The weather has been favouring the development of the 2022/23 orange crop. In general, frequent rainfall (since mid-October 2021) is helping the oranges to grow bigger and, thus, agents expect productivity to recover from the two previous seasons, when the volume harvested was low.

According to Cepea collaborators, the general scenario has been more favourable this year. Although the first blooming was late in some orchards (in mid-September in irrigated orchards and in October in dry land, after the return or rains), the number of flowers was considered positive, complemented by other blooming in the following months. Besides, the fruits set rate was high, favoured by rains followed by sunny days most of the time.

It is important to highlight that the damages caused by the long drought in the last two years (and frosts in some areas last Winter) were not completely offset, however, orange trees are currently more vigorous, leading agents to believe that productivity will be higher this season. Still, agents have distinct estimates about the harvest: some, who are more pessimistic, expect 300 million boxes to be harvested, while others, more optimistic, believe it will hit 350 million boxes. However, most of them expect something between 300 and 350 million boxes.

The only available estimates were released by the USDA in December, indicating the crop in São Paulo and the Triângulo Mineiro to total 305 million boxes (15.5 % higher than that in 2021/22). Agents are waiting for Fundecitrus’s estimates, to be released in May.

It is worth to mention that, despite the production increase, orange supply is expected to be tight in the 2022/23 season, due to the high demand from processors to replenish juice stocks – which are forecast at 127 thousand tons by the end of the 2021/22 season, in June 2022, according to estimates from CitrusBR. Still according to CitrusBR, this volume will not be enough to meet the world demand until the new season steps up.

In that scenario, even if the volume produced is near the expected by the more optimistic, there should not be an orange surplus, which justifies the high prices bid by processors for 2022/23.

This scenario may also limit supply in the in natura market along the season, however, this would not ensure higher prices, since the purchase power of many consumers in Brazil is weak because of the current high inflation and the national economic scenario.

As the battle for superfruit supremacy rages on a new product is set to return the title to the true superfruit. A product that offers an entirely new way to experience a fruit with more nutritional benefits and social mission that provides generational change.

Introducing bevCacao — a radical new beverage loaded with goodness and social responsibility. Armed with the ethos “Good for you. Good for them,” bevCacao stands behind its one-two punch of nutrition and community support.

First, what’s in it for the consumer: Cacao provides three times the antioxidants of pomegranate. Twice as many as acai. Jam-packed with prize-fighting flavanols to deliver a knockout blow to toxins and free radicals. Vegan-friendly immune system support with no added sugars to boot.

Grown in uber nutrient-rich, unfertilised soil along the equator, cacao fruit comes from small family farms. Unlike other fruits, cacao doesn’t grow on branches. It grows on the trunk, meaning farmers must carefully cut the fruit away without damaging the tree. No nutrients are fertilised away — everything says right there in the fruit.

Previously, cacao was only coveted for its seeds — yes, cacao seeds are the base of what becomes chocolate. Farmers would scoop out these seeds, but the pulp of the cacao fruit was a waste product dropped onto the plantation floor. And what a waste indeed, as the pulp makes up roughly 30 percent of the pod and holds much of the nutrients.

Beyond antioxidants, bevCacao is loaded with fiber, promotes a healthy gut and balanced mind-body connection, hydrates on a cellular level, and improves cardio health. Essential minerals like magnesium turn glucose into energy. It’s perfect for an electrolyte boost post-workout or to sip whenever users need a little boost to their day.

On top of everything, bevCacao is sustainably harvested and canned and represents a massive profit boost for farmers who cultivate it. By using this pulp in its juices, bevCacao is creating a life-changing new revenue stream for these hard-working farmers without adding much extra work.

Beyond nutritional value and social impact, another differentiator for bevCacao is the taste.

Given its close connection to cocoa, one might assume that bevCacao will have a chocolate flavour. But while cacao juice offers the same health benefits of chocolate, the taste will come as a surprise to many. Not a hint of chocolate is to be found. Instead, bevCacao is fruity, sweet, and tangy, like the tropics after a storm. Users get notes of banana, white peach, lychee, and a spritz of lemon.

bevCacao is available online at bevCacao.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

In late February, the large-sized processors in São Paulo made their first purchase proposals for the oranges from the 2022/23 crop. Of the three companies in the state, two of them are interested in closing deals, bidding from BRL 30 – BRL 32.00 per 40.8-kilo box, harvested and delivered. The third processing plant was only renewing existing contracts. However, the number of deals closed is still low, since farmers expect prices to rise higher, due to both firm demand from the industry and, largely, higher production costs.

Indeed, data recently released by CitrusBR show that the volume of orange juice stocked by the end of the current season (in June 2022) will not be enough to supply the international market until the middle of next season. According to CitrusBR, ending stocks of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ) Equivalent in the 2021/22 season are expected to total 126.574 thousand tons – possibly ranging between 115 and 135 thousand tons. It is important to mention that previous estimates (from September 2021) pointed to stocks between 170 and 190 thousand tons, but bad weather conditions (drought and frosts) reduced processing and hampered fruits development and ripening (influencing industrial yield).

If CitrusBR’s forecasts are confirmed, the volume stocked is expected to be much lower than the strategic level, of 250 thousand tons, scenario that may be observed at least until the end of the 2022/23 season (in June 2023) if the number of oranges produced is not high.

Cepea calculations show that, for stocks to surpass the strategic level by the end of next season, the number of boxes harvested in the citrus belt in São Paulo and the Triângulo Mineiro needs to be over 340 million – and of this total, 300 million need to be allocated to the industry. For these results were considered sales of a million tons (slightly lower than the average) and the average industrial yield of the past five crops.

Although it seems juice supply in Brazil will be tight for at least one more season, agents from processors have not reported any significant valuations for the commodity yet. This would be the major reason why bids for the new season have not been higher. On Feb. 23, the May contract at ICE Futures closed at USD 1,993/ton, 2 % down from that on December 30. However, it is important to mention that values at ICE Futures do not reflect real sales prices of processing plants.

One of the facts that may be constraining juice valuations abroad is the fear of bottling plants as for the negative effects of higher prices in Brazil. In the major destinations for the Brazilian orange juice, the United States and the European Union, demand for the product has been fading for some years, majorly because of the wide variety of other beverages, such as flavoured water, energy drinks and other types of juice, for instance.

The team behind Schilling Cider, a leading cider producer in the Pacific Northwest in the US, announced the launch of Vida Maté, a new line of low-calorie, non-alcoholic yerba maté beverages that seek to transform the caffeine experience. Crafted to elevate the traditional South American “super beverage” with the craft quality of the Pacific Northwest, Vida Maté is made with real fruit juice and a proprietary blend of adaptogens. The result is a refreshing, delicious alternative to sugary coffee drinks and artificially flavoured caffeine-in-a-can. With operations based in Seattle and Portland, the Schilling team is excited to debut this new plant-powered pick-me-up, made exclusively with naturally occurring caffeine.

Vida Maté fits the gluten-free and vegan-friendly lifestyle, offering a boost in vitality and focus through a functional blend of adaptogens: Vitamin B12 for a power boost, L-Theanine for focus, and GABA for stress relief combine to ensure a clean, jitter-free delivery of caffeine with no unpleasant crashes.

Launching with three flavours – Lemon Mint, Mango Lime, and Blackberry Lemonade – Vida Maté is available in 16 oz. cans at thousands of grocery, convenience, and natural food stores across the Pacific Northwest, since March 1, 2022.

“Innovating in healthful, refreshing beverages is our calling,” says Colin Schilling, CEO and co-Founder of Schilling Cider. “This starts with the same quality and techniques we bring to crafting our fresh-pressed apple cider. It’s exciting to push those boundaries into the yerba maté segment. Consumers are demanding delicious, healthier options made right here in their backyard, and we can’t wait to share Vida Maté with our community.”

While other canned yerba maté drinks depend on a formula that involves non-yerba maté derived and synthetically produced caffeine, Vida Maté’s caffeine occurs naturally and comes 100 % from yerba maté. And because Vida Maté is made from real fruit juice, it’s not overly sweet and it’s lower in calories and sugar.

The team at Schilling has long enjoyed traditional yerba maté drinks, before launching their own. Yerba maté is a plant indigenous to South America. The leaves and twigs are dried, dried over a fire, and then steeped in hot water for an invigorating tea.

A new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that on average only 12 percent of U.S. adults meet fruit intake and only 10 percent meet vegetable intake recommendations as outlined in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Low intakes may put Americans at increased risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

When looking at this data on the state level,¹ the average percentage of adults meeting fruit intake recommendations ranged from 8.4 percent to 16.1 percent, and for vegetables ranged from 5.6 percent to 16.0 percent. The DGAs recommend 1.5 to 2 cup-equivalents of fruit daily for most adults. Although data differed by state, those with Hispanic ethnicity and women were more likely overall to meet fruit intake recommendations.

Low fruit and 100 % fruit juice intake may lead to lower intakes of key nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, and folate, as well as phytonutrients (naturally occurring plant compounds). These nutrients are essential in supporting immune system health and are associated with reduced risk for some chronic conditions. Intake of vitamin C declined 23 percent between 1999 and 2018, driven by decreases in consumption of 100 % fruit juice.² While whole fruit is recommended, adding just one 8-ounce glass of 100 % orange juice to the daily diet can help fill nutrient and fruit intake gaps while overcoming many of the barriers to fruit intake, including availability, cost, and access. Orange juice and other 100 % fruit juices are readily available year-round and are a cost-effective and convenient way for Americans to move the needle closer to meeting fruit intake recommendations.³

The current analysis by the CDC included data from 294,566 adults aged 18 and older collected as part of the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system (BRFSS). Data were reported for 49 states and the District of Columbia. Respondents reported their intake per day, week, or month of vegetables and fruit, including 100 % fruit juice, over the previous 30 days.

¹Lee et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71(1):1-9
²Brauchla et al. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):420
³Brauchla et al. Public Health Nutrition. 2021; Feb 8;1-7

SIG announced the launch of SIGNATURE EVO, the world’s first aluminium-free full barrier packaging materials for aseptic carton packs. SIGNATURE EVO extends SIG’s lower-carbon aluminium-free packaging materials – already available for plain white milk – for wider use with oxygen-sensitive products such as fruit juices, nectars, flavoured milk or plant-based beverages.

SIGNATURE EVO is the latest evolution in the SIGNATURE portfolio – SIG’s innovative offering of the most sustainable packaging materials available for aseptic carton packs.

SIG led the industry with the first ever aluminium-free solutions for aseptic cartons. By eliminating the need for an aluminium foil barrier layer, combibloc ECOPLUS cut the carbon footprint of SIG’s standard packaging material by 27 % when launched in 2010. SIGNATURE 100 cut this further in 2017, offering a 58 % lower carbon footprint than SIG’s standard packaging material by linking the polymers to 100 % renewable forest-based materials via a certified mass-balance system¹.

With more than 1.9 billion packs now sold with these aluminium-free long-life packaging solutions for liquid dairy products, SIG has built on this success to create the first full barrier aluminium-free solutions for aseptic cartons.

SIGNATURE EVO packaging materials are expected to offer a similar carbon footprint reduction to combibloc ECOPLUS, to be confirmed through an independent, critically-reviewed life-cycle assessment. Like all SIG packs, SIGNATURE EVO is fully recyclable in existing recycling streams.

With barrier properties comparable to standard aseptic cartons that include an aluminium foil barrier layer, SIGNATURE EVO packaging materials ensure that even oxygen-sensitive products are protected over long periods of time without the need for refrigeration. This enables customers to bring the environmental benefits to many more food and beverage categories.

SIGNATURE EVO will initially be launched in the combiblocMini portion-sized format before being extended to other formats. It is suitable for both oxygen-insensitive products like plain white UHT milk and oxygen-sensitive products like fruit juices, nectars, flavoured milk or plant-based beverages.

SIGNATURE EVO enhances opportunities for customers to differentiate their products with an aluminium-free pack that offers both on-shelf appeal and stand-out environmental credentials.

In the future, it will also be available in more options such as SIGNATURE EVO 100 – SIG’s full barrier solution for aseptic carton packs linked to 100% renewable forest-based materials.

¹Results based on ISO-compliant life-cycle assessment CB-100732c for Europe.

By Pablo Gómez, International Quality Assurance Manager for table grapes at IFG

Global fruit production has not only persevered in the face of a worldwide health crisis, but it has also continued to adapt in response to the evolving landscape. A fast-paced industry already familiar with navigating unpredictable conditions and forecasting market demand, the agricultural sector never slowed down, even in the worst times of the pandemic.

However, that’s not to say the journey was without any roadblocks: COVID-19 brought a wave of challenges with everything from labour to logistics. Yet, as consumer interest in fresh produce increased by more than 10 percent in 2020, fruit suppliers, scientists, horticulturists, and growers are overcoming these setbacks to usher in a new period of efficiency and innovation.

Weathering the storm of staffing and safety

Like countless other business sectors, fruit-focused agriculture struggled with staffing at the outset of the pandemic. But while many companies turned to remote work options, the nature of agricultural operations needs employees to remain primarily in the fields.

