The first commercial shipment of Italian pears from Emilia-Romagna to the US has arrived in Delaware. To mark the arrival, a series of promotional activities has been planned for major supermarket chains across the US by European Flavors, the project co-financed by the European Union, the Italian state and marketing organization Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO).
“The agreement signed some months ago between Emilia-Romagna, Trentino Alto Adige and the Sate of Delaware, permitting Italian apples and pears to enter the US represents a great opportunity for these products and those who produce them,” said Federico Milanese of the CSO. “American consumers are becoming increasingly careful about what they eat, more appreciative of the Mediterranean diet and more attracted to our products on account of their quality.”
European Flavors said around 1,000 tonnes of Italian produce – including the Abate Fetel pears – are expected to be distributed on the US east coast by the end of the year.
In addition to in-store promotions, the campaign will feature a new version of European Flavors’ smartphone app which offers numerous recipes that include fresh and processed Italian fruits and vegetables.
The CSO is a service company whose mission is to improve the competitiveness of Italy’s fruit and vegetable industry. Founded in 1998, it has 65 member companies spread across 14 Italian regions, including growers, exporters, packaging and machinery manufacturers and technology and logistics companies.
