Food waste reduction is a key priority in Sweden, across the Nordic region and within the European Union. Food production is the sector with the greatest overall impact on global ecosystems, and reducing food waste is therefore recognised as an essential measure to limit environmental pressures while improving the efficiency and sustainability of food systems.
The European Union’s new Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40) introduces a ban on plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables sold in quantities below 1.5 kg, to be implemented from 2030. The regulation allows for exemptions where packaging is demonstrably necessary, including to prevent water loss or loss of turgidity, microbiological hazards, physical damage or oxidation, or where packaging is required to avoid the mixing of organic and non-organic products.
A comprehensive assessment of the available evidence is being carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA 2025), and in February 2027, the European Commission is expected to publish a non-exhaustive list of fruit and vegetable products that may be exempted on such grounds.
This report is intended as a preparatory overview, supporting early knowledge-building, dialogue and coordination at national and Nordic level. The report should be understood as a targeted overview of selected scientific sources, rather than a comprehensive or systematic literature review on the need for (plastic) packaging of fruits and vegetables.
Specific questions to be answered
What is the purpose of having packaging on fruits and vegetables?
What can happen to fruits and vegetables if they are not packed in plastic or other packaging?
Are there any fruits and vegetable products for which plastic packaging or other packaging is extra important or necessary?
What is the effect of produce bags used by consumers when purchasing fruits and vegetables that are sold loose?
Are there any microbiological risks of not having packaging on fruits and vegetables?