The produce industry requires a significant amount of hand labour, particularly for table grapes and cherries. Managing thousands of employees who work simultaneous in-person shifts became an immediate area of focus. The main issue was the prevention of outbreaks in both the packhouse facilities and in the fields. Growers had to react quickly, forming small and segregated groups of workers adhering to organized schedules. In addition, the implementation of regular PCR tests enhanced other standard safety protocols that helped protect workers. While the actions were a costly investment, growers kept operations safe and healthy while maintaining productivity.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, though, staffing challenges persist. Due to new procedures and safety limitations, a scarcity of workers and higher costs still impact day-to-day operations worldwide. But while the problems are exacerbated given current conditions, this is nothing new for produce growers, especially in the United States where employment of agricultural workers is essentially at a standstill — it’s expected to increase only 2 percent from 2020 to 2030, slower than the average for all occupations.

Navigating logistical burdens

The economic downturn has increased costs across the entire fruit supply chain, from growing and harvesting to delivering the product to market. As the pandemic continued into and throughout 2021, it became apparent that one of its most pronounced effects on the global fruit industry was on logistical operations.

The early days of lockdown restrictions and a slowdown in the production of goods created a ripple effect, sending refrigerated containers into a backlog of storage at cargo ports and inland depots. By mid-2021, wait times to procure a container stretched anywhere from weeks to months depending on departure port and arrival destination.

The supply chain has faced a global shortage of containers projected to last into 2022, resulting in severe inflation in materials and transport costs. McKinsey & Company reported it now costs up to six times more to ship a container from China to Europe than it did at the start of 2019.

A fresh take on the future of fruit production

Despite these challenges, the pandemic has shown how well prepared the agriculture industry is to adapt its systems in response to both adversity and increased demand.

The trend of healthy living and a desire for nutritious food that emerged over the last two years is a worldwide movement with evident staying power. The United Nations even designated 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. Manifested through behaviors such as at-home cooking and greater consciousness about food brought into the homes, the health and wellness trends have directly impacted the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Fruit scientists, horticulturalists, and growers alike are looking to long-term solutions for meeting this need. For worldwide fruit-breeding company IFG, the answer could lie in a recent focus on breeding as much year-round fruit as possible as part of an overall quality and support strategy. IFG is known for inventing flavour-forward table grapes, including the Cotton Candy™ variety, which hold numerous health benefits in line with current consumer interests. By creating a 52-week table grape supply in partnership with growers worldwide, IFG aims to transform the fruit industry and contribute to a more sustainable production of premium table grapes and cherries.

In a sector where food and safety standards are already incredibly high, another key area that can influence growth and opportunity is leveraging technology to increase the simplicity and efficiency of production. The agritech tools that a reported 56 percent of U.S. farms have now adopted can help strengthen global fruit production with automation that eases the burden of labour shortages, conserves resources and mitigates crop losses.

As technology and scientific strategy rapidly advance, the industry is poised to thrive in a post-pandemic world. These professional improvements will affect every part of the supply chain, from the fields where the fruit is grown and harvested to the carts where consumers add their nature’s bounty. Looking into 2022 and beyond, industry leaders will keep one eye on innovation while maintaining a stable production to ensure the world remains healthy and fed.

About the Author
Pablo Gómez joined IFG in 2018 and currently serves as the company’s International Quality Assurance Manager for Table Grapes. In this role, he works to develop IFG’s international table grape and cherry quality assurance program. Prior to working at IFG, Pablo served as a grape source technologist at Munoz Group, where he became experienced in the particularities of the table grape industry across different countries while also focusing on quality assurance for the U.K. market. Pablo started his career as an agricultural engineer intern at Investigación y Tecnología de Uva de Mesa (ITUM) while finishing his degree in agricultural engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena.

The current number of flowers in the orange orchards in São Paulo – which will give origin to the fruits from the 2022/23 season – is considered satisfactory in most citrus-producing regions within the state. In general, while in irrigated orchards blooming was observed from September onwards, in non-irrigated orchards, flowers were only observed in October, after the late arrival of rainfall.

Agents have been concerned about the possible effects of the lack of rains this year on the vigor of orange trees, since low moisture may hamper fruit set, increasing the rate of fruitlet fall in irrigated orchards and, largely, in the orchards in dryland.

According to forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a 90 % chance of La Niña forming in Brazil until the end of 2021. If this is confirmed, rainfall in the coming months may be lower than usual in the southeastern region of the country. However, La Niña is forecast to be weak in Brazil.

This scenario may have a negative influence on the output from the 2022/23 season, since the development stage of plants in the coming months demands good amounts of water. With estimates for low ending stocks of orange juice in the 2021/22 season, the output from 2022/23 needs to be high in order to ensure comfortable inventories for world supply.

Cepea calculations show that, for ending stocks in the 2022/23 season (June 2023) to return to the strategic level of 250 thousand tons, the output next season needs to surpass 330 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. In this context, the average productivity would have to be around a thousand boxes per hectare, which has only been observed in seasons favored by the weather.

The world’s leading trade fair for global fresh fruit trade is being postponed to 5-7 April 2022.

The fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is worsening the situation in many European countries. At the same time, the industry’s wish to meet in person remains unwaveringly high. In light of these circumstances, Messe Berlin has decided to postpone FRUIT LOGISTICA to a point on time beyond the fourth wave. FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022 will thus be held from Tuesday, 5 April to Thursday, 7 April.

By Dr. Chris Owens, Lead Plant Breeder at IFG

Climate change has been affecting many different regions around the globe for decades, and the shift in weather is impacting fruit production. Areas that are being impacted most severely have historically seen significant effects from climate change. However, there are other areas also being affected, such as the northwestern United States and Western Canada with this year’s unprecedented heat. There have also been severe wildfires in many regions, threatening entire fields of crops.

The regions facing the most issues right now are those that are already battling heat and drought. Some areas in Europe have begun moving wine grape vineyards further north or to a higher elevation, adjusting to the planet’s changing climate. Table grapes themselves are more heat tolerant, and IFG’s breeding program has used the most recent heatwave to screen our varieties for heat tolerance. However, there is still a maximum amount of heat that fruit can tolerate, and as climate change continues to alter the environment, it will affect global agriculture and food production.

Climate change and its impact on the agricultural industry and global food production

Climate change is the shift of average weather conditions over time and has been chiefly caused by human activity. The increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere allows for more of the sun’s rays to pass through the atmosphere, increasing the temperature on the planet. The result of these shifts can be severe or extreme weather events, such as more frequent and intense storms, flooding, scorching heat waves, freezing cold snaps, wildfires, and water shortages. Growers are witnessing their entire fields of crops damaged in one swoop.

Climate change has a direct impact on our global food supply. Changes in the weather affect the locations where products can be grown, thereby impacting the capacity for farmers to produce the food necessary to feed the world’s population. Fruits and vegetables are living organisms that respond to warm and cold temperature changes. Anything that will make significant changes to the environment will have considerable impacts on agriculture.

What fruit scientists, horticulturists, and growers are doing differently

From breeding to growing to packing, each area has different courses to cope with climate change. On the breeding side, efforts are being made to develop varieties that can tolerate rain and heat to varying stages of the production cycle. IFG is working on this for our table grape and cherry crops, and other fruit breeders are working on the same for crops such as apples and pears.

Growers are also implementing new irrigation system technology to be more efficient while protecting their crops from the rapidly changing environment. They are utilizing soil humidity sensors, reflective covers to reduce water evaporation, shade nets to protect the crops from excessive sun exposure, and even rain covers to protect the fruit from rainstorms. These efforts may be enough to protect against hot or cold temperatures or drought; however, they will not save crops from being destroyed by extreme weather events such as wildfires, storms, or floods.

Predicting the future of fruit production

Due to climate change and recent developments in fruit-breeding programs, farmers are avoiding planting in higher-risk areas. The industry is seeing increasing growth of planting in regions where certain fruit varieties were not grown in the past. Jalisco in Mexico or Piura in Peru are examples of developing table grape regions. This change in geography is also evident in other crops, such as blueberries and cherries, with the recent introduction of low-chill varieties. Growers will undertake the enormous task of moving their fruit to new areas if the heat or drought is too difficult for production. Conversely, suppose the land cannot provide the necessary chill requirements or secure water supply. In that case, we can expect growers to move to untraditional growing areas, as evident in the regions where IFG’s cherry varieties are currently being grown.

Climate change is at the forefront of many conversations in agriculture, which is why IFG does the work we do: breeding new varieties of fruit that will grow in warmer climates with less water requirements. As the planet changes, there is the possibility that we will see less fruit production. IFG is focused on breeding varieties that ensure consistent cropping in a changing climate.

About Dr. Chris Owens
Dr. Chris Owens has been with IFG since 2016 and is now the Lead Plant Breeder, directing the development of improved varieties of table grapes and sweet cherries. He also directs IFG’s research and development efforts supporting the breeding program, including post-harvest evaluations, plant pathology and genetics. Chris interacts closely with the international technical and commercial teams with the goals to accelerate the adoption and maximize the success of IFG’s new varieties.
Chris holds a BS in horticulture from the University of Maryland, an MS in pomology from Cornell University, and a PhD in plant breeding and genetics from Michigan State University. Prior to IFG, Chris spent more than 20 years in germplasm development, breeding and genetics of both grapevines and cherries. The author of numerous book chapters and scientific articles, he has presented research results at national and international conferences and served on professional societies’ advisory committees.

Dole Sunshine is synonymous with good taste and good health across the world. With its entry into the India market in 2019, the brand now offers a wide array of deliciously guilt-free offerings including dried fruits, Dole juice gels and fruit bowls. Dole Sunshine actively supports the idea of fresh, natural flavours based on real fruits. In keeping with this festival timing, Dole Sunshine India is all ‘juiced up’ to launch Dole 100 % Fruit Juice – a refreshing pineapple drink enriched with Vitamin C.

In a huge market for juices, most of the packed fruit juices contain added sugar and preservatives along with the fruit pulp, whereas Dole is introducing 100 % Pineapple Juice which is all-natural with no added sugar or artificial preservatives. This successfully makes it one of the very few juice offerings in the market that does not contain added sugar. What’s more, its zesty pineapple flavour with vitamin C fortification makes it a terrific choice when looking for a pick-me-up during work, a fresh drink after a workout or if one simply want to pour the kids a tall glass of all-natural fruit juice.

As a brand, Dole Sunshine India has always believed in the wholesome goodness of fruits and this new beverage launch perfectly ties in with their principles. “At Dole, we believe that fruits are real powerhouses of nutrition. As an F&B brand, it is our duty to leverage this goodness for our consumers, so that they can incorporate such healthy changes in their daily lives. Moreover, we’ve always been against the idea of added preservatives or flavours, since our offerings have always been pure and packed with nutrition. And that’s how Dole 100 % Fruit Juice came about. This new beverage is made from fresh fruit concentrate and is an excellent source of Vitamin C. It’s also GMO-free and gluten-free, which makes it a tasty but healthy offering for children, too,” says Mudit Mathur of Dole Sunshine India.

Apart from being nutritious, unadulterated and pure, Dole 100 % Fruit Juice is also a versatile drink. One can sip it as is, serve it in a mocktail or even use it to shake up a cocktail or two, to serve at house parties and get juiced up. Simply put, it’s pure pineapple goodness.

JBT Corporation, a global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food and beverage industry, announced it has acquired Urtasun Tecnología Alimentaria S.L., a provider of fruit and vegetable processing solutions. The company is headquartered in Navarra, Spain.

“The acquisition of Urtasun expands our product offering in fruit and vegetable processing, particularly in the fresh packaged and frozen markets,” said Brian Deck, President and Chief Executive Officer. “By integrating Urtasun into FoodTech, we can leverage JBT’s global sales and service footprint to accelerate growth.”

The purchase price was approximately $40 million. Urtasun expects 2021 revenue of approximately $25 million with Adjusted EBITDA margins in the mid to high-teens. The transaction is expected to be approximately four cents dilutive to 2021 GAAP earnings per share and one cent dilutive on an adjusted basis which excludes transaction-related costs and purchase price accounting. In 2022, Urtasun is expected to be accretive to GAAP and adjusted earnings per share by approximately three cents.

GEA Group AG, as key project partner, has provided innocent, one of Europe’s leading smoothie and juice brands, with the process technology for the world’s first carbon-neutral juice factory. The new factory in the Netherlands will lead the way for future plants in the food industry with a truly sustainable approach. Located at the Rotterdam Food Hub, the production facility is scheduled to open officially in spring 2022.

In the new-build project, GEA is responsible for the process, refrigeration and heating technology. Early involvement in the design planning phase enabled the company to develop numerous innovative process changes that significantly help innocent on the path to reaching its climate goals.

“The innocent project is an outstanding example of how we put our purpose of ‘engineering for a better world’ into practice,” said GEA CEO Stefan Klebert. “Not only have we integrated the most resource-efficient technologies, we have also entirely rethought the processes as well as the heating and refrigeration systems. Together with innocent, we have pushed the envelope beyond standard beverage production practice.”

Energy supply and demand cycle

Since much of the energy used in production is for heat, GEA worked intensively on in-process energy and resource efficiency. The company also applied the sustainable energy solutions (SEnS) approach. This factors heating and cooling requirements into the systems right at the planning stage, instead of after the fact when corrections are virtually no longer possible. For instance, a GEA heat pump will recover waste heat from the refrigeration systems and reuse it in other process steps. GEA and innocent recently won gold in the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) People’s Choice Award for this smart heat pump design.

Showcase for the entire beverage industry

Taking a 360-degree view of the process chain will allow innocent to substantially cut its carbon footprint while massively influencing other parameters such as water consumption and waste generation.

