Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. will again partner with Apeel Sciences to treat its organic apples, said Chuck Sinks, Sage Fruit president of sales and marketing.
Apeel’s plant-based solution helps reduce moisture loss on the retail shelf and provide consumers with a better, more crisp and flavorful eating experience, he said. “We are treating numerous mainstream organic apple varieties including gala, fuji, Honeycrisp, granny smith and Pink Lady,” Sinks said.
Sage Fruit’s organic offerings include apples and pears, with a variety list that includes red delicious, granny smith, gala, fuji, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp apples, and bosc, anjou and bartlett pears.
The marketer’s volume across all commodities will increase slightly in 2021 over the 2020 crop, Sinks said.
“Our organic offerings are continuously expanding and this season we are pleased to be able to offer a limited supply of organic Cosmic Crisp,” he said.
Packaging innovation
Sinks said Sage Fruit had an initial trial in sustainable packaging this year with an organic cherry pouch bag in late June and July.
“While we are currently seeking options for both our conventional and organic products, we felt that the organic consumer would be the best place to initiate a trial,” Sinks said.
The bag uses Sev-Rend’s patent-pending Bio-Able solutions, which directly address plastic and food packaging sustainability.
Merchandising tactics
Retailers can help maximize organic apple and pear sales by creating an organic destination within the produce department. Sinks said retailers should allow consumers to see their options and provide them with information like how to select and store fruit, the flavor profile of varieties, where fruit is grown, and how best to use various apple varieties.
“When promoting organic items such as apples and pears, retailers should also take into consideration that the displays should be clearly marked with organic signage,” Sinks said. “It’s best to keep conventional and organic separate on the retail shelf,” he said.
Additional refrigeration space for organic items in the produce department is a winning idea, he said.
“By keeping organic apples refrigerated, they stay crisp and juicy for an overall better eating experience, which in turn leads to repeat purchases.”
