Hazel Technologies Inc., Chicago, is reporting successful trials of its shelf-life extending product on kiwifruit at the University of California-Davis and The Oppenheimer Group, which has been shipping treated kiwifruit.
At UC-Davis, green haywards and gold soreli varieties were packed with the Hazel Tech inserts and stored for up to 47 days, according to a news release. The fruit was assessed periodically for firmness, weight and other attributes.
“In our trials, gold kiwifruit had stronger skin when treated with Hazel, regardless of the evaluation time point,” Barbara Blanco-Ulate, professor at the department of plant sciences at UC-Davis, said in the release. “There was a positive effect of Hazel in preventing weight loss of the green kiwifruit after most periods of cold storage.”
Oppy, which has been receiving and shipping kiwifruit packed with the Hazel Tech inserts, also reported consistently higher quality with the fruit. Based on the results, Oppy plans to expand the program.
“We are always evaluating potential innovative technologies that will allow us to continue to provide world-class quality fruit to our customers,” Patricio Mendoza, national quality manager for the U.S. and Canada. “Our data shows consistently higher quality when using Hazel Tech in our kiwifruit supply chain.”
Related stories:
UC Davis completes trials with Hazel Tech packaging on stone fruit
USDA funds growth of Hazel Tech product for berries
