Jun 27, 2005 9:40 AM, from staff and wire reports

Landec Corp's food subsidiary, Apio Inc, has formed a new division at Apio headquarters in Guadalupe CA that will focus on developing and marketing technology-based products.

This new division was created to promote Landec’s packaging technology under the new BreatheWay trademark. Apio’s technology division will include the BreatheWay banana packaging and packaging technology for other shelf-life sensitive vegetables and fruit, as well as packaging systems for large shipping containers and pallet-size containers. Apio sells about 48 million fresh-cut produce packages annually to retail grocery and club stores under the Eat Smart brand and the Dole brand using the BreatheWay membrane technology.

The BreatheWay membrane technology regulates the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide within a package to maintain optimum atmospheres for vegetables and fruit in order to extend produce shelf life. The company’s packaging technology also compensates for changes in cold chain temperatures that might be experienced during shipping and storage. The BreatheWay technology allows Apio to convert not only fresh-cut produce but also whole produce.