“I take my hat off to GEA because they have been at our side every step of the way, helping us challenge conventional design approaches. All the little details add up to a great success,” said Andy Joynson, Chief Blender (Site Director) at the new innocent plant. The new solutions implemented go far beyond conventional beverage production processes. “Food and beverage manufacturers can choose to base their future plant designs on our model. We want to inspire and support a broad-based transformation. In line with that, we are consciously inviting the industry to share in our findings—and at the same time to learn from our missteps and our successes.”

Functional food company So Good So You, one of the top producers of immune-boosting probiotic juice shots in the US, announces Fiber, its first formulation with fiber. The cold-pressed juice shot features five grams of organic fiber sourced from the seeds of the guar plant, and provides almost 20 percent of the recommended daily value of dietary fiber. Fiber, formulated with organic strawberry, plum, and clementine juices, plus one billion CFUs of probiotics, is launching this month exclusively at Southeastern Grocers, including Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Mas, and Harveys.

American fiber consumption is an overlooked health crisis. Only seven percent of Americans are getting their recommended daily amount of fiber, according to recent findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an ongoing study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fiber is the food source, both directly and indirectly, for the hundreds of species of bacteria that live in the human intestinal tract and are essential for a healthy gut. The short-chain fatty acids released by fiber-eating bacteria fight inflammation in the entire body, and chemical signals given off by the same bacteria keep the cells in the intestinal wall functioning. Inadequate dietary fiber can starve these probiotic bacteria, leading to an inflamed immune response, which in turn causes weight gain, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and overall higher mortality.

“Our brand has reached a point where customers help point the way they want us to go, and they have been asking for a shot they can turn to on days they need a little help meeting healthy fiber goals,” says So Good So You co-founder and executive chair, Rita Katona. “Our consumers are invested in their health and want to always feel their best — and are learning fiber might be one of the key pieces. Americans vastly overestimate the amount of fiber in their diets — less than 10 percent are hitting the mark. It’s too easy to get it wrong, and this isn’t the time to take chances with your immune system. We’ve shown up with this organic fiber shot that delivers a gorgeous purple from nutrient-rich plum juice, with a strawberry-plum flavour that really sings.”

Fiber, the newest addition to the So Good So You line of 50 ml cold-pressed juice shots, is made with 18 percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber to fight inflammation and support healthy functioning of the immune system; 30 percent of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C; and one billion CFUs of vegan probiotics clinically proven to support digestive and immune health.

The woman-owned, WBENC-certified So Good So You continues to expand store distribution across the US, adding flavours in its best-selling immunity shot and energy shot categories, in addition to Fiber. So Good So You owns 25 percent of the functional juice shot category, and has grown more than 380 percent in the last 24 months by meeting consumer demand for convenient, targeted, immunity-boosting health supplements.

Sponsored Post – “SGF” stands for Sure – Global – Fair. It is the fruit juice industry’s voluntary self-regulation system. As a certified member of SGF, the processing company VOG Products from Trentino-South Tyrol guarantees high quality and safety standards that apply to the entire supply chain.

Traceability to the source and comprehensive quality control along the entire production line are key prerequisites for creating safe, high-quality products. VOG Products, the modern and innovative fruit processing company in Laives, places great importance to safety and quality.

The company belongs to 4 producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino plus 18 cooperatives from South Tyrol with a total of around 10,000 members. Most of the members are families that care for their apple orchards with love and devotion. Dealing with land and its resources respectfully is firmly embedded in the region’s long agricultural tradition.

VOG Products consistently processes the fruit of the family-run orchards and prepares it further – through its SGF certification as well. The association that supports SGF is committed to food safety and quality.

The fruit juice industry set up a voluntary self-regulation system for all the production and trade stages of its products: In other words, the quality, safety, authenticity and sustainability of juices, fruit nectars, and other products made from fruit in the global market are controlled and action is taken against food fraud. SGF ensures fair competition and compliance with legal and industrial quality and safety standards.

“VOG Products is not only a member of the private, non-profit organisation SGF International e.V. We also participate in the voluntary self-regulation system that includes inspections of our company, half-finished goods and finished goods along the entire supply chain,” explained Christoph Tappeiner, the CEO of VOG Products.

“We request our suppliers to undergo our hygiene, traceability and documentation inspections as well. The suppliers accept the code of behaviour, which contains rules on environmental and social aspects such as the exclusion of child labour. At VOG Products, we are convinced that our participation in the industry’s voluntary self-regulation system generates added value for both our company and our customers,” said Tappeiner, who is also a member of the SGF executive committee.

Premium fruit and vegetable ingredients supplier, SVZ, is pleased to announce its new brand tagline, ‘Growing better together’. Accurately demonstrating the business’ sustainable, collaborative values, the tagline also indicates SVZ’s continuing commitment to growing a better, greener world together with its customers and partners.

SVZ is passionate about collaborating with its partners, customers, farmers and suppliers to provide the very best fruit and vegetable purees, concentrates and NFC juices all year round. To further demonstrate the importance of trust, connection and partnerships across the entire supply chain, SVZ’s ‘Growing better together’ slogan represents everything the company stands for in working towards a healthier world for future generations.

SVZ has also refreshed its website to display these collaborative, future-focused values. Easy to navigate and with a refreshed design, the platform reflects the company’s growing better together ideals as it promotes a smoother transaction from concept to consumer.

Pieter Spanjers, CEO, SVZ comments: “At SVZ, ‘growing better together’ is what we do best. From our own employees to our farmers and customers, we’re delighted to work in such close collaboration. It’s only by strengthening these connections that we can create the highest-quality, tastiest fruit and vegetable ingredients.

Take our product development programme, for example, which is based on the latest trends and consumer needs. The ingredients we create are tailored to our customers’ requirements, and it’s only by working closely with our partner farmers that we can ensure that their needs are met with a great taste and high nutritional value. Plus, our connection with growers also means that we can guarantee sustainability credentials in our ingredients, through initiatives like a reduction in pesticides and water usage.

Our new website, which has been built to enhance the user experience, will be a key tool for close collaboration with various stakeholders and we look forward to growing together with our partners on the platform. We work on a global scale with our customers, suppliers and employees of Cosun and SVZ to co-create sustainably sourced ingredients that will appeal to consumers worldwide. Together, we can build a future-proof supply chain for our children and future generations and, ultimately, grow better together.”

For more information please visit: www.svz.com

The return of rains to important citrus-producing regions in São Paulo State (SP) cheered up farmers about flower development. However, it is still early to estimate results for the 2022/23 season, since the set of fruitlets will depend on the weather along October and more flowers may open until the end of the month.

According to data from Inmet (National Institute of Meteorology), rainfall is expected to average 50 mm in most citrus-producing regions in October.

ORANGE MARKET – The trading pace for oranges was slow in the Brazilian market in the first fortnight of October because of the holiday on the 12th. Higher rainfall is expected to improve the quality of the fruits on tree, although they have not reached the ideal standard to be sold yet. This scenario added to low supply pushed up orange prices in that period.

TAHITI LIME – In the market of tahiti lime, prices faded in the first half of October, reflecting the small size of the fruits available, which is not appreciated in the in natura market. In the second week of the month, values increased slightly, influenced by higher demand during the holiday (on the 12th), which surprised farmers.

ORANGE JUICE EXPORTS – The Brazilian exports of orange juice are on the rise in the current season (2021/22). According to data from Secex (Foreign Trade Secretariat), between July and September, Brazil exported 278.9 thousand tons of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ) Equivalent to all destinations, 19 % up from that in the same period last season. Revenue increased more sharply, by 32 %, reflecting the higher prices paid for the product, totaling USD 440.8 million. Of the total volume shipped this season, 20 % were sent to the United States – the volume exported to the USA has increased by 33 %, and the revenue received from the country, by 51 %.

During Fruit Attraction, SHAFFE organized the seminar “How the sustainable produce sector could look like in 2030”, which was held on October 6, 2021 in a hybrid conference format, where SHAFFE representatives had the opportunity to share some of the learnings and insights from the last 8 months of work, and visions of what the Southern Hemisphere’s sustainability strategy should look like.

“Sustainability is not a foreign issue for Southern Hemisphere fruit exporters. In fact, it is a matter in which each member of SHAFFE is making great and diverse efforts at both production and export levels. Therefore, SHAFFE’s objective is to generate a strategy that not only reflects where the fresh fruit industry of the South is heading, but also the aspects that are important for markets and consumers in these matters”, says Charif Christian Carvajal, SHAFFE President.

Nelly Hajdu, Secretary General SHAFFE stressed the importance of developing a sustainability strategy for the Southern Hemisphere. “Our purpose with task force is to invite all our members to build a White Paper on Sustainability. We are all united by common challenges about it, therefore, the way forward is to face them together, collaboratively and with a common strategy”.

During the task force process the following 10 common Southern Hemisphere Sustainability Challenges have been identified:

1. Water
2. Public-Private Partnerships
3. Biosafety, biodiversity and waste reduction
4. Communication and education
5. Complexity and duplication of external sustainability requirement
6. Carbon emissions and trade
7. Financing, investment and economic viability
8. People
9. Measuring and reporting
10. Preserving the ecosystem

“We hope to have the White Paper ready within the next few weeks, with practical, real and possible actions to be taken by 2030“, says Carvajal.

The SHAFFE sustainability committee is made up of Marta Bentancur from Uruguay, Paul Hardman from South Africa, Ricardo Adonis from Chile, Jorge Souza from Brazil, Gary Jones from New Zealand and Gabriel Wasserman from Argentina, who will also lead the group.

The conference at Fruit Attraction brought together live and virtual SHAFFE members from Argentina (Alejandro Pannunzio and Gabriel Wasserman) Brazil (Jorge de Souza), Perú (Sergio del Castillo), Uruguay (Marta Bentancur), South Africa (Paul Hardman), Chile (Ricardo Adonis and Charif Christian Carvajal), and New Zeland (Alan Pollard).

PepsiCo, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with PAI Partners to sell Tropicana, Naked and other select juice brands across North America, and an irrevocable option to sell certain juice businesses in Europe, which will result in combined pre-tax cash proceeds of approximately $3.3 billion while retaining a 39 % non-controlling interest in a newly formed joint venture. PAI, a leading private equity firm with strong experience in the food and beverage space, will be the majority shareholder of the transferred business, with PepsiCo retaining exclusive U.S. distribution rights to the portfolio of brands in its best-in-class, chilled Direct Store Delivery for small-format and foodservice channels.

“This joint venture with PAI enables us to realise significant upfront value, whilst providing the focus and resources necessary to drive additional long-term growth for these beloved brands,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta. “In addition, it will free us to concentrate on our current portfolio of diverse offerings, including growing our portfolio of healthier snacks, zero-calorie beverages, and products like SodaStream which are focused on being better for people and the planet.”

“We are delighted to bring these storied beverage brands into the PAI portfolio through another partnership with a leading global food and beverage company. We believe there is great growth potential to be realised through investments in product innovation, expansion into adjacent categories, and enhanced scale in branded juice drinks and other chilled categories,” said Frédéric Stévenin, a Managing Partner at PAI. “We are also thrilled that PepsiCo will remain involved as our partner in the joint venture as we execute our plans to drive the future success of these brands.”

These juice businesses delivered approximately $3 billion in net revenue in 2020 with operating profit margins that were below PepsiCo’s overall operating margin in 2020. PepsiCo expects to use the proceeds from the sale of these assets primarily to strengthen its balance sheet and to make organic investments in the business. The transaction is expected to close in late 2021 or early 2022, subject to customary conditions, including works council consultations and regulatory approvals.

About PAI Partners
PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm, investing in market-leading companies across the globe. It has significant experience in the food and beverage space and is currently invested in Froneri, the world’s #2 ice cream manufacturer, and Ecotone, a leader in healthy and sustainable food. It manages around €15 billion of dedicated buyout funds and, since 1994, has completed 84 investments in 11 countries, representing over €65 billion in transaction value. PAI has built an outstanding track record through partnering with ambitious management teams where its unique perspective, unrivalled sector experience and long-term vision enable companies to pursue their full potential – and push beyond.

More than four in ten consumers have increased their purchases of functional foods, beverages and supplements since the start of the pandemic, a major global survey has found.

Kerry, the makers of clinically proven immune health ingredient Wellmune^®, surveyed 13,000 people across 16 countries to provide manufacturers with insights into the impact of COVID-19 on purchasing behaviours.

Forty-four per cent of respondents globally said they had bought more dietary supplements since the outbreak of the pandemic, while 42 % had increased their purchases of functional or fortified foods and beverages.

Respondents were presented with a list of health areas and asked which were reasons for buying healthy lifestyle products. Globally nearly six in ten (58 %) chose immune system support, significantly more than the numbers who picked healthy bones and joints (46 %), digestive health (43 %), heart health (40 %) and improved energy (39 %). Immune health was the top health benefit sought by consumers in each of the 16 countries surveyed.

As many as 39 % of consumers had used an immune health product over the past six months and a further 30 % would consider doing so in future, suggesting a total potential immune health market of 69 %.

John Quilter, Kerry VP of Global Portfolio – ProActive Health, said: “Interest in health and wellness has never been higher and we wanted to give the industry new insights into changing purchasing habits. One of our key findings was the scale of the impact of the pandemic on demand – not just for immune health products, but for functional foods, beverages, and supplements overall. Consumers were adopting increasingly proactive, holistic attitudes to health, wellness and nutrition long before 2020 but the pandemic has massively accelerated this trend.”

