Quick answer
A standard 8.2 kg (18 lb) table grape box holds 8 bags of 1 kg, 9 bags of 900 g (2 lb) or 10 bags of 800 g; a 4.5 kg (10 lb) box holds 5 bags of 900 g. Add one liner bag and one SO₂ pad per box. Per 40 ft reefer of fruit (≈1,900–2,400 boxes) plan on 17,000–22,000 pouch bags. The most common pouch is 24 × 30 cm, 28–32 µm PE with a slider and vent holes, weighing about 6 g. Confirm every count and specification against the actual pack, then set the order date from written sample, production and route milestones.
Grape bags per box: 8.2 kg, 4.5 kg and 9 kg formats
Retail programs buy grapes by unit weight, so the number of bags in a box is fixed by the target unit, not by the bag. The table below covers the three export box formats used by Peruvian, Chilean, Mexican and Californian packers, with the bag counts that fill each box to its net weight.
| Box format | Net weight | Unit weight | Bags per box | Typical market | Bag style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.2 kg box (18 lb) | 8.2 kg | 900 g / 2 lb | 9 | United States, Canada | Slider or zipper pouch, vented |
| 8.2 kg box | 8.2 kg | 1 kg | 8 | Asia, Middle East | Pouch or cone bag |
| 8.2 kg box | 8.2 kg | 800 g | 10 | Europe, Latin America | Cone or bunch bag |
| 8.2 kg box | 8.2 kg | 500 g | 16 | UK / EU retail | Small pouch or punnet + bag |
| 4.5 kg box (10 lb) | 4.5 kg | 900 g / 2 lb | 5 | US premium, air freight | Slider pouch |
| 4.5 kg box | 4.5 kg | 1.1 kg | 4 | Asia premium | Pouch or cone |
| 9 kg box (20 lb) | 9.0 kg | 900 g / 2 lb | 10 | US domestic (California) | Slider pouch |
| Bulk / loose | 8.2 or 9 kg | — | 0 + 1 liner | Repackers, processors | Liner bag only |
Counts assume bags are filled to the unit weight with 2–3% over-pack. Every box also takes one polyethylene liner (or perforated master bag) and one SO₂ generator pad; some programs add an absorbent pad under the bags.
Grape bag types, sizes and film thickness
Four bag types cover almost every table grape program. All are polyethylene (LDPE/LLDPE blends) because grapes are stored at 0 °C under SO₂ and the film must stay soft, clear and vented. Specify width × length, micron and perforation pattern, and the closure if any.
| Bag type | Typical size | Film thickness | Ventilation | Weight per bag | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slider / zipper pouch bag | 22–24 × 28–30 cm (9 × 11.5 in) | 28–35 µm (1.1–1.4 mil) | Punched holes 3–6 mm, 6–12 per side | 5.5–6.5 g (with slider) | Retail-ready 2 lb / 1 kg units, US & Canada |
| Stand-up / gusset pouch | 20 × 28 + 6 cm gusset | 40–50 µm | Laser micro-perforation | 7–9 g | Premium seedless, club stores |
| Cone bag (bolsa cono) | 25 × 35 cm, tapered | 20–25 µm (0.8–1.0 mil) | Punched 5 mm, 8–16 holes | 3–4 g | 1 kg / 800 g units, Europe, Asia, LatAm |
| Bunch / cluster bag | 25 × 40 cm flat | 18–22 µm (0.7–0.9 mil) | Micro-perforated 0.5 mm | 3–3.5 g | Loose bunches, wholesale, domestic markets |
| Liner / master bag | 50 × 70 cm or 40 × 60 cm | 25–40 µm (1.0–1.6 mil) | Perforated or solid (MAP) | 15–22 g | Box liner holding the SO₂ pad; one per box |
| Modified-atmosphere liner | Box size + 10 cm | 35–50 µm, laser-perforated | Engineered OTR | 20–28 g | Long transits (Peru → China, 35+ days) |
Which bag for which market
- US and Canada: slider pouch with brand print, PLU and country of origin, 9 per 8.2 kg box. Retailers increasingly ask for 30 µm minimum so bags survive the box-to-bin transfer.
- Europe: 500 g and 800 g cone bags, or punnets inside a bag; recycled-content (PCR) film is now a common tender requirement.
- Asia and the Middle East: 1 kg cone or pouch; gold and red print colours for gift-tier fruit, 4.5 kg premium boxes for Red Globe and Autumn Crisp.
- Domestic and wholesale: bunch bags or loose fruit in a liner; the liner and SO₂ pad matter more than the retail bag.
How much a grape bag weighs — and why it sets the price
Grape bags are quoted per kilogram of film (or per thousand bags derived from it), so the micron you choose is the price you pay. Weight per bag = width (cm) × length (cm) × 2 faces × thickness (cm) × 0.92 (PE density).
| Bag | Film weight | + Closure | Total | Bags per kg of film | Quote comparison input |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pouch 24 × 30 cm, 25 µm | 3.3 g | 1.8 g slider | ≈5.1 g | ≈195 | Resin, tolerance, slider, print and quantity |
| Pouch 24 × 30 cm, 30 µm | 4.0 g | 1.8 g slider | ≈5.8 g | ≈170 | Resin, tolerance, slider, print and quantity |
| Pouch 24 × 30 cm, 35 µm | 4.6 g | 1.8 g slider | ≈6.4 g | ≈155 | Resin, tolerance, slider, print and quantity |
| Cone 25 × 35 cm, 22 µm | 3.5 g | — | ≈3.5 g | ≈285 | Resin, perforation, print, packing and quantity |
| Bunch 25 × 40 cm, 20 µm | 3.7 g | — | ≈3.7 g | ≈270 | Resin, perforation, print, packing and quantity |
| Liner 50 × 70 cm, 30 µm | 19.3 g | — | ≈19.3 g | ≈52 | Resin, seal, perforation, packing and quantity |
Weights are geometric screening calculations, not production tolerances or prices. Compare current quotations at the same finished dimensions, gauge tolerance, grams per bag, closure, perforation, print, packing, quantity, plant, Incoterm and validity.
