Method for storing produce and container and freshness keeping agent therefore

Claim 1

A closed storage container containing vegetables and fruits tending to be discolored by water evaporation and further containing a permeable bag containing a freshness keeping agent composition for vegetables and fruits which agent consists essentially of (i) from 30 to 100% of a mixture of adsorbents consisting essentially of from about 50 to 100% by weight of a mixture of main adsorbents selected from the group consisting of a bentonite-activated carbon mixture and a bentonite-zeolite mixture, each of the main adsorbents being present in an amount within the range of between 20 and 80% by weight of the total amount of said main adsorbents and from 0 to 50% by weight of at least one auxiliary adsorbent selected from the group of activated alumina and activated clay, (ii) from 0 to about 50% be weight of at least one oxygen-removing compound selected from the group consisting of sulfates and chlorides of manganese (II), iron (II), cobalt (II) and nickel (II), (iii) 0 to about 30% by weight of ascorbic acid or salts thereof, and (iv) 0 to about 30% by weight of at least one alkaline compound selected from the group consisting of hydroxides, carbonates and bicarbonates; said freshness keeping agent composition being present in an amount relative to the amount of vegetables and fruits sufficient to adsorb ethylene and the other gases generated by the vegetables and fruits during storage.