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Courtesy Del Monte |
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'Natural Energy Snack on the Go' single finger units are a part of Del Monte’s new line of vending machine fruit and vegetable packs. |
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Whether it’s a single banana or an entire carton, Del Monte’s new controlled ripening technology has a close wrap on shelf life, ripening and handling.
After several months of successful retail trials, Coral Gables, Fla.-based Del Monte Fresh Produce rolled out the new technology at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in Anaheim Oct. 2-5.
“Natural Energy Snack on the Go” single finger units are a part of Del Monte’s new line of vending machine fruit and vegetable packs. They also come in 40-pound cases and 10-pound display units. The CRT technology enhances sweetness, prevents damage and extends shelf life up to five days longer than other single-serving bananas, according to Del Monte.
The company also is using the technology at the case level. In that application, CRT helps create a brighter looking, sweeter tasting banana with shelf life extended up to three days longer than without the packaging.
The packaging helps retailers and distributors not only reduce shrink at the retail level, but also reduce labor because they can have fewer deliveries and no air stacking, said Vidya Samsundar, marketing manager.
Those benefits are more than outweighing the cost to upgrade to the CRT technology, Samsundar said. The retailers who have been using the system over the past four or five months have had nothing but praise for it, she said.
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