Cost per 8.2 kg box, packaging film only
Calculate film cost per box from the current quoted price per thousand for each approved SKU: (pouch count × pouch price) + (liner count × liner price) + pads, labels and allocated freight. Keep every value editable; compare thinner film only after drop, seal, puncture, pack-out and route testing confirms equivalent performance.
Bags per pallet and per container: order by the container of fruit
| Unit | 8.2 kg boxes | Pouch bags (9 per box) | Liner bags | SO₂ pads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pallet (8 boxes × 12–15 layers) | 96–120 | 860–1,080 | 96–120 | 96–120 |
| 40 ft reefer (20 pallets) | 1,920–2,400 | 17,300–21,600 | 1,920–2,400 | 1,920–2,400 |
| Season of 100 containers | 192,000–240,000 | 1.7–2.2 million | 192,000–240,000 | 192,000–240,000 |
Packed bags ship flat in cartons of 1,000–2,000; a 40 ft HQ container of bag supply carries roughly 3–4 million pouch bags, so one container of packaging covers 150–200 containers of fruit. Most exporters take two deliveries per season: 60% before the first harvest week and 40% mid-season once the pack-out estimate firms up.
Ordering calendar for Peru, Chile and Mexico
| Origin | Harvest window | Confirm sizes & artwork | First bag delivery | Ocean transit from Asia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru (Piura, Ica) | November – February | By early August | Mid-October, Callao / Paita | Confirm current carrier routing |
| Chile (Copiapó → Central Valley) | December – April | By early September | Mid-November, Valparaíso / San Antonio | Confirm current carrier routing |
| Mexico (Sonora) | May – July | By early February | Early April, Manzanillo / Guaymas | Confirm current carrier routing |
| California (San Joaquin) | June – November | By March | May, Los Angeles / Oakland | Confirm current carrier routing |
Fuxing runs grape bag production in Dongguan (China) and Haiphong (Vietnam); the Philippine plants supply the PP corrugated boxes and export cartons. Ask the forwarder to confirm the current sailing, transshipment, cutoff and arrival plan before fixing the campaign calendar.
RFQ checklist for grape bags
- Box format and unit weight — e.g. 8.2 kg box, 9 × 2 lb. This fixes the bag count and size.
- Bag type and dimensions — pouch 24 × 30 cm with slider, or cone 25 × 35 cm.
- Micron and resin — 30 µm LLDPE blend; state PCR content if the retailer requires it.
- Ventilation — hole diameter, count and pattern (or laser micro-perforation for MAP liners).
- Print — colours, brand panel, PLU, origin, GS1 barcode; Fuxing prints up to 8 colours flexo.
- Closure — slider, zipper, wicket or none; slider colour.
- Quantity and delivery split — total bags per season, first delivery date and port.
Read the wider grape and cherry bags product page for pouch, cone, MAP cherry bags and blueberry film, or compare materials in the produce bag materials guide.
Request a grape bag specification review
Send box format, bag size, film, perforation, print, season volume, route and required date. The quotation will state sample options, cost and achievable schedule.
WhatsApp Quote Email jacky@fuxinggroup.cnFAQ: grape bags per box
How many grape bags fit in an 8.2 kg box?
An 8.2 kg (18 lb) table grape box normally holds 8 pouch bags of 1 kg, 9 bags of 900 g or 10 bags of 800 g. Packers choose the count from the retailer's target unit weight, not the other way round: US and Canadian programs usually ask for 2 lb (907 g) units, so 9 bags per 8.2 kg box is the most common configuration; European programs at 500 g take 16 bags.
How many bags go in a 4.5 kg grape box?
A 4.5 kg (10 lb) box takes 5 bags of 900 g (2 lb) or 4 bags of 1.1 kg. The 4.5 kg format is used for premium varieties and air-freight programs where lighter boxes reduce bruising and speed cooling.
What size is a standard grape pouch bag?
The most common retail pouch bag for table grapes is 22–24 cm wide by 28–30 cm long (about 9 × 11.5 in) with a slider or zipper closure and 0.5–3 mm ventilation holes, in 25–35 micron (1.0–1.4 mil) polyethylene. Cone bags run 25 × 35 cm and bunch bags 25 × 40 cm.
How much does a grape pouch bag weigh?
Use the geometric film-weight formula as a check, then require measured grams per finished bag including closure. Do not down-gauge from arithmetic alone; compare seal, puncture, drop, pack-out and route results on approved samples.
How many bags does a container of grapes use?
A 40 ft reefer carries about 20 pallets of 8.2 kg boxes, 96–120 boxes per pallet, so 1,900–2,400 boxes and 17,000–22,000 pouch bags per container of fruit, plus one liner bag and one SO₂ pad per box. Bag supply should be ordered by the container of fruit, not by the box.
What is the MOQ and lead time for printed grape bags from Fuxing?
MOQ and timing depend on film, size, perforation, closure, print, cylinders, sample type, capacity and route. Ask the quotation to state every assumption and milestone from artwork approval through delivery.