Produce is a breathing product, and the bag decides whether it arrives selling or sweating. That is the whole case for leno mesh. Woven from polypropylene tapes in an open mesh, leno bags move air through the load, which is why onion shippers in the Pacific Northwest and potato packers across Idaho and Wisconsin have used mesh for decades. We weave leno fabric and convert it into bags and rolls, so here is the spec conversation we have with US packers, condensed.
Mesh size is a product decision, not a preference
Mesh counts run roughly 24x24 for small items where product must not escape, up to 10x10 coarse weave for large onions and jumbo potatoes. The rule of thumb: the smallest tuber or bulb in your graded lot should not pass the mesh even after a week of handling vibration. Citrus packing typically runs middle counts where ventilation matters as much as containment. Getting this wrong in either direction costs money: too fine and airflow drops, too coarse and you donate product to the truck floor.
Formats US packers order
- 25 lb and 50 lb sacks with sewn or heat-cut closure for onions, potatoes, cabbage.
- 5 and 10 lb consumer bags, often with a printed label area or a colored body for brand coding.
- Tubular rolls for packers who cut and clip on their own lines, typically 2,000 to 3,000 feet per roll.
- Drawstring and button-tie tops for hand-packing operations.
What packers check on arrival
Three things come up on every inspection call. First, tensile: a 50 lb onion sack gets dragged, hooked and stacked; the weave and seam need to survive that, and our seam spec is set for real dock handling, not lab drops. Second, UV: bags often sit in open yards before retail distribution, so UV stabilization is standard on our produce bags, not an upcharge to remember. Third, food handling: polypropylene tape meets FDA 21 CFR 177.1520, and mesh has the bonus of washing clean between rotation uses where packers reuse.
Indicative pricing and logistics
FOB India pricing runs roughly $0.10 to $0.18 for 5-10 lb consumer formats and $0.18 to $0.35 for 25-50 lb sacks depending on mesh, color and labeling. Leno fabric is light, so containers cube out before they weigh out: a 40-ft high cube moves very large unit counts, often 400,000 to 600,000 consumer bags, which spreads freight thin. Production is 3 to 4 weeks; ocean adds 4 to 6 weeks East Coast.
Packer questions, answered
White or colored mesh?
White shows product cleanest under retail lighting; colors code varieties and hide soil from field handling. Many shippers run white for premium grades and orange or red for value packs.
Bags or rolls for a mid-size packer?
Rolls win above roughly two truckloads a month because clipping lines cut labor and waste. Below that, pre-made bags keep the line simple.
Mesh ranges and formats are on the Leno Mesh Bags and Rolls page. For closed-head produce sacks, compare with the PP woven bags guide, and for branded consumer bags see custom printing options.
