The veg-centric restaurant plate expands retail opportunities.
2017 Fruit Logistica Innovation Award
Organized by Messe Berlin GmbH, Fruit Logistica 2017, held Feb. 8 to 10, was attended by 75,000 high-level trade visitors from more than 130 countries; 3,100 exhibitors from 84 countries presented a comprehensive look at the fresh produce industry.
The Berlin-based show displayed a plethora of innovations to move the industry forward. Ten candidates were nominated for the coveted Innovation Award. Here is a review of the winner and contenders.
Winner:
Knox – Delayed Pinking in Fresh Cut Lettuce
Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V., the Netherlands
Knox delays the discoloration — so-called pinking — at the edges of fresh-cut lettuce. This not only extends the shelf life of lettuce by one to two days, but also reduces food waste. The discoloration that is visually unattractive to consumers has previously led to the wholesale rejection of even unaffected produce.
Contenders:
BE-Cube Demountable Palletbox System
Beekenkamp Verpakkingen B.V., the Netherlands
The BE-Cube is a fully collapsible space-saving multipurpose pallet box system for storing and transporting products such as potatoes, onions, nuts and seeds. The assembly of the impact-resistant design is achieved in a matter of minutes. The BE-Cube weighs less than wooden or plastic pallets, but its special construction makes it just as strong. Options include a base opening for easy discharge, a tilting capability, and different big bag and stringer format options.
Crisp Fresh Watermelon, Syngenta, France
Crisp Fresh Watermelon is a seedless watermelon with uniquely firm flesh. The characteristic genetic “ultra firm” feature ensures that the processed product does not fragment so quickly. This specially developed melon variety from Syngenta’s new Crisp Fresh product line is characterized by the fact it loses significantly less liquid than other varieties.
Mango Peeler & De-Cheeker, ZTI Smart Machines, the Netherlands
The Mango Peeler & De-Cheeker peels and removes the cheeks of mangos at high volume in a single process. Dynamic insert clamps adjust automatically to the respective mango size and grasp the fruit firmly. Specially developed spikes transport the fruit, and the specially developed ZTI Elastospring springs position the mango optimally for an exact, precise peeling cut with finely adjustable peeling knives.
Natupol Excel – Bumble Bee Vision
Koppert Biological Systems, the Netherlands
Natupol Excel – Bee Vision is a system that helps to guide bumble bees back to their hive under unfavorable artificial lighting conditions in greenhouses during the darker months of the year. Reflective signals and the special coating on the boxes help the bees find their way. They can thus expend their energy better on the crucial task of pollinating fruit and vegetable greenhouse crops.
SoFruBox System, SoFruPak, Poland
The SoFruBox system is an environmentally friendly modular packaging system optimized for the cooling and ventilation of fresh fruit. Compatible SoFruMiniPak 250 g or 500 g punnets can be inserted exactly in the bottomless SoFruBox trays. A system with one SoFruBox and six 1 kg containers is also available. Numerous ventilation slots and a special support bracket, which allows the removal of the base of the larger box, ensure the contents are better ventilated.
Streamer Automatic Spiralizer, Turatti srl, Italy
The high-volume Streamer Automatic Spiralizer cuts vegetables such as carrots, zucchini and sweet potatoes into pasta-like noodles of various sizes and shapes. The vegetables can be transformed into a wide range of thin or thick spaghetti, tagliatelle, rings or large spirals. From the stems and cores and other irregular parts, products such as vegetable gnocchi can be produced.
Sustainable Grow Bag for Tasty Tomatoes
Greenyard Horticulture Belgium, Belgium
The Sustainable Grow Bag is an alternative to conventional stone wool bags with 100 percent fully compostable foil and organic substrate. It can be used in growing tomatoes but also for other types of greenhouse vegetables such as eggplants, cucumbers, strawberries or zucchini. The Sustainable Grow Bag offers growers significant advantages in terms of sustainability with regard to pesticide use and waste.
The Cracking Monkey — Pili Nuts,
Die Frischebox GmbH, Germany
The Cracking Monkey — Pili Nuts come from the Philippines. Osmotic pre-germination increases the nutritional value of Pili Nuts, and its levels of vitamin E are several times higher than those of other nuts. Using a unique patented method, The Cracking Monkey – Pili Nuts are pre-scored for easy opening and sold with a special stainless-steel cracker tool made of recycled cutlery. The nuts are sold in environmentally friendly cotton bags printed with soya-based inks.
Yello — The Color of Taste,
VI.P / VOG, Italy
Yello — The Color of Taste is an apple of the Shinano Gold variety originally grown in Nagano, Japan. It is a cross between Golden Delicious and Senshu and its name comes from its characteristic yellow, alabaster-like skin. Its flesh is juicy, crisp and sweet. Special characteristics include low susceptibility to russeting and bruising, firmness levels up to 7.8 kg/cm2, and Brix values between 14.7 and 15.5. The Yello brand is registered in more than 60 countries worldwide.