The survey also reveals the food and beverage categories where immune health is a particularly powerful purchase driver. One in three (33 %) consumers said they would be interested in purchasing fruit and vegetable juices if they contained ingredients that promoted immune support. Many other categories were also seen as a good fit for immune health benefits, including spoonable yogurt (31 %), dairy-based drinks (28 %) and hot beverages (24 %).

The IFU Technical Webinars are the virtual equivalents of the IFU Technical Workshop in 2021, which had to be cancelled as a live event due to the COVID pandemic. The IFU Technical Workshop is the meeting point for the national and international juice industry, including R&D, quality, laboratories, suppliers, universities, etc. By holding virtual events rather than a live event, the association look forward to welcoming even more participants to the webinars!

Due to the continued short-term uncertainty around the COVID situation, the IFU has been forced to once again postpone the live 2021 Technical Workshop event which was due to be held in Parma on 14th June. This event is rescheduled for June 2022 and the association has transferred the program for this year into a series of 4 on line Technical Webinars as follows:

• 25th May 2021 – Quality
• 27th May 2021 – Authenticity & Safety
• 1st June 2021 – Health & Nutrition
• 2nd June 2021 – Sustainability & Legislation

Tickets
The ticket for all 4 webinars is EUR 249 for non-members, EUR 149 for members.
www.ifu-fruitjuice.com

The Bevolution^® Group portfolio just got juicier. The B2B foodservice beverage manufacture is adding not-from-concentrate (NFC) juices to its already robust portfolio that spans from juices and lemonades to smoothie and cocktail mixers, even functional refreshers and add-ins.

Now, new Lemon NFC, Lime NFC, and Pomelo NFC juices join Bevolution’s premium Tropics^® brand.

Quality is the defining characteristic of NFC juices. There are no additives or compromising preservatives, just a single ingredient picked peak of season. The delivered product is as fresh as if squeezed that day, naturally rich in colour, flavour, and aroma. It’s a simple but important difference that a chef or mixologist worth her salt will appreciate.

Ease of use and consistency are added benefits of choosing a single-strength juice. One bottle of Tropics 100 % Lime Juice NFC yields as much as 41 hand-squeezed limes without the prep. It can streamline operations and elevate a recipe, providing a key route to efficiency and premiumisation. Use back of the house or front, from cooking and baking to beverage. Whether making a marinade, cheesecake, or signature cocktail, Tropics brings stunning quality and reliable consistency within reach.

That’s because the premium Tropics brand sources from the world’s best growing regions. For example, Tropics 100 % Lemon Juice NFC is made with Spanish lemons selected for their multi-dimensional flavour. Lime and pomelo varieties are equally appealing, respectively sourced from Mexico and the Texas Rio Grande Valley.

“It’s all about taste,” says Head of Sales Robert Corlett. “Quality, great-tasting products with broad application – like our new all-natural NFC juices – bring value to the front of the house as well as the back. That’s when you offer more than a product. You offer a total solution.”

Lightly pasteurised and cold-filled into HDPE containers, Tropics’ new clean label NFC juices are packed in 6-61.5 fl. oz. cases and promptly flash frozen. Product is available for sale immediately. 100 % Orange Juice NFC will join the line later in 2021.

About Bevolution Group
Bevolution^® Group is a leading manufacturer of foodservice and specialty coffee beverages. The B2B company offers a versatile portfolio of innovative, high-quality beverage solutions from brands like Tropics^®, Dr. Smoothie^®, Lemon-X^®, and Refrasia^®. Bevolution Group additionally offers customized product development and manufacturing capabilities. Markets serviced include restaurants and bars, hotels, healthcare organizations, cafés and coffeehouses, convenience stores, casinos, education campuses, and military facilities across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Production facilities are located in Chicago, Frostproof, FL, and Fullerton, CA.

Historically the juice and squash category’s growth were hampered by sugar taxes and a negative health image, however, this trend is set to reverse in the coming years. The industry has a forecast growth of 4 % from $ 52.4 bn in 2020 to $ 54.6bn in 2021^*, bolstered by health concerns which are seeing consumers prioritise ‘immunity-boosting’ claims over ‘sugar free’, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s survey found that almost two thirds (61 %) of consumers globally spend a mid to high amount on juice^**.

Elisabet Gonzalez, Innovation Team Leader at GlobalData, comments: “Due to the pandemic consumers are more worried about their health and this could be the reason behind the juice category’s success at maintaining its appeal during this tough period. Boosting the immune system has become a top priority for shoppers, hence, functional juice drinks and healthy beverages that offer nutrition-rich ingredients are likely to stand out on the shelves and keep strong positioning.”

GlobalData identifies that health & wellness is a popular trend and a key theme in the juice industry. Some examples of innovative product launches include a Morinaga Sunkist super grape juice in Japan, which is said to contain ‘juice-derived polyphenols. Polyphenols are believed to improve the treatment of weight management difficulties, digestion issues, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. In the US, Softresco launched a charcoal fruit drink shot, which offers a fruit drink with added vegetable charcoal. The infusion of activated charcoal may resonate with the 35 % of US consumers that think charcoal will have a positive impact on their health^***.

Gonzalez continues: “While out-of-home juice consumption has taken a dip due to lockdown restrictions, at-home consumption and expenditure seems to be steady for the category as it is expected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6 % over 2021-2025 to reach $ 60.4bn^*. Juice drinks might be seen by consumers as the perfect beverage to help them fight the virus, as it can provide the ideal dose of vitamins and nutrients needed to boost the immune system in an easy and convenient format for both children and adults.

“The COVID-19 pandemic could help some brands to strengthen their positioning and to reinvent themselves as a must-have product, rather than a beverage bought only for specific occasions. The health benefits of fruit juices and their many functional positioning possibilities, aligns well with today’s consumers’ needs, hence, there is a huge opportunity for the category to grow in the long-term and maintain its momentum in a post-pandemic era.”

^*Data from GlobalData’s Global Market Data: Channel Insights Cube
^**Data taken from GlobalData’s 2021 Q1 Consumer Survey.
^***Data taken from GlobalData’s 2019 Q3 global consumer survey

Organic cold brew sparkling teas crafted in partnership with James Beard Foundation

Enroot launched its much-anticipated line of small-batch, slowly cold brewed, organic sparkling teas. The new beverages, consisting of five unique blends, pay homage to co-founder Cristina Patwa’s grandmother and her legacy as a farmer and food entrepreneur in the Philippines. Birthed in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, Enroot beverages are sustainably sourced and flavourfully combine organic teas, fruits and herbals to create a smooth, delicious tasting experience.

As the NEXTY award winner in Best New Organic Beverage, the sparkling wellness brews are thoughtfully crafted with chefs involved in the James Beard Foundation’s Impact programs. The botanically packed blends use only organic teas, herbs, fruits and spices, and a 20-hour cold brew method that honors the rituals of brewing to deliver perfectly extracted flavours and wellness attributes. At only 25 calories per bottle – with no added sugar, sweetener or “flavours” – the lineup also offers a variety of clean caffeine options, from caffeine-free to ~ ½ espresso.

The Enroot collection of sparkling teas will be available at drinkenroot.com and at select grocers beginning in Southern California, USA. Flavour profiles launching are:

• Relax: Strawberry Lavender Rosemary Tulsi
• Reenergize: Mango Turmeric Ginger Guyausa
• Revitalize: Raspberry Mint White Peony Tea
• Rejuvenate: Peach Hibiscus Jasmine Green Tea
• Revive: Apple Lemon Cayenne Yerba Mate

“This has been a three-year labour of love from leaf to bottle with a caring community of award-winning, pioneering chefs and skillful engineers, who developed our distinct brewing and batching method,” said Enroot CEO Cristina Patwa. “The results are delightful, and we are grateful to be on this journey with friends who share similar values.”

The female-led small business was founded by three friends, Cristina Patwa, John Fogelman and Brad Pitt, based on their shared passion for Food, Family and Farms, and a desire to help make a change in the food industry. As a public benefit corporation and pending certified B Corp, Enroot is a Sustaining Partner and proudly gives back to the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs, which strives to address the lack of diversity and parity in the food and beverage industry.

“As admirers of the Foundation’s advocacy work, we collectively wanted to create a brand that is rooted in good flavour and intent – particularly by having a strong connection to our health, the earth and each other now more than ever,” said Pitt.

“We are proud of our partnership with Enroot, and our shared values of advancing women and creating a world that is more delicious, diverse and sustainable,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “We remain committed to providing women with the tools they need to create the life they want and build back stronger than ever before.”

Based and brewed in California, Enroot is the first start-up in food and beverage to create a comprehensive responsible sourcing policy with SCS Global Services, the trusted leader in third-party sustainability and food quality certification. Using plastic-free packaging, the company partners with its suppliers to carefully source quality organic ingredients and help reduce its carbon footprint.

About the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation promotes Good Food For Good^™. For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has asserted the power of food to drive behavior, culture, and policy change. The organization is committed to giving chefs a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the James Beard Foundation launched the Open for Good campaign to ensure that independent restaurants not only survive, but that the industry is able to rebuild stronger than before.

First Southern Hemisphere Fruit Trade Congress highlighted the key priorities of the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE) in its strategy for 2021 – 2023 and served as a platform for announcing a new cooperation agreement with the Chinese fruit importing industry. The first ever online event also highlighted the key challenges and opportunities for the region and defined that building on individual key strengths is the way forward for 2021 and beyond.

The Southern Hemisphere Fruit Trade Congress organized by the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters, with the defining theme “Keeping the World supplied” has taken place virtually on the 25th of March 2021. With 615 registered participants from all-over the world and two run-ups for convenient dial-in from different time zones, the first annual Congress has reached an exceptional outreach.

Starting with a keynote speech by FAO Deputy Director General Ms Beth Bechdol, highlighting the importance of the support of the fresh fruit industry to the United Nations campaign “International Year of Fruit and Vegetables 2021, at the heart of the conference program have been the outlook review provided by current SHAFFE president Charif Christian Carvajal from the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX). Mr. Carvajal highlighted the key areas of activity of SHAFFE, including strengthening the organizations resource availability, stimulating formation of fresh produce industry professionals’, modernizing information systems, and collaborating with like – minded trade organizations and international public entities to create common grounds of dialogue and exchange. The outlook was accompanied by an extensive outlook panel discussion moderated by SHAFFE Secretary General Nelli Hajdu together with 8 thought leaders from the various Southern Hemisphere countries.

The SHAFFE congress was also the scene for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CCCFNA). The Chinese market has become an important outlet for Southern Hemisphere Traders. The market has been growing 90 % over the past five years to 2.5 billion USD market.

The Southern Hemisphere looks back on a very good season 2020 despite Covid-19 constraints challenging producing and trading operations. With a decrease of 8 % in volume but a continued increase of value of 5 % in 2020 (9.8 million T, 14.6 billion USD), Southern Hemisphere traders have secured continuous fruit supply in 2020. The outlook was followed with a panel discussion with thought leaders from the 8 Southern Hemisphere SHAFFE member countries, highlighting the state of play of their respective industries, capitalizing their key individual strengths from investment into organic to emphasis on varietal diversification and/or to branding the desire of consumers for food safety.

The congress additionally showcased contributions from SHAFFE partner organisations including the the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CCCFNA), Freshfel, the European Fresh Produce Association, British Summer Fruits,the US Produce Marketing Association , Canadian Produce Marketing Association and the International Federation for Produce Standards), hence wrapping up a complexity of tasks and challenges for the interconnected global fruit sector.

The fruit, starch and sugar group AGRANA is extending its presence in Asia and acquiring the fruit preparations business of the local food producer Taiyo Kagaku Co. Ltd. AGRANA Fruit Japan Ltd. will be starting with the production of fruit preparations on 1 April and therefore now includes a fourth Asian country in addition to China, India and South Korea. As the global leader in fruit preparations, AGRANA now maintains 26 production sites in 20 countries.

The fruit preparations plant in question is located in Yokkaichi, in southern Japan, around 100 km east of Osaka. From there it will supply customers in Japan’s bakery products sector as well as dairies and ice cream producers. Japan has a constantly growing market for fruit preparations with a volume of around 60,000 metric tons and forecast annual growth of 2-3 % a year.

“The acquisition of this Japanese fruit preparations plant from TAIYO is an important step as part of our expansion in Asia. The growing Japanese market for fruit preparations is characterised by high quality demands and innovations. This ties in perfectly with our high quality standards and the innovative direction as the global market leader in the fruit segment, where we satisfy the needs of our customers with a wide portfolio – ranging from standard fruit preparations for yoghurts and ice creams to premium-segment fruit solutions such as sauces, condiments, fillings and smoothie bases,” explains the CEO of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG, Johann Marihart.

Fruit preperations at AGRANA
AGRANA’s fruit preparations contain top quality fruit which is either puréed or diced and used in dairy products or in the ice cream and bakery products industries. These products are individually designed by AGRANA on the basis of close development-related collaborations with customers. In addition to fruit preparations, AGRANA also offers innovative preparations with “brown flavours” such as caramel, coffee or vanilla as well as so-called inclusions (e.g. chocolate balls). In addition to the food processing industry, AGRANA also supplies its fruit preparations to fast-food companies and food service providers.

