CHICAGO, IL - In its latest venture, Hazel Technologies is narrowing in on the peach category with a new partnership. The solutions provider has teamed up with The Fredericksburg Peach Company, which has seen successful results from its trial of Hazel Tech’s flagship technology, Hazel 100™. Now, the company has committed to Hazel Tech for its 2022 season.
“Retailers are pushing for larger local displays in the fresh produce department to help drive their sales and revenue,” said Tommy Caruana, Director of Business Development-Retail at Hazel Technologies. “Hazel 100’s ability to slow down the ripening process gives retailers firmer fruit to present on their shelves while consumers can have local produce that’s the ideal eating pressure within a day or so of it hitting their kitchen counter. It’s a win-win.”
The Fredericksburg Peach Company is a Texas grower and shipper managing over 400 acres of production, sourced internally as well as from over 30 outside growers, according to a press release. The company services major retail chains in the Southern United States, including Kroger, H-E-B, and Whole Foods Market.
When it comes to peaches, growers typically achieve the best eating quality by tree ripening to achieve more flavorful, ready-to-eat fruit. These programs, however, frequently run the risk of losing firmness in route to the supermarket or on the shelf, hence why Fredericksburg turned to Hazel Tech.
“While trialing Hazel 100, we saw our percentage of rejections go down about 5 percent at retail. That’s huge for our bottom line as a provider of locally grown peaches,” said Frank Davis, President at The Fredericksburg Peach Company. “Hazel is definitely a technology that we plan and look forward to using going forward.”
Alongside a local Texas retailer, Fredericksburg and Hazel Tech completed an eight-week commercial trial. The Hazel 100-protected peaches were reportedly 23 percent more firm than control after three days in cold storage and three days at ambient temperature. The fruit also had a better internal quality during QC inspections at receiving, the press release noted.
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