The Fruit Logistica Innovation Award (FLIA), seen as one of the key indicators of the year's freshest industry concepts, returns to Berlin in 2010 with 10 new products competing for the coveted title.
The finalists, selected by a panel of experts, have been chosen as examples of outstanding new products or services that have had a significant impact on the fruit and vegetable industry since their launch between 1 November 2008 and 31 October 2009.
Visitors to Fruit Logistica 2010, which takes place on 3-5 February at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Berlin, Germany, will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite finalist during the first two days of the event, with all products on display in the area between Halls 20 and 21.
Sponsored by Fruchthandel Magazine and Messe Berlin GmbH, the award will be handed to the victorious company during an awards ceremony on the third and final day of Fruit Logistica, Friday 5 February 2010.
Previous winners of the award include Enza Zaden's Sweet Green Pepper (2009), Nunhems' Intense tomato (2008),Rainbow's Vitaminis snack line (2007) and Rijk Zwaan's Salanova lettuce(2006).
The final 10 contenders for the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award are:
ART - Arils Removal Tool
Mehadrin Tnuport Export (Israel) - Fruit Logistica Hall 1.2 Stand E-04
The Arils Removal Tool is a simple tool for pitting pomegranates quickly and easily, resembling a lemon press with a bowl to catch the seeds, a grid and a flexible dome. After removing the fruit's crown, the pomegranate is cut in half, placed on the grid and covered with the ART's silicone dome. A tablespoon or similar object can then be used to strike the pomegranate through the dome so the seeds drop into the bowl beneath, protecting the consumer's clothes in the process.
Bellaverde Sweet Stem Broccoli
Monsanto Vegetable Seeds (Netherlands) - Fruit Logistica Hall 1.2 Stand D-06
Bellaverde Sweet Stem Broccoli is a new, sweeter variety of broccoli with a long, thin stem that can be cooked or steamed as well as used as a starter or in salads. After the first broccoli head is removed, new young shoots grow in the sun and are hand-harvested after 10 days, giving them a sweet, delicate taste and green colour. Following a successful launch in the UK during 2009, the vegetable will be rolled out across countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy in 2010.
Carrot Fettuccini
Aurelio Mario (Italy) - Hall 1.1 Stand E-08, Hall 4.2 Stand D-04
Carrot Fettuccini is a convenience product made from 25cm-30cm strips of carrot with a width of 0.8cm-1cm. The strips can be eaten raw as a snack or in a salad, or boiled for a few minutes and seasoned with olive oil or other spices. The product's quick and simple preparation and consumption makes it a valuable contribution to a healthy diet. The basis for Carrot Fettuccini is specially selected carrot varieties that are particularly suitable for the production of convenience products.
Dynamic Shipper
Polymer Logistics (Netherlands) - Hall 3.2 Stand C-13, Hall 4.2 Stand B-09
The Dynamic Shipper is a polypropylene foldable box on wheels with an adjustable elevating floor. The basic height of the floor of the box can be adjusted to a preferred level. The weight of the produce and the elastic supports will do the rest, ensuring that the top layer of produce stays at more or less the same level. This represents an ergonomic advantage for staff in the packhouse, as they can fill the box safely and more easily, while customers in the retail outlet do not have to bend to reach the product.
Easypack Black & Transparent
NGP Plastic SA (Greece) - Hall 2.1 Stand D-04
Easypack Black & Transparent offers the possibility of having two different colours for the lid and the base in the same single-piece clamshell pack. This means it can satisfy the trend towards multi-colour packs for the effective presentation of fresh produce, while at the same time avoiding the disadvantages of separate lids and bases. The use of a contrasting second colour means that fresh fruit and vegetable products can be presented more attractively and effectively in the retail outlet, with single-piece clamshells saving up to 15 per cent in logistic and transport costs.
Fyffes Organic Bananas
Fyffes B.V. (Netherlands) - Hall 5.2 Stand A-04
The green wax tip of Fyffes Organic Bananas is an innovative, unmistakable and at the same time attractive indication of the organic, environmentally friendly origin of this product. The tip of each banana in the bunch is covered with a green layer of wax that is approved for food applications and is in itself environmentally friendly. The aim of the green wax tip is to clearly and immediately identify and differentiate Fyffes Organic Bananas from bananas stemming from conventional production
Pommonde Potato Taste Concept
HZPC Holland BV (Netherlands) - Hall 1.2 Stand E-15
The Pommonde potato taste concept offers consumers an innovative practical guide when buying potatoes in the store. The standard description of potato varieties is largely based on cooking characteristics, with little help when selecting the best variety for specific recipes. The Pommonde concept is intended to change that. After extensive consumer research, HZPC has now launched a new taste guide for its potato range under the Pommonde brand name, using different logos and colour codes to clearly identify each separate type of potato -Fine (creamy and refined), Lite (light and mild),Bite (firm and tasty) and Ripe (floury and dry).
QS_300
Unitec S.p.A. (Italy) - Hall 4.1 Stand A-02, Hall 10.2 Stand B-05
The QS_300 is a portable instrument for monitoring and measuring the internal quality of a wide range of fruit and vegetables, including pipfruit and stonefruit, citrus, kiwifruit and tomatoes, without damaging the produce itself. The unit can be used to measure the sugar content in Brix, the consistency of the fruit pulp in kg/cm2, and the level of acidity in g/l. All that is needed is to place the instrument’s sensor on the surface of the fruit allowing the rapid and mobile measurement of internal characteristics at any point in the supply chain. The data is processed automatically and instantaneously by the unit and displayed on a screen.
Wonderful Pistachios Salt & Pepper
Paramount Farms Europe (Belgium) - Hall 23 Stand B-01
Wonderful Pistachios Salt & Pepper are California-grown pistachios with a unique new spicy flavour in a 250g bag. A new mixture of different pepper varieties gives the otherwise typically salted pistachio a completely new warm and spicy taste. The flavour was developed in-house and tested on markets as far apart as France, Italy, Israel and the Middle East. The pistachios are not roasted on belts, but rather on dry rotary roasters which provide an even roasting and a strong flavour.
Xsense Perishables Quality Monitoring System
StePac LA Ltd. (Israel) - Hall 3.2 Stand C-21
The Xsense Perishables Quality Monitoring System enables the continuous monitoring of the temperature and relative humidity of perishable fresh produce shipments on an individual pallet basis, via a real-time internet and mobile phone system. Disposable sensor tags are placed inside one carton in each pallet, and temperature and relative humidity monitoring begins immediately. Data can be viewed on screen via the internet during every stage of the supply chain. The Xsense System means that continuous product monitoring is possible at a single pallet level, enabling effective and rapid decision-making and logistical management from pack house to the retail outlet.