To date, AGRANA had been expecting an overall annual EBIT in 2020/21 of at least € 87.1 million. Following a provisional review of the figures, the Group is now expected to achieve provisional earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in its 2020/21 financial year in an amount of € 78.7 million (prior year: € 87.1 million). Group revenue will amount to around € 2,550 million (2019/20: € 2,480.7 million).

Besides the anticipated, significantly weaker, operating performance in the fourth quarter 2020|21, extraordinary items in the fruit preparations business are the main reason why EBIT in 2020|21 is below the level of the prior year.

The 2020/21 annual report will be published as planned on 11 May 2021.

Made with water, fruit juice, and electrolytes for taste, Frutly provides teens with flavourful hydration

PepsiCo has released one of its newest product innovations, Frutly, a hydrating juice water designed with teens in mind. A newcomer to the juice aisle, Frutly is made with water, fruit juice, and electrolytes for taste to provide flavourful hydration and a good source of vitamins C and E.

Frutly was created in response to a clear whitespace among juice brands, aiming to reinvigorate the category by addressing both parents’ desires for more nutritious beverage options for their families and the needs of teens who have outgrown the juice boxes and pouches of their childhood. In fact, 56 percent of people leaving the ambient juice category blame poor nutritional factors like sugar, calories, and artificial sweeteners for pushing them away¹. Frutly fills this gap, delivering refreshing taste, nutritional benefits and hydration without added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

“With more meals being enjoyed at home these days, we’ve learned that parents are keeping their pantries filled with products they feel good about giving their families, but also that their teens want. As a father of three, I know how challenging it can be to strike that balance,” says Anup Shah, vice president and chief marketing officer, Juice Brands, PepsiCo Beverages North America. “Having hydrating drinks available that are also shelf-stable remains essential as we all continue to work and learn from home, and Frutly is well positioned to serve as a delicious and nutritious option that both teens and their parents can agree on.”

Available in three flavours — Strawberry Kiwi, Fruit Punch, and Apple Grape – Frutly has 60 calories per 12-fluid-ounce serving and is now on grocery store shelves in the U.S. in single flavour four-packs.

1According to a 2019 IRI study for PepsiCo.

About Frutly:
Launched in early 2021, Frutly is a new brand of juice beverages from PepsiCo. Frutly is made with water, fruit juice, and electrolytes for taste to provide flavorful hydration and a good source of vitamins C and E. Frutly contains no added sugar or artificial sweeteners, offering delicious taste for teens in a product parents can feel good about. Frutly is available in 12-fluid-ounce bottles in three flavors, Strawberry Kiwi, Fruit Punch, and Apple Grape. Frutly is now on shelves nationwide.

Process engineering group GEA and Israeli foodtech start-up Better Juice have joined forces to help beverage manufacturers produce healthier, lower-sugar fruit juice.

Better Juice has developed a groundbreaking solution that naturally reduces the amount of sugar in fresh juice by up to 80 percent, without affecting its nutritional value or taste. GEA is now engineering the process technology the start-up needs, setting this innovative solution on course for industrial production.

Demand for healthier juice

GEA frequently works with innovations partners such as start-ups in order to react more quickly to market trends and explore alternative solutions. Reducing the amount of sugar in our diets is one of the dominant themes in the food industry today, since people who consume excess sugar are more likely to be overweight, obese, or suffer from conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for orange juice as a vitamin-rich, immune-boosting drink^* …

Please read the full article in the February issue of FRUIT PROCESSING digital.

^*Source: The Wall Street Journal (2020): “Grocery-Store Rush Spurs Big Gains in Sleepy Orange-Juice Futures”

Summer arrives early with unveiling of unsweetened sparkling Lemon Limeade, Strawberry and Pink Lemonade from the first sparkling water brand made with real squeezed fruit

Lighter, brighter and even more refreshing, lemonade is reimagined as Spindrift^®, the first sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit, puts its signature spin on this summertime favourite. Crafted with a uniquely balanced pairing of real squeezed lemons and limes, Spindrift’s Unsweetened Lemonade Sparkling Waters come in three twists on the classic. New Lemon Limeade, Strawberry and Pink Lemonade Spindrift flavours sparkle with 0 – 1 g of sugar, bold real fruit ingredients and a timeless delicious taste that embraces refreshment.

“We’re excited to introduce our newest flavour innovations to lemonade lovers and all of our loyal Drifters, who continue inspire our real-fruit sparkling water vision,” said Bill Creelman, founder and CEO of Spindrift. “Lemonade is a classic beverage enjoyed by all. But with concerns about health and diet at an all-time high, we challenged ourselves to reimagine what this traditionally sugary drink could taste like with a Spindrift spin—real ingredients, uncompromised taste and legible calories. Each Lemonade flavour has a distinct and unforgettable flavour profile that will blow people away and make them do a doubletake on the sugar content.”

In addition to the right combination of real fruit, which Spindrift takes considerable time to get just right, the sugar content in the new lemonade lineup is nearly nonexistent. With just 0 – 1 g of sugar in each can, the bold flavours of lime and lemon truly shine. The result is a new category of lemonade: unsweetened, sparkling with real ingredients and just 3 – 10 calories per can.

This is the first time that Spindrift, in its 10-year history, has introduced three flavours at once with a new line of sparkling water. The flavours include:

• Lemon Limeade – Started with lemon, added a splash of lime and lightly carbonated for a deliciously healthy alternative to sugary beverages.
• Pink Lemonade – with crushed cherries and raspberries, for a touch of sweetness. It’s Lemonade – but Pink.
• Strawberry Lemonade – We started with Lemon and Lime and threw ripe, juicy strawberries into the mix. Together this trio makes for an unforgettable taste you’ll keep coming back to.

Spindrift Lemonade will be shared with the Spindrift Community first. Fans who’ve signed up to be a part of the Drifter Community by February 22nd will receive an email with a promocode for a chance to redeem a drinkspindrift.com exclusive, Lemonade 6 pack. Spindrift Lemonade will be available in March at Target stores in the US and through DrinkSpindrift.com.

About Spindrift
Spindrift^® is the first sparkling water made with real, squeezed fruit. Founded in 2010, Spindrift^® celebrates simplicity, transparency, and the superior taste that only real ingredients can deliver. All products are free of added sweeteners or natural flavours, and only consist of water, just the right amount of bubbles, and real squeezed fruit – yup, that’s it. Spindrift^® works with family farms to source the best fruit to make the fresh juices and rich purees they use. The result is light, bright, and flavour-rich sparkling water that tastes just like the fruit in its name. Varieties include: Pineapple, Lime, Blackberry, Cranberry Raspberry, Cucumber, Half Tea & Half Lemon, Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange Mango, Strawberry, and Raspberry Lime. Spindrift^® sparkling water is available in the US at grocery retailers and café-style restaurants, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Starbucks, Kroger, Target, and online at Amazon and shop.drinkspindrift.com. Spindrift^® was ranked #385 on Inc. Magazine’s 2017 list of fastest-growing companies. The company donates to environmental not-for-profits through their membership to 1 % For the Planet. Spindrift^® is headquartered in Newton, MA. (US)

Technion students have harnessed viruses found in the environment of fruit trees to prevent spoilage of fruit juices – a phenomenon that causes tens of millions of dollars’ worth of damage each year. The development earned the students from the Technion’s Faculties of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, and Biology, first prize in a competition held as part of the MicroBiome-Push project conducted within “Food Solutions,” an educational program of the European food consortium, EIT Food.

Students from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, and the Faculty of Biology at the Technion earned first place in an international competition held by Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, EIT Food. The students harnessed a bacteriophage – a virus that infects bacteria – to prevent spoilage of fruit juices, a phenomenon causing damage estimated at millions of dollars each year. Professor Marcelle Machluf, dean of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, said, “International projects such as this are the very essence of the Faculty and its way of teaching future generations to think outside the box, to be entrepreneurial, and to broaden the knowledge we are able to provide in the classroom.”

The international competition was held in the framework of the MicroBiome-Push project, which is part of the Food Solutions educational program. The goal was to solve problems in the food sector by connecting companies in the food industry (PepsiCo, Puratos and Agricolus) with undergraduate and graduate students from four universities – the Technion, the University of Turin in Italy, the University of Reading in the UK, and the University of Helsinki in Finland. Nine groups of students competed, including two from the Technion.

The two Technion groups chose challenges posed by the global PepsiCo corporation. The first was to solve the problem of spoilage of fruit juices, while the second was to utilize the potato peels that are left over from the production of potato chips. The groups were accompanied by four mentors from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering: Professor Yoav Livney, who headed the Technion’s activity in the project, Professor Yechezkel Kashi, Assistant Professor Avi Shpigelman, and Associate Professor Uri Lesmes. According to the mentors, “The two Technion teams did an amazing job, and despite the limitations posed by COVID-19, they succeeded in creating original, effective solutions. What’s more, they presented the viability of the ideas to the corporations, and showed their inherent business potential.” Members of the winning team, the Microbes, are Itzik Engelberg, Alon Romano, Leechen Mashiah, and Rachel Bitton, and members of the second Technion group, Biomy, are Omer Sabbah, Yuping Kao, Or Shapira, Michael Buzaglo, and Lior Kaufman.

The Microbes chose to address the acute problem of spoilage of natural fruit juices, which in the U,S. alone causes damage estimated at around $32 million each year. The culprit is ACB, or Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. This bacterium, found in the ground in which fruit trees grow as well as in all parts of the tree itself, although not harmful to humans, releases a natural substance called guaiacol into the juice, spoiling its taste and smell. This occurs in a broad variety of juices, including orange, mango, pear, grape, tomato, and others, and leads to the loss of large quantities of juice, as well as massive financial losses.

In the course of evolution, the bacterium has developed high resistance to hostile environmental conditions, enabling it to also survive the processes involved in juice production – cleaning, extraction, pasteurization, and filling. As a rule, pasteurization is efficient in destroying bacteria that are harmful to health or adversely affect juice quality. But this is not the case with ACB, since the juice cannot be heated to higher pasteurization temperatures or for a longer time without compromising its quality and nutritional values. PepsiCo has been looking for a creative solution that will prevent this harmful phenomenon.

“Since the problem has its origins in nature – a bacterium that lives in the soil – we looked for a natural solution,” explain doctoral students and team members Alon Romano and Itzik Engelberg. “After all, nature is a ‘laboratory’ that has been perfecting its solutions for billions of years, and our assumption was that solutions that developed in the evolutionary process could also serve us as a solution for dealing with the problem of ACB in the food industry.”

After much searching and numerous analyses, the choice was a bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria naturally and in a very specific way. Bacteriophages are abundant in nature, and following strenuous research, the group succeeded in isolating and identifying a bacteriophage that destroys the harmful bacteria. It takes just a small dose to efficiently eliminate the bacteria, and because it does so selectively, it is safe for use and it has no harmful effects on human health.

The competition was held as part of the MicroBiome-Push project since it focused on finding solutions to challenges related to the natural microbiome, the microorganisms populating a particular environment. The microbiome includes bacteriome, virome, and mycobiome (which represent, respectively, the assemblages of bacteria, viruses, and fungi), and the winning solution in fact harnesses a specific virus present in the phytosphere (the microbiome of the plant and its environment) to combat a specific bacterium from that same environment. The fact that this is a natural, inexpensive solution that does not involve genetic engineering is expected to expedite the application of the technology in juices and to reduce the need for preservatives. Moreover, the addition of the virus to the juice does not affect it in terms of religious dietary laws – Jewish (kashrut) and Islamic (halal).

The second Technion group, Biomy, also tackled a far from simple challenge and developed the PotatALL concept, which includes a number of creative solutions for treating potato peels left over in the process of producing potato chips. Team members presented a process to produce from the peels a raw material used to create eco-friendly packaging, as well as a dip made from potato peel. This comprehensive and creative solution also met with the judges’ praise. The intention is for the dip to be served in small packs similar to ketchup, along with fries, and to package it in the eco-friendly packaging made from the peel. The solution provides a perfect way to fully utilize all parts of the potatoes while mitigating the environmental impact.

…and will contribute to protect 17,872 hectares of forest in the Amazon area annually

The Eckes-Granini Group with all its subsidiaries will operate climate neutral throughout Europe as of January 1, 2021. Europe-wide, the Group emitted 43,082 tons of carbon into the atmosphere in 2019 – caused, among other things, by energy and heating, waste processing, employee commuting and business trips. This is the result of a profound analysis of the companies’ carbon footprint in cooperation with ClimatePartner. The solution provider of climate action for companies has been supporting the leading supplier of fruit juices and fruit beverages since this year. With regard to the fight against climate change, the Eckes-Granini Group strives for zero greenhouse gas emissions. In order to get much closer to this overall goal, the Group will offset 43,000 tons carbon emissions of its direct business activities through a carbon offset project conducted by ClimatePartner in Portel, Brazil. Thereby, Eckes-Granini ensures the protection of 17,872 hectares of forest in the Amazon region per year.

Eckes-Granini carbon offset project protects Brazilian primeval forest

Eckes-Granini offsets its emissions by supporting a forest protection project in Portel, in the Brazilian state of Pará. The project protects a total of 151,105 hectares of forest each year. It also provides alternative sources of income and education for the residents of Portel, e.g. through the cultivation of pepper or the training of forest rangers.

