The pineapple will be introduced to Europe in 2025 having been launched in China and North America this year
Fresh Del Monte Produce has announced it will offer its Rubyglow pineapple to Europe in early 2025.
According to the group, the red-shelled pineapple has a red outer skin, bright yellow flesh, and a new, sweet flavour similar to Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet pineapples.
Rubyglow’s initial launch in China, in January this year, prompted a global waitlist and a subsequent launch in North America in May 2024, Del Monte confirmed.
“We are proud to introduce our latest pineapple innovation, the Rubyglow pineapple to the European region,” said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Fresh Del Monte.
”This Del Monte exclusive pineapple further cements our global leadership position in the pineapple market,” he noted.
“Our scientists continue to elevate the bar by creating new pineapple varieties, with varied tastes and colours, that cater to more and more consumers worldwide.”
Grown in Costa Rica, the Rubyglow pineapple has been in development for more than 15 years and has a registered plant patent in the US.
It is a cross between a traditional pineapple and a Morada pineapple – which is typically inedible – making the Rubyglow pineapple a hybrid fruit produced through traditional crossbreeding techniques.
It takes two years to grow each Rubyglow pineapple, which are then naturally ripened on the plant and sold crownless.
Del Monte said that the ”intricate and time-consuming cultivation cycle”, coupled with limited seed supply, were the reasons behind the scarcity of Rubyglow pineapples globally.
