FRESNO, CA – Looking to further secure its status as a grower-packer-marketer of premium melons, DFI Marketing Inc. has announced a new partnership with Hazel Technologies. Under this partnership, DFI Marketing will be using Hazel℠ Melon on all of its melon export containers to Asia.
“After testing the Hazel Melon packets in our containers, we saw up to a 49 percent increase in marketable product after 30 days, a potential savings of as much as $10,000 per load,” said Ross Van Vlack, VP of Sales and Marketing for DFI. “The most unique part of the technology is that it’s amazingly simple–you place Hazel℠ Melon in the carton, and that’s it. No equipment, no water, no packing house changes. We haven’t seen something that works this well in our many years in the melon industry.”
Hazel Melon, according to a press release, is a new, USDA-supported shelf-life extension technology manufactured by Chicago-based Hazel Technologies. The technology will be added to DFI melons bound for Asia starting this season. Also participating is Bakersfield’s ANA International, DFI’s largest melon export partner in Korea. ANA International has been a premier brand in the Asia export market for more than 20 years.
DFI stated that Hazel Melon technology is just the latest innovation being adopted by companies in the San Joaquin Valley to stay ahead of the competition, in addition to providing the highest grower returns, and offering an unequaled consumer experience.
“We are a company full of passionate people excited about contributing to the future of the fresh produce industry; modern consumers and the millennial generation care deeply about reducing food waste and are demanding improved produce quality now more than ever,” said Aidan Mouat, CEO and Co-Founder of Hazel Technologies. “Hazel products help grower-shippers meet modern consumer expectations while directly improving grower-shipper bottom lines with little operational disruption or cost, and we are excited to be partnering with yet another premier California brand in DFI Marketing.”
The partnership between Hazel and DFI will focus on honeydew, cantaloupe, and mixed melons. Hazel Melon is an easy-to-use packaging insert that protects melon quality all the way through to retail shelves.
Following the tech’s exceptional pilot trial results in 2016, Hazel received grant funding from the USDA to bring its technology to market in order to bring further benefit to growers. Hazel is also actively working with growers in other fresh categories in order to provide new solutions that will maintain post-harvest produce quality.
Attending United Fresh? Stop by Hazel Technologies’ booth #FTZ19 to learn more.