Commitment to climate action across Europe

The German subsidiary of Eckes-Granini (hohes C, granini) has already been climate neutral since 2019. This is a great success that was achieved through the implementation of numerous climate protection measures. These include the modernization of facilities, the purchase of green electricity and the reduction of fuel consumption in the logistics fleet. As of January 2021, the entire carbon footprint of all eleven European subsidiaries will be offset.

About ClimatePartner
ClimatePartner is a solution provider of climate action for companies. ClimatePartner combines individual consulting with cloud-based software that is unique on the market. Customers can use it to calculate and reduce carbon emissions and compensate for unavoidable emissions. In this way, products and companies become climate neutral, which is confirmed by the ClimatePartner label. ClimatePartner offers carbon offset projects in different regions and with different technologies and standards. The additional social effects of the projects are particularly important: The 17 goals for sustainable development of the United Nations, the SDGs, are the benchmark here. ClimatePartner was founded in Munich in 2006 and today has more than 100 employees in Munich, Berlin, Essen, Vienna, Zurich and Yerevan and cooperates with more than 2,500 companies in 35 countries.

The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) Secretariat, together with its partner Fruitnet Media International, is finalising preparations for the first edition of the Global Citrus Congress, which will take place on 5 November 2020. The Global Citrus Congress will bring together the citrus community to discuss the current trends, challenges and opportunities for the citrus sector. More than 300 participants from across the globe have already registered to attend the virtual congress.

The programme of the first edition of the Global Citrus Congress 2020 will highlight the key areas of interest for the sector. This will include production and marketing trends, facilitating cooperation between suppliers and retailers to add value to the citrus category, new technologies and supply chain innovation helping citrus producers and marketers to respond to consumer demands towards increased sustainability, and harnessing the nutritional power of citrus to develop more effective marketing campaigns. Confirmed speakers include top representatives from the global citrus community, including Ms Naomi Pendleton from AM FRESH Group, Mr Jose Luis Molina from Hispatec, Mr John Chamberlain from Limoneira and Stephan Wesit from Rewe.

WCO Co-Chair and Director of AILIMPO Jose Antonio Garcia affirmed, “There is no doubt that this first edition of the Global Citrus Congress will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss the challenges of the future and consolidate the role of the World Citrus Organisation as a meeting point for the great citrus fruit family. Cooperation, communication and constructive debate are the key to tomorrow’s  success as these are the objectives of the Global Citrus Congress”. WCO Co-Chair and CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa Justin Chadwick added “As the World Citrus Organisation goes from strength to strength in terms of membership, this Congress will share important global citrus information and the views of leading actors in the sector. It is an event not to be missed”.

The Global Citrus Congress will be available live in both English and Spanish, and is free to join online and open to anyone with a smartphone or laptop and a high-speed internet connection. Registrations are still open at www.citruscongress.com.

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The careful handling of raw goods and top quality standards are priorities at VOG Products. To continue upholding these standards in future, the company has made significant investments in the modernisation of its production lines.

Each year, VOG Products processes and refines around 300,000 tonnes of raw goods. On the one hand, the fruit processing company established in 1967 builds upon the long fruit-growing tradition in the heart of the Dolomite Alps. That tradition is embraced and maintained by a total of 13,000 members who belong to 18 cooperatives in South Tyrol and Trentino and 4 producer organisations. On the other hand, VOG Products also consciously relies on innovation and advanced development – particularly when it comes to technical equipment.

In March 2020, two new production lines for fruit purée were commissioned on the 8-hectare company premises in Laives. They represent a significant portion of VOG Products’ concrete modernisation and development plan.

A fully automated plant for aseptic filling marked the beginning in May 2019. That was a key step in the effort to satisfy rising demand and at the same time, to bring the infrastructure up to date with the latest technology.

In September 2019, a new optical sorting system was installed in the low-temperature area. It guarantees maximum precision and quality to customers and ultimately, consumers.

The purée production modernisation completed in 2020 is the centrepiece of the extensive investment strategy, but not its final measure: by the beginning of 2021, the production line for fruit juice will also have been renewed. “That will mark our achievement of the fourth and last step of our current infrastructure modernisation strategy. Innovation and advanced development are and will remain major themes at VOG Products, however, because they are essential to our effort to continue satisfying the market’s increasingly rigorous requirements in future while meeting top quality standards,” said Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products.

The commissioning of the two production lines for fruit purée was a key step in that direction. It increased the company’s capacity and VOG Products now has two separate lines, which happens to be a decisive characteristic for product safety in the processing of organic goods. And now the raw goods are inspected by the optical sorting system to guarantee the highest quality standards in the purée segment as well.

Further, raw goods are not handled in bulk at VOG Products. Instead, large boxes with a maximum mass of 300 kg are used exclusively. “After all: you need excellent raw goods to produce an excellent end product. Our 13,000 members – most of which are small family-run enterprises – ensure our excellent quality. They cultivate fruit with lots of passion, and we continue its processing in the same spirit: as much care as possible when handling the product and top quality standards are our main priorities. Our new, functional plants equipped with state-of-the-art technology fit perfectly into this philosophy,” confirmed Tappeiner.

European Cider Trends 2020 is a collaboration between Global Data and the European Cider and FruitWine Association (AICV) in producing a guide that demonstrates the current key markets for cider (which includes perry, fruit flavoured cider and in some countries fruit wine).

Although considerably smaller than the wine, beer, or spirits industries, it is nevertheless a fact that in recent years in some EU countries cider and fruit wines have enjoyed one of the fastest growth rates of all alcoholic beverages, underlining the continuous popularity of fermented fruit drinks down the ages.

The purpose of the document is to increase the awareness of cider to stakeholders (principally lawmakers and those involved with policy formulation) who may not be familiar with cider and all its varieties. …

The 2020 edition of the European Cider Trends brochure is now available for download: www.aicv.org

IFU are pleased to announce the appointment of Aintzane Esturo as Technical Director. Aintzane is well known throughout the fruit juice community and brings to IFU a wealth of knowledge on technical and sustainability matters of importance for the fruit juice industry. As the new Technical Director Aintzane will support the continued development of IFU science-based commissions, responsible for publication of methods, guidelines and e-learning materials, as well as participating in the many international IFU events.

About IFU
The International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association (IFU) has been for seventy years the only representative of the worldwide fruit and vegetable juice and nectar industry. The members of IFU are producers of juices and related products, associations, traders, machinery and packaging producers, public and private scientific institutions from around the world.

New beverage joins the company’s suite of juices and smoothies that support a healthy immune system now in larger multi-serve size

Continuing to innovate and deliver products that meet the fast-changing needs of today’s consumer, Bolthouse Farms is adding to its suite of juices and smoothies that help support a healthy immune system with its new Superfood Immunity Boost. The new blend, an excellent source of Vitamin C, D and Zinc, was crafted with elderberry, cranberry and echinacea, delivering an unmatched combination of flavor and nutrition and will be available on retail store shelves in late-October this year. With consumers making more mindful choices at the shelf, Bolthouse Farms has met the demand for more functional, immunity-supporting products as wellness routines are maintained at home.

“Consumers’ needs are changing quickly, and we heard from our customers that the demand for products that help promote wellness, that taste great and are available at a good value is growing at a fast pace,” said Bolthouse Farms Chief Customer Officer Phil Kooy. “We quickly developed the new Superfood Immunity Boost juice and added multi-serve sizes of our other immunity-boosting juices and smoothies, providing the value and function consumers are looking for.”

Today’s consumer is looking for products to address overall personal wellness – maintaining a healthy immune system remains top-of-mind with cold and flu season just around the corner. While the Superfood Immunity Boost fruit juice blend is available in only the larger 52-ounce multi-serve bottle, Bolthouse Farms has selected five of its most nutrient-dense beverages to offer in this format as well as its single-serve 15.2-ounce bottles, including:

• C-Boost – with 600 % daily value of Vitamin C per serving, this blend with pear, mango and Acerola cherries may help support a healthy immune system.
• Green Goodness – a combination of ingredients, like apple, mango, kiwi and spinach, are perfectly blended for a smoothie with great taste and a good source of antixoxidants, vitamin A and vitamin B₁₂.
• Multi-V Goodness – flavor from cherries, strawberries, cranberries and pomegranates combine to deliver 6 grams of fiber and 100 % daily value of 13 essential vitamins including A, C and E per serving.
• 100 % Pomegranate – pomegranates are one of the best known superfruits and the ruby red seeds give this juice a unique sweet/tart flavor.
• Carrot Ginger Turmeric – a twist on traditional carrot juice with ginger and turmeric for a flavorful beverage that is not only an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin A, but also supports an anti-inflammatory diet¹.

These new size offerings and the new fruit juice blend are another step in the company’s journey toward its long-term vision Plants Powering People^™, and follows the launch of Bolthouse Farms plant-based Protein Keto^™ beverages and plant-based Refrigerated Dressings last month. Expect more product innovations to be announced in coming months, including products that support a healthier lifestyle, with great taste, good value and which meet consumers’ rapidly changing needs.

¹Contains turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

About Bolthouse Farms

For more than a century, Bolthouse Farms has been known as the innovation leader in growing and distributing carrots and high-quality, innovative branded products. Employing more than 2,200 people and headquartered in Bakersfield in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley, Bolthouse Farms is one of the largest carrot growers and distributors in the U.S. Guided by its vision – Plants Powering People – the Company produces and sells super-premium juices, smoothies, café beverages, protein shakes, functional beverages and premium refrigerated dressings, all under the Bolthouse Farms^® brand name.

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VOG Products processed over 30,000 tonnes of organic fruit in the 2019/20 business year. Many factors, starting from the South Tyrol – Südtirol location and the partnership with Bioland, underlie the growing demand.

From 2017 to the present the organic percentage of the output of VOG Products, the modern, innovative fruit processing business in Italy’s South Tyrol – Südtirol region, has tripled. But why is interest in certified organic foods growing so strongly? The answer is apparently simple but actually implies a great deal more: because organic is added value.

“Customers identify it with a healthier product: people want to make a choice that’s good for them, for the environment they live in, and also for nature. This is certainly a trend, but for an ever-increasing number of people it’s more than that: a lifestyle and a new experience”, we are told by Martin Bristot, who works in the organic sector as Senior Key Account Manager at VOG Products.

An Organic brand also represents trust: VOG Products only purchases organic fruit from its members in Trentino-South Tyrol, mainly Bio Val Venosta and Bio Südtirol. “Through traceability back to the farmer, we are able to give the market a strong, clear signal: we know who grows our organic products with hard work and passion,” Mr Bristot confirms. “Since the European market’s two biggest organic producers are members in our owner cooperative, we enjoy preferential access to raw material. Basically, we are able to access supplies all year round.”

Through the partnership with Bioland, VOG Products takes another major step forward: almost all its organic raw materials also meet the Bioland standards. “The whole chain, starting from the farmers through the cooperative to VOG Products itself as processing company, is certified from A to Z, so the final product is certified, too”, Mr Bristot explains.

This label’s private law requirements are much more stringent than the criteria enforced by law on the EU’s biological label: farmers implement the seven Bioland principles, which also embrace the circular economy, biodiversity, and the maintenance of soil fertility to combat global warming. A Bioland farm has to operate in accordance with 100% environment-friendly standards, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides is also more strictly controlled. When it comes to processing, fewer than half the food additives approved under EU organic production regulations also meet the Bioland conformity criteria. In general, with Bioland, additives and auxiliary materials, processing methods, packaging, labelling and the quality guarantee are specifically tailored to each group of products, and tight restrictions are often imposed.

Over time, major food retailers have recognised its potentials and have brought their strategies into line with the Bioland standards. Once again, VOG Products benefits from its location in South Tyrol, the only province outside Germany to have a Bioland association.

The market is particularly receptive to pulps and fruit juices for children. “We are able to differentiate our products in order to satisfy even the toughest standards on organic foods for infants”, Mr Bristot adds.

VOG Products also benefits from members’ variety of products and forward-looking varietal strategy: “We can also offer an organic version of variety growers’ club apples such as Pink Lady. On request, we are even able to supply a single-variety product”.

Recently, demand for organic products has recorded constant growth, a trend of which VOG Products is well aware: although in the 2017/18 business year it processed only a little over 10,000 tonnes of organic produce, this volume rose to about 20,000 tonnes in 2018/19 and passed the 30,000 tonne mark in 2019/20. Output of organic apple pulp and juice more than doubled in the same period.

In the future, the added value of organic output will become more and more fundamental for VOG Products: in the years to 2023, the cultivated land used for organic production will be expanded by about 10% per annum.

VOG Products is an innovative company specialising in the processing of apples and other fruit. It is owned by 18 cooperatives in South Tyrol and Trentino and four producers’ organisations comprising over 13,000 family-run enterprises. Every year, VOG Products process more than 300,000 tonnes of raw goods to create healthy, safe products for the international market.

Customers looking for their last sips of summer can find two new delicious and vibrant green drinks, the Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers^® Beverage and the Star Drink, now available at Starbucks stores across the U.S. Following a successful launch in Canada earlier this summer, the drinks are the newest refreshing beverages to join Starbucks permanent menu.

Customers can use the Starbucks^® App to find a store nearby, order ahead and have contactless payment. And for those who want their favorite Starbucks drinks and food without leaving home there is always Starbucks^® Delivers.

New Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Rfreshers Beverage

A tropical combination of starfruit flavored juice and real kiwi pieces, hand-shaken with ice. Now on the permanent menu to transport you to summer with every sip, no matter the time of year. With less than 100 calories in a Grande (16 fl. oz. beverage), the Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers joins the Starbucks Refreshers platform, alongside customer-favorites Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers^®, Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers^® and Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers^®.

New Star Drink

This refreshing new beverage adds coconutmilk to our new Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage for a creamy and refreshing sip that’s under 200 calories in a Grande (16 fl. oz. beverage). Now on the permanent menu alongside other creamy customer favorites like the Pink Drink, Violet Drink and Dragon Drink.

As might be expected, there are high levels of concern among Asian consumers about the impact COVID-19 is having, both directly on their own lives and also on a global scale. According to Innova’s COVID-19 Consumer Survey (conducted in March 2020), in China, India and Indonesia, personal concerns center on health, personal income and the availability of healthcare and products to buy.

Personal health, and the health of family and friends, tops the list of concerns across all three countries, with impact on personal income/finances ranked as second. Indian consumers were the most concerned. 73 % of Indian consumers say that they were very concerned about their own and that of their family’s/friends’ health. This is compared with 58 % in China and 52 % in Indonesia.

Concerns over more global issues are led by healthcare and financial/economic uncertainty. Healthcare ranks the highest in India, with 79 % of respondents very concerned. Financial/economic uncertainty came out first in China and Indonesia, with 55 % and 68 % of respondents, respectively, saying that they were very concerned. Consumers in all three countries were also concerned about the impact on food and job security.

Changes in behavior driven by the pandemic include more working from home, more social media and online entertainment and even exercising inside the home, with lower levels of leaving the house, visiting cafes/bars and restaurants, travelling for business and pleasure and using public transportation.

Health considerations have become more influential on purchasing decisions, with consumers trying to eat more healthily and consuming products in a bid to boost immunity. These include ingredients such as turmeric in India, chrysanthemum and cordyceps flower in China and royal jelly, ginger and mint in Indonesia. Familiarity, comfort and improving mood are also seen as increasingly important factors for food and beverage choices during the crisis. Health, shelf-life and cost are taking on a greater significance with regard to purchasing decisions, while factors such as flavor and indulgence appear to be declining in importance. Innova Market Insight’s research indicated that the main changes in attitude/behavior in India and China included more cooking/preparing of homemade food, more healthy eating and more eating/drinking products to boost immune health.

Fresh fruit and vegetables and juices and nectars are some of the top categories benefiting from this trend, as consumers look to them as a means of boosting health. At the same time, consumers claimed to be purchasing lower levels of less healthy, indulgent and highly processed options, such as ice cream, pizza and cakes and pastries.

There has also been an acceleration in the growth of online grocery shopping as movements are restricted and physical stores cannot easily be accessed. The rise in grocery apps in China, for example, encompasses developments in supermarkets, dedicated grocery apps and food delivery platforms. Restaurants have been quick to offer home delivery, but many consumers are also willing to order online and go out and pick up takeout. In China, 37 % of consumers claimed to be ordering more restaurant/café food online, while 34 % were picking up takeout food and meals more often.

Silly Juice, a new line of “seriously good” juices, announces the online debut of six unique, tasty varieties. Quickly winning the hearts and taste buds of families across the world, Silly Juice has marked its entry to the category by selling out within four hours of launching their direct-to-consumer website.

Silly Juice offers a collection of fun-filled juices for the whole family, and is bottled in bold, vibrant packaging for the ultimate drinking experience. Made with real juice and no high fructose corn syrup, the six original flavors include:

• Cool Blue Freeze – an icy blend of blueberry, apple and lemon that is filled with chills
• Orange Cream – a savory burst of creamsicle flavor that tastes like sunshine on a beautiful summer day
• Pink Strawberry Swirl – a magical swirl of strawberry, apple and cherry to create a hint of cotton candy tang
• Red Apple Cherry Blossom – a rich combination of apples and cherries that come together for a fresh fall taste
• Watermelon Fruit Punch – a refreshing mixture of watermelon, apple, lemon, cherry and pineapple for a burst of fruity flavor
• White Grape Burst – a crisp white grape taste profile that provides a silly, yet extraordinary flavor experience

“At a time when everyone needs a little happiness, we developed and launched Silly Juice with the mission of encouraging families to take a break in their days to play, enjoy, laugh and get silly,” said Keith Davis, CEO and Co-Founder of Silly Juice. “Everything from our playful packaging to our carefully crafted flavor profiles breathes new life into the juice category, and demonstrates our dedication to sparking ‘silly’ moments with every sip.”

Davis partnered with Co-Founders including family YouTube sensation, The ACE Family, and longstanding leaders in the juice category, Bruce and David Langer, President and CEO of Langer Juice Company, Inc. respectively, to innovate a flavor portfolio that is designed to make consumer’s taste buds dance.

“Since starting our social channel four years ago, my husband Austin and I have always dreamed of creating a feel-good product for our fans that is uniquely ACE. As our family continues to grow, so has our followers, and we’re excited to bring them further into our daily lives with the launch of Silly Juice,” said Catherine McBroom, Co-Founder of Silly Juice and ACE Family matriarch. “Juice is a household staple, and our fans know it’s a beloved beverage by all members of our family. With Silly Juice, we’re now sharing this passion with our social community worldwide, and bringing them a flavor experience that is so special and close to our hearts.”

Perfectly formulated to deliver an explosion of creatively mixed taste profiles, all Silly Juice varieties are non-GMO, gluten-free, low in sodium and contain no added colors. Featuring refreshing twists on classic juice flavors, the perfectly combined blends give consumers a reason to smile.

“Alongside Keith and The ACE Family, we recognized the opportunity to start a flavor revolution that the juice category has never seen before,” said Bruce Langer, Co-Founder of Silly Juice and President of Langer Juice Company, Inc., a family-owned business since 1960. “We created Silly Juice with a commitment to bringing unexpected, delicious flavor combinations to the marketplace, and now with the launch of our direct-to-consumer website, it is easier than ever to bring our silliness to doorsteps worldwide.”

Silly Juice retails 12-packs of all flavor varieties online for $15.95 at SillyJuice.com. For more information about Silly Juice, please visit: https://sillyjuice.com/ and follow along on Instagram (@sillyjuiceworld).

About Silly Brands Inc.
Headquartered in City of Industry, Silly Brands is committed to making consumers smile and bringing joy into their everyday lives. Silly Brands never compromises on quality, and provides only natural ingredients so families worldwide can focus on making silly memories with their loved ones. For more information, visit https://sillyjuice.com/.

Freshfel Europe supports the EU’s plans to revise its Trade Strategy, an essential move to ensure the EU is ready to tackle the growing challenges impacting fresh fruit and vegetables trade , particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, the sector urges the European Commission to enhance the assertiveness of its approach to trade policy, especially regarding tackling sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers, which are deeply impacting the ability of the sector to exploit its full potential to trade. This is necessary to ensure EU exports of fruit and vegetables revert current negative trends experienced since the Russian embargo (loss of 22% in their volume since 2014) and successfully diversify and gain access to new attractive markets despite the uncertain international trade environment. The new EU Trade Strategy should effectively assist key partners, particularly developing countries, to cope with EU legislation and standards to continue accessing the Single Market, ensuring year-round supply of affordable, varied fresh fruit and vegetables to EU citizens.

As outlined in Freshfel Europe’s response to the EU public consultation on a roadmap for an EU trade & investment policy review, the new strategy should seek to fully exploit the potential of existing multilateral and bilateral agreements with trade partners and, if needed, make use of more assertive tools on top of ‘soft’ engagement to ensure reciprocity in trade relations. Moreover, the new EU Trade Strategy should seek further SPS facilitations with trade partners to ensure faster, less burdensome fruit and vegetables access to third country markets, either via multilateral WTO and IPPC commitments, SPS Chapters in FTAs or other bilateral agreements, formal or informal. A reinforced internal coordination among EU services, Member States and the EU private sector would also help secure faster opening of third country markets for all EU Member States and fruit and vegetables categories. The sector expects that the prompt appointment of the Chief Trade Enforcement Officer will enable this work to be effectively implemented.

Freshfel Europe believes the revised EU Trade Strategy should contribute to the EU’s green and digital objectives. To ensure this, the EU should effectively assist trade partners to achieve environmental goals through so-called Green Alliances, as outlined in the Farm to Fork Strategy. Technical support should also be targeted to developing partners, particularly key suppliers in Africa and America, so they can cope with EU legislation to continue accessing the EU Market. Furthermore, the EU should translate its ambitions to become ‘fit for the digital age’ into concrete solutions that facilitate trade operations, implementing for instance electronic transmission of import and export certification, for which the sector and public authorities have shown its readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first quarter of the 2020/21 financial year (ended 31 May 2020), AGRANA, the fruit, starch and sugar company, achieved a slight increase in both revenue and operating profit (EBIT) despite the COVID-19 crisis. AGRANA Chief Executive Officer Johann Marihart comments: “The key factor in the solid Group EBIT was a very significant profitability improvement in the Sugar segment compared to the same quarter last year. EBIT in the Starch segment was moderately below the year-earlier level, with the decline due mainly to a short-term slump in bioethanol prices at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have since recovered again. Ethanol sales remained stable in volume terms despite the lockdown, thanks to the firm export market for bioethanol with high CO₂ reductions and to the sale of 10 million litres into the disinfectant sector. In the Fruit segment, earnings were significantly below those of one year ago. Thus, the performance of the fruit juice concentrate activities was down as a result of the prior-year harvest and there were COVID-19-related decreases in the fruit preparations business.”

Results in each business segment in Q1 2020|21

FRUIT segment

Revenue in the Fruit segment, at € 303.7 million, was off slightly from one year earlier. Revenue from fruit preparations fell somewhat, as a result of lower sales volumes. In the fruit juice concentrate business as well, volumes were the reason for a moderate revenue decline relative to a year ago. EBIT in the Fruit segment was € 16.0 million in the first three months, a reduction of 26.6 % year-on-year. The causes of the deterioration lay primarily in the fruit juice concentrate business, which notably saw reduced delivery volumes in combination with lower contribution margins of apple juice concentrates produced from the 2019 crop.

STARCH segment

The Starch segment’s revenue of CHF 204.4 million was slightly below the year-earlier level. The COVID-19 crisis had a negative impact on sales volumes of saccharification products, and initially also led to a drastic fall in bioethanol prices amid the lockdown and the sharp drop in demand for petrol. However, over the rest of the financial first quarter, bioethanol quotations rebounded again due to the resurgence in private transport. At € 17.0 million, EBIT of the Starch segment was moderately below the year-earlier amount. In the period under review, weaker market demand dampened prices and put pressure on margins.

SUGAR segment

The Sugar segment’s revenue of € 144.5 million in the first quarter was up significantly from one year before. Both higher sugar selling prices and increased sugar sales volumes led to this growth. Although EBIT was still negative at a deficit of € 1.0 million, it marked a substantial improvement compared to the same quarter of the previous year due to a more benign sales price environment.

The detailed financial results are provided in the interim statement for the first quarter of 2020|21 at www.agrana.com/en/investor.

The IFU Methods of Analysis Commission have completed and published a new recommendation R20, which is available to access for members via the IFU website www.ifu-fruitjuice.com selecting the top menu bar “Methods of Analysis”.

Dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC, trade name Velcorin^®) is used for the cold sterilization of beverages. The use in juices is approved for selected countries such as USA, Mexico, Brazil or Australia and New Zealand. In the EU and according to the Codex Standard the use as a food additive in juices is not listed. DMDC is degraded quickly after application and therefore it is not directly detectable in the finished product. It’s detection can only be carried out indirectly via analysis for its decomposition products which in an aqueous matrix are compounds that may be seen in soft drinks. These components (MeOH & CO₂) are only conditionally suitable for a clear detection of its use. In the presence of methanol or ethanol, small amounts of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) are also produced. These two compounds can be used as indirect proof of treatment of a product with DMDC. This recommendation reviews the detection method.

Prime season for US and Turkish cherries, low harvest for Spanish nectarines and Italian apricots

Tridge, a global sourcing platform and market intelligence hub for food buyers and suppliers have reported that the US and Turkish cherry market is expected to have a prime harvest season due to optimal growing conditions, whereas Spanish nectarines and Italian apricots are experiencing difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. With harvest season commencing for many stone fruits, data collected by Tridge reveals which countries are experiencing highs and lows.

Winner: US fresh cherries

The US fresh cherry market is set to remain steady at 450k tons due to prime weather conditions for production, offsetting a biennial off-year decline in cyclical tart production. Washington, California, and Oregon are the primary sweet cherry producing states, accounting for almost 90 percent of the quantity nationwide. Domestically, the cherry season starts as early as April in California; and can finish as late as August in Montana.

Recent years have brought a number of challenges to cherry growers in California, with weather conditions and temperature fluctuations affecting dormancy. 2018 saw a decrease of 58 % in boxes produced (4 million boxes) compared to that of the previous year (9.5 million boxes) due to a freeze during bloom. And, record rains diminished the harvest to 5.25 million boxes in 2019 which was around half of the year’s original forecast.

From 2017 to 2019, tariffs implemented by China contributed to slow exports and production. However, early this year, China lowered the rates on Californian cherries by 30 % as part of the new tariff exclusions for US agricultural products; and, US suppliers are expected to start increasing shipments.

