AgroFresh Announces New Melon Program Ripe for Success
November 2005, Springhouse
PA – Everyone loves the
aroma and flavor of a luscious and juicy melon so it's no surprise
that purchases soar during the summer months. Consistently maintaining
that
sweetness and appeal throughout the winter season though has posed
a problem for retailers, and resulting in disappointing sales.
A much
sweeter outcome is promised with news that AgroFresh Inc., the
maker of SmartFresh, the breakthrough fruit storage and shipping
technology
that temporarily slows ripening to maintain quality, has announced
its entry into the 2005 imported melon season.
SmartFresh, known to extend the just-picked crunch, juiciness
and tastiness of apples, is an innovative quality management system
that is highly effective with any number of other produce segments including
melons, tomatoes and bananas. For example, bananas maintain their texture,
beautiful yellow color while tomatoes keep their fresh vine-ripened
color and desirable firmness over longer periods of time than other
tomatoes. Like the excellent results obtained with these crops, SmartFresh
quality cantaloupes deliver the exceptional sweetness, quality and appearance
consumers demand.
Unlike traditional imported melons that must be picked
before they're fully developed because of shipping time, SmartFresh
for Cantaloupes captures and holds quality so fruit can be harvested
when at optimum maturity and is then maintained at that higher quality
throughout shipment all the way through to the consumer.
Raphael Crawford, AgroFresh
Vice President for the Americas says that retailers are eagerly
signing on to the SmartFresh melon program
because it gives them a high- appeal product year round and with
it, a chance to change the way consumers think about winter melons. "Independent
research conducted during the past winter season clearly showed that,
outside of the summer season, cantaloupes don’t generally meet
the expectations of a large majority of US consumers," said
Crawford.
"Because SmartFresh quality melons look better than
regular winter cantaloupes, with fewer sunken and discolored areas,
consumers’ overall acceptance and purchase interest were significantly
higher for SmartFresh quality melons," Crawford concludes.
According to Crawford, SmartFresh
quality cantaloupes also scored significantly higher in inside
appearance, color, condition,
firmness, and freshness. "Consumers believed the flavor of the
winter SmartFresh quality cantaloupes they sampled was closer to what
they’d expect during the summer, when ready-to-eat quality contributes
to far more melon purchases than in any other season," he
said.
Consumers surveyed also confirmed
that the great looks of SmartFresh quality cantaloupes would
prompt them to buy more melons,
and more produce in general, and to feel that the store provided
quality products. "Consumers know that they need to increase their consumption
of fruits and vegetables," said Crawford. "But retailers
have to provide the fresh, appealing and high-quality produce consumers
want
on a consistent basis to differentiate themselves, drive customer
loyalty and repeat purchases that deliver bottom line success.
Our cantaloupes
are a great example."
AgroFresh, maker of SmartFresh, is a trusted and
rapidly expanding company dedicated to providing consumers around the
world with the freshest and best tasting fruits and vegetables available.
AgroFresh partners with its valued customers to help improve the overall
quality of fresh produce, increase operational flexibility, reduce costs
and increase pack-out yields, providing new opportunities for dynamic
growth.
