Trade visitors to Fruit Logistica have voted Knox, from Rijk Zwaan, as the 2017 Fruit Logistica Innovation Award winner.
Knox delays the discolouration, or pinking, at the edges of fresh-cut lettuce, not only extending the shelf-life of lettuce by 1-2 days, but also reducing food waste – the discolouration is visually unattractive to consumers and has previously led to the wholesale rejection of even unaffected produce.
'Thank you! That's fantastic; we are extremely proud and honoured,' said Jan Doldersum, manager marketing and business development at Rijk Zwaan in the Netherlands, on receiving the award. 'Thanks to everyone who voted for us and a special thank-you to our team, of course. And last but not least, I'd like to thank all our partners in the value-added chain – they've helped us by explaining the benefits of our development.'
The Cracking Monkey Pili Nuts from the German firm, Die Frischebox came in second place.
The Vitamin E content of these nuts is considerably higher than that of other nuts. Pili Nuts come from the Philippines and are opened using the stainless steel nutcrackers supplied, which are made from recycled cutlery. The nuts are delivered in an environmentally-friendly cotton pouch, which is printed with soya-based ink.
Natupol Excel – Bumble Bee Vision from Koppert Biological Systems from the Netherlands came in third place.
The product acts as a navigation aid for greenhouse bees during the darker winter months and in artificial light, helping them find their way back to their hives and allowing them to put all their energy into the pollination of fruit and vegetable cultures.