Winner: Turkey fresh cherries

Turkish cherries have had success with harvests in the past few years and despite minor logistical hiccups from the coronavirus, Turkey is expected to continue the positive streak.

The weather has been optimal for stone fruit production in the past few seasons, and 824K tons of cherries were produced in 2018/2019, up by 24.5K tons from the previous season. Forecasts for the MY 2019/2020 season were even higher, at 865K tons of cherries.

Strategically, Turkey has leaned towards satisfying the demands of the export market. Cherry farmers have been selective in planting high-yield trees, as well as planting sweet cherries over sour ones which are higher in-demand.

Turkey’s top export market for stone fruits, Russia, has increased Turkish stone fruit imports the most over the past year, with growth in value of 44.2 % for cherries. Turkey has managed to appeal to consumers worldwide with its attractive prices, an advantage made possible by low labour costs and high supply. Furthermore, Turkey’s currency has been steadily devalued against other currencies. Turkey’s cherry prices in the global market have decreased by 18.9 % within the past year.

The Turkish stone fruit sector remains largely unaffected by the coronavirus. Unlike other major producing countries such as Spain, Turkey has not suffered from severe labour shortages, as production is mainly done with domestic labour rather than seasonal workers. Exports to Russia will experience some delays due to increased border checks, but the impact is expected to be minimal.

Struggler: Spanish nectarines

The harvest season for Spanish nectarines and peaches has started in the regions of Murcia, Catalonia, and Aragon, and is expected to finish late May. Spain shows a consistent export season from March to October, with the peak period between May and September.

However, the yield for the Spanish nectarine market is projected to be 508 million kg, which is a 20 % decrease in volume compared to last year. Suppliers are expecting a further decrease in harvest volume due to labour shortages from Covid-19. While Spain has not implemented any major restrictions, it is estimated that up to 40 % of the workforce will be impacted as migrant workers from Morocco, Belarus, and Ukraine are not allowed to enter the country.

Spain is the biggest exporter of nectarines and peaches, with its main export markets including Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. With export volume totalling 829.4K tons in 2019, the demand for the fruits has increased by 23 % this year. Yet, increased demand and labour shortages have seen the wholesale price of nectarines surge by up to 43 %, which could soften the blow of the smaller harvest. For example, the white nectarine has increased from EUR 1.50 to EUR 2.13, while the yellow nectarine has increased from EUR 1.50 to EUR 2.15.

Struggler: Italian apricots

Italy is the second-biggest exporter of apricots, reaching an export volume of 56.3K tons in 2019. The expected production for 2020, however, has been hampered by frosts that occurred in late March and early April, with production in Northern Italy affected the most. The Northern Emilia Romagna region has seen the biggest estimated production decrease of almost 90 % compared to last year.

The total Italian production volume for 2020 is expected to be 136K tons, a 56 % decrease from approximately 307K tons in 2019. While suppliers have seen increases in demand from Central and Northern regions, there has been very little demand from the South. Apricot producers are also left with more obstacles to overcome as a decreased number of workers has left the farms with a shortage of labour to harvest the fruits.

Hoshik Shin, founder and CEO at Tridge, said: “While there are many external factors that can determine the success of a harvest season, normally the primary influencer is the weather. US cherries are an excellent example of how hot or cold conditions can determine harvest results – optimum harvest conditions translate to greater production volumes which in turn helps meet the demand for the commodity”.

“Unfortunately, some harvest seasons have been negatively impacted due to Covid-19, meaning that labour shortages are contributing to decreases in harvest levels. This means that low prices cannot be easily maintained”.

Using an online sourcing platform that offers market intelligence can help mitigate the impacts on buyers, as it enables them to find alternative suppliers to meet their needs. Suppliers can also benefit from the data provided by platforms such as Tridge, as it can give historic insight into the harvest conditions of previous years as well as provide predictions for future seasons.

About Tridge

Tridge is a global trade ecosystem where buyers and suppliers of agricultural and food products can find everything they need to understand their markets with just a simple search. Using a combination of the latest digital technology and the latest insights gathered through a human network, they provide a very powerful global-scale platform for buyers and suppliers to connect and do business with each other more confidently.

New distribution partnership brings nanobubble technology to farms in Chile & Peru

Moleaer, the world’s leading nanobubble technology company, is expanding into Latin America, having formed a new distribution partnership with Kapicua to bring its innovative, patented technology to the region’s agriculture industry. 

Nanobubbles, 2500 times smaller than a grain of salt, enhance agricultural productivity by providing a multitude of benefits that range from improving water quality, creating a healthier root zone and increasing crop yield. Healthy roots promote healthy plant growth, enabling plants to better handle environmental stress.

Kapicua has been trialling Moleaer’s nanobubble technology since 2019 in Chilean agriculture, focused on blueberry crops. These trials have proven that injecting billions of nanobubbles into the plant watering system increases crop growth and agricultural profitability. Now, Moleaer’s nanobubble technology will be widely available for farmers throughout the region.

Benjamin Labbe, Agricultural Engineer, Kapicua said: “We’re proud to partner with a sustainably-focused technology company that is committed to providing world-class solutions to increase productivity for farmers. Through our partnership, we’re increasing access for farmers in Latin America to nanobubble technology. Moleaer’s nanobubbles will provide farmers with a cost-effective, chemical-free solution to improve crop growth and decrease time-to-harvest rates.”

Cristian Gwinner, Fruit Area Manager, Elemental Foods said: “Since implementing Moleaer’s nanobubble generator, we’ve observed an increase in oxygen levels in our irrigation water. Last season we saw an 11 percent increase in fruit size and overall quality of our blueberries by using oxygen nanobubbles to improve water quality. Our plants have had much better vegetative growth, with improved vigor that has produced better fruit size.”

Nick Dyner, CEO, Moleaer, said: “Farmers throughout North America and Europe have already seen an improvement in water quality, root development and increased productivity after using our nanobubble technology within their irrigation systems. We’re excited to now bring our patented technology to Latin American farmers through our commercial partnership with Kapicua.”

Moleaer’s nanobubble generators have already been installed in over 75 greenhouses across North America and Europe improving plant health and harvest yields across a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Freshfel Europe has released its Impact Assessment of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector, including recommendations for policy-makers. In conjunction with its members, Freshfel Europe compiled the 88-page COVID-19 Impact Assessment to accurately outline the effect the pandemic has had on the sector over the last few months and what implications this may have in the short, medium and long-term for the supply of fresh produce to consumers.

Freshfel Europe’s COVID-19 Impact Assessment, which covers the effects of the pandemic on the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector until the beginning of May, provides an in-depth analysis of the implications of the health crisis for each stage of the supply chain. Freshfel Europe General Delegate Philippe Binard explained, “While the sector has been able to provide a continuous supply of fresh, safe and healthy produce to consumers during the pandemic, Freshfel Europe’s COVID-19 Impact Assessment reviews the key challenges that the sector has been confronted with over the last two months. This includes workforce, availability and protection, new logistics constraints, market performance as well as an analysis of the economic impact and added costs for the supply chain due to the pandemic”.

The COVID-19 Impact Assessment offers specific recommendations for policy-makers for each stage of the supply chain as well as for the fruit and vegetables sector as a whole. Further support will be needed for the sector to safeguard its competitiveness in the coming months and to secure the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to consumers throughout 2020 and beyond.

Freshfel Europe’s COVID-19 Impact Assessment is available to download here, including a fact sheet summarizing the document’s main elements.

Despite providing an uninterrupted supply of fresh fruit and vegetables so far to European citizens confined at home, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to destabilize the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector, threatening long-term food supply. In a letter sent to European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski Freshfel Europe has requested urgent financial assistance and flexibility in CAP tools to provide much needed stability to the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. Currently, growers are grappling with significant cost increases estimated to be at least €500 million per month. The sector has also lost access to the food service sector representing 25 – 30 % of the market supply and EU fresh fruit and vegetables exports to third countries worth € 5 billion per year are also confronted with significant difficulties. As the pandemic evolves, it will continue to bring with it further economic stress for the sector and threaten the financial sustainability of fresh fruit and vegetable supply.

Freshfel Europe’s letter to European Commissioner Wojciechowski warns that the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector cannot sustain the increased level of production and logistic costs resulting from the COVID-19 crisis without endangering fresh fruit and vegetable supply in the long term. Financial support is essential in conjunction with other measures, such as flexibility in management of CAP tools, to allow the sector to continue balancing additional costs related to COVID-19 with economic sustainability. Remarking on the huge financial burden being carried by the sector, Freshfel Europe General Delegate affirmed that, “Added costs in orchards and packing houses are estimated at least € 0,05 cts/kg and a similar amount of € 0,05 cts/kg is also to be considered to be added as extra charge in intra EU transport”. Collectively this represents about € 500 million given the volume produced and shipped monthly. Mr. Binard also highlighted that the sector should be considered an essential sector to secure access to protective tools and measures that would enable the return to normal operating conditions as early as possible. This would include access to hydrogel, masks and testing and allow the sector to be in a position to remove social distancing measures. With the availability of all seasonal workers this would these changes would facilitate orchard activities and logistics operations to run at normal high efficiency rates to ensure supply.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold Freshfel Europe maintains that further necessary measures under the CAP must be taken at European level to avoid a food supply crisis later in the year and secure that the sector can continue to provide Europe’s supply of fresh fruit and vegetables at affordable prices to consumers in the coming months. Freshfel Europe has also recommended to Commissioner Wojciechowski that in light of the far reaching implications of the COVID-19 crisis to also review different policies connected to agriculture and fruit and vegetables specifically, such as research and innovation, organic reform, promotion policy, international trade policy and the forthcoming Farm to Fork Strategy. Evolving conditions in regard to insurance and credit insurance and equal access to liquidity should also be analyzed.

Freshfel Europe is concerned over the increasing financial burden being carried by the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Increasing costs associated with the implementation of necessary measures across the supply chain to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as current and future non-harvesting of products if seasonal workers are not available are set to have considerable ramifications for the long-term stability of the sector. Freshfel Europe calls for new support measures to secure the supply of fresh produce to consumers over the coming summer months and into the latter half of 2020 and beyond.

Despite providing an uninterrupted supply of fresh, safe and high quality fresh produce to consumers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic so far, the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector is facing significant challenges. Although the sector is well organized and committed to its responsibility to provide fresh produce to consumers confined at home the effects of the pandemic are being felt by all actors in the supply chain. The availability of seasonal workers is still insufficient in many places. This workforce is key for planting, preparing orchards, preventing non-harvesting and picking quality products now and later in the year. Efficiency in orchards and pack houses has decreased due to social distancing rules and with the provision of safety equipment and new packing requirements other challenges are being encountered. Growers in particular are being confronted with a significant increase of new necessary costs, often by more than 10 %, which are not being entirely returned or compensated. Logistics costs in the chain have also increased by 20 – 30 % due to empty returns of trucks and longer journey times. Besides this, significant market loss is being experienced with the closure of the European food service industry and street markets, with wholesalers consequently also losing a significant amount of business. In total this market segment covers 25 % of fresh produce consumption and retail chains are not absorbing all of this volume. Retailers have also had to adapt stores with personal safety measures such as flexi-glass at cashiers and limiting shopper numbers in store. In addition, risks for products to be successfully exported globally are increasing and importers are experiencing high uncertainty in terms of delivery and time required for documentation checks. This increasing burden on the supply chain is set to have considerable ramifications for the long-term stability of the sector.

In light of mounting uncertainty about the future of the sector, Freshfel Europe calls for continued and new support measures to secure the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to consumers over the coming summer months and into the latter half of 2020. At the start of April the European Commission secured an operation framework for intra-EU trade and measures for seasonal workers, however no further support has been granted under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to producers and producer groups to reflect current increasing costs to guarantee the continued supply of fresh, safe and high quality products to consumers. More incentives through CAP instruments on top of those released by the European Commission on 6 April 2020 are needed for the sector, especially for growers, to cope with the current financial pressure. As an essential good, maintaining the long-term supply of healthy fresh fruit and vegetables to the European market is essential.

Opposite to the expected by the agents from the Brazilian citrus sector, tahiti lime prices increased in São Paulo State in March, despite the crop peak. The boost came from higher demand, since, in the second fortnight of the month, people were trying to eat healthier, increasing the consumption of vitamin C, because of the coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

However, most of the demand was linked to the increase in the purchases from distributors, retailers and consumers for stocking. Besides, the closure of schools, street markets and grocery stores, and lower sales in restaurants may also reduce the demand for the fruit.

In March, the average price for tahiti lime was 22.2 % higher than that in February, at 12.52 BRL per 27-kilo box.

As regards exports, agents reported a decrease in the volumes shipped, since the coronavirus outbreak affected Europe more severely, so far. Besides, the lower availability of containers for exports and the cancelation of air deliveries also reduced sales to the international market. Thus, tahiti lime prices for exports were lower than quotes in the Brazilian market in March, averaging 12.29 BRL per 27-kilo box.

ORANGE – The demand for oranges was firm in March, and prices remained stable in the Brazilian market. According to growers, the quarantine decree in São Paulo State and the consequent halt in some activities reduced labor, limiting supply and logistic operations. Thus, orange availability was low and, now, many agents are waiting for some early varieties, such as westin and rubi, to ripen in order to start trading.

In March, the average price for pear oranges was 35.35 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, 6.9 % up compared to that in February. The maturation stage requested by the in natura market is forecast to be reached in most groves between April and May.