists greening and eliminates the appearance of dust clinging on the bag. However, washed potatoes are packaged in a clear film because of the visibility factor, resulting in obvious display advantages. One packer, using automatic equipment manned by three operators, packaged 600 five-pound packages per hour and 400 ten-pound packages. Most packagers use bags approximately 6 x 3 x 18 inches for five-pound and 8 x 3 x 20 inches for ten-pound lots. The individual packages, in turn, are packed either in wooden boxes containing ten 5-pound or five 10-pound units each or in heavy Kraft bags for easy shipment and storage. aAccepted for publicationApril 29, 1954. Prepared by Irwin K. Teven, The Public Relations Board, The Visking Corporation, 75 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Ill., for the American Potato Journal.

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196 AMERICAN" POTATO JOL'RNAL [Vol. 31

PLASTICS HELP SELL POTATOES 1

Long relegated to grocery store bins and brown paper bags, potatoes are being glamorized by many packers making imaginative use of the new polyethylene plastic packaging materials. (Figure 1)

To the delight of grocery store operators, many potato industry packers are putting up their spuds in 5 and 10-pound polyethylene bags, often brightly printed in two or three colors. This not only attracts shoppers who like the strong, convenient packages, but helps solve storage problems and gives grocers a chance to display potatoes effectively for the first time.

Consumer acceptance has proved exceptionally good, with surveys !ndicating a 10-to-1 preference among housewives for potatoes packaged m polyethylene. Grocers stocking the packaged potatoes report marked increases in sales.

One of the materials being most widely and successfully used is VisQueen "C," a polyethylene film made by The Visking Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana. The film is treated to take and retain color printing brilliantly. Packers have already taken advantage of this by printing potato recipes and health factors on the bags. They also are experimenting with Kodachrome prints such as a full-color of an open baked potato complete with dripping butter.

Development of polyethylene film has made the packaging revolution possible. Unusually strong, it is chemically inert, not subject to damage through temperature change, nontoxic and tear-resistant. One of the biggest advantages is that it can be perforated for ventilation, an important factor in potato packaging, without being weakened.

Some packers using polyethylene are employing a translucent brown film for unwashed potatoes because it resists greening and eliminates the appearance of dust clinging on the bag. However, washed potatoes are packaged in a clear film because of the visibility factor, resulting in obvious display advantages.

One packer, using automatic equipment manned by three operators, packaged 600 five-pound packages per hour and 400 ten-pound packages.

Most packagers use bags approximately 6 x 3 x 18 inches for five-pound and 8 x 3 x 20 inches for ten-pound lots.

The individual packages, in turn, are packed either in wooden boxes containing ten 5-pound or five 10-pound units each or in heavy Kraft bags for easy shipment and storage.

aAccepted for publication April 29, 1954. Prepared by Irwin K. Teven, The Public Relations Board, The Visking Corporation, 75 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Ill., for the American Potato Journal.