Excerpt from the report Introduction: The packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables in consumer units is expanding, although only about 20 percent of the fresh produce is now packaged before reaching the retail level. Approximately 56 billion pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables are marketed annually and about 11 billion pounds are packaged in unit containers. Shippers, packers, and distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables consequently need more information on the growth of the produce prepackaging industry. Potential packagers want to know what commodities are being prepackaged, what types and sizes of packages are used, what types of machinery and equipment are used, and what experimental methods are being tested. Firms already in the business also want such information to help them expand operations