Sage Fruit uses Apeel technology on organic apples

Sage Fruit Co. LLC, Yakima, Wash., will launch the first rollout of its Apeel technology for retail customers on Nov. 1, said Chuck Sinks, president, sales and marketing.

The company has been testing Apeel, a plant-based coating designed to extend shelf life, for the past year and saw good results, he said.

Organic apples treated with Apeel can retain moisture as they sit on the supermarket shelf for up to 40 days, he said, giving retailers more weight per box.

Sinks said Apeel, developed by Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Apeel Sciences, will be applied on request to several mainline varieties of organic apples, including fuji, gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, golden delicious, red delicious and granny smith. 

“A nominal added fee” will be charged for the Apeel treatment, but in the long run, customers will gain more than they pay for it, he said.

Shoppers will benefit, too.

“It will give the consumer a better piece of fruit that will last longer,” Sinks said.

The Packer’s Global Organic Produce Exposition & Conference (GOPEX) provides a forum to meet the rapidly changing needs of professionals who grow, distribute, pack and market organic produce. This international trade show and conference provides the ideal opportunity for organic produce professionals from around the world to network, exchange ideas, source new products and services, and do business with the industry's leading growers, distributors, packers, marketers and retailers.