Hazel Technologies Inc., Miami, has completed successful commercial trials with tropical fruit distributors, seeing reduced shrink rates of up to 50%.
The company reports higher sales have been achieved with those longer shelf lives, with fruit ranging from guava, dragon fruit, starfruit, passion fruit and green-skinned avocados, according to a news release.
Companies using Hazel Tech products on tropical produce include Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Los Alamitos, Calif., WP Produce, Miami, and Sweet Seasons Produce, McAllen, Texas.
“Working with Hazel Tech´s easy-to-use solution allows us to consistently deliver high-quality tropicals,” Allen DeMo, director of procurement and sourcing at Frieda’s Specialty Produce, said in the release.
Tropical fruits are challenging to maintain at peak quality, according to the release, and often have arrival claims after long distance shipping or breaks in the cold chain. Hazel Tech markets a quarter-sized biodegradable insert to be placed in a carton during packing.
“We’ve received great feedback from retailers who appreciate the reduced shrink the additional 4-5 days of shelf life offers,” Chris Gonzalez, vice president of Desbry-brand avocado WP Produce, said in the release. “This technology is especially useful in protecting our Tropical Avocados on longer transit times to Canada, the West Coast and the Caribbean.”
Sweet Seasons Produce imports Mexican tropical fruit to the U.S and Canada.
“Sweet Seasons exports a large range of tropicals over long distances, and since we started working with Hazel, we have seen a 50% reduction in product shrink,” Marina Bernal, Sweet Seasons owner, said in the release.
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