Hazel Technologies Partners with Agritrade Farms
CHICAGO, IL – As we move further into 2018, Hazel Technologies announces its new partnership with Agritrade Farms, LLC. The USDA-supported company, which develops new shelf-life extension technologies for fresh produce, is aligning itself with the Honduras and Dominican Republic-based specialty veg growers, and this new endeavor will focus on Hazel’s Hazel® Okra, a new innovation in post-harvest quality technology. The growers will use the product to reach new fresh standards for North American and European consumers.
“Most people forget that many vegetables have shelf-life challenges in addition to fruits,” said Aidan Mouat, CEO and Co-Founder of Hazel Technologies, in a recent press release. “Our partnership with a global grower-shipper like Agritrade Farms is an example of how our technologies can increase grower returns, reduce food waste, and expand geographic markets for specialty vegetable packer-shippers, along with fruit packer-shippers.”
The company explains that okra is a difficult specialty vegetable to ship without risking peak quality. Hazel Okra will be used within the growers’ entire program after receiving positive trial results. The first go-of-it using this technology was packaged and shipped in Honduras in December of 2017.
“Hazel Okra will help us bring okra, one of the fastest growing items in retail produce aisles, to the consumer fresher than it ever has been before,” said Paul Boris, Partner and Vice President of Sales at Agritrade Farms. “Using this technology will help us dramatically increase the condition and lower shrink of each shipment.”
This program is the newest member to join the HazelSM suite family, which is USDA-funded with product development grants. Easy-to-apply packaging inserts look to ensure post-harvest quality is better kept in the fresh produce categories like tomatoes, melons, tree fruit, kiwis, avocados, and some specialty vegetables.
Will the advent of this technology blossom in the industry at large? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up-to-speed with the latest fresh produce industry news!
