VERO BEACH, FL - May was a landmark month in the citrus world, with Seald Sweet announcing Argentine lemons are back on the U.S. market after the USDA revoked admissibility for the fruit in 2000. After 17 years, Seald Sweet welcomed the containers of Argentine lemons back to the U.S., and are excited to meet the rising market demand.
“Argentine lemons are considered the top lemons in the world with superior juice quality and content. We are thrilled to be able to bring this quality, fresh product to U.S. consumers. Argentina is one of the largest, well-known lemon growers in the world and we always remained hopeful that this superior product would be back in our marketplace,” said Seald Sweet’s CEO Mayda Sotomayor. “We were one of the first importers then and we are one of the first importers this time as well. For 17 years, we have never given up hope and have continued to contact and meet with the growers. We held the belief that science would triumph, and we would once again gain admissibility to the U.S. market.”
Sotomayor also noted that lemons are currently the third most consumed citrus fruit and the ninth overall in the U.S., with lemons increasing from 2.03 per capita consumption in 1980 to 4.32 in 2015. According to a press release, the Seald Sweet lemon program has room to grow, but will help retailers meet rising lemon demand.
“The advantage of Argentina’s program is that we can provide fresh product to the marketplace instead of storage product. Retailers are requesting this as consumers increasingly demand affordable fresh lemons. We are answering the call from consumers for fresh fruit throughout the year,” Sotomayor continued. “The producers in Argentina have formed an association called ‘All Lemons’ to ensure consistent production of a quality lemon globally. We are working with them to increase supply and grow our consistent program as we see demand for fresh lemons during this window increasing.”
The Argentine lemons arrive via the Port of Philadelphia and consistent shipments should continue through mid-July. The fruit will be handled through Seald Sweet’s own state-of-the-art logistics hub and packing facilities in New Jersey, close to the port to ensure quality control.
“We are excited to get this product into the hands of our retail partners especially at this time of year—a great time to promote fresh lemon use,” Sotomayor concluded.
For more news on what fresh fruit and veg is returning to the market, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
