Italian fresh produce brand Valfrutta Fresco has enriched its range of premium-quality fruit and vegetables with the addition of Meloro, a new variety of yellow melon that it claims will eclipse other types currently available on the domestic market.
According to commercial manager Davide Drei, the product’s eating quality is expected to drive repeat sales during the summer months.
Meloro, which occupies the medium to large size range from 1.2kg to 2kg in late season, will be sourced from growers in Sicily in the south, as well as the provinces of Mantua and lower Modena further to the north of the country.
“The name refers in part to the product’s golden yellow exterior and also to its excellent organoleptic qualities,” Drei commented. “The flesh, which is bright orange, is actually extremely crisp with an aromatic flavour reminiscent of honey. The taste encourages you to eat several slices.”
Around 12ha of production across Italy are currently in place for Meloro at present, offering a supply window from mid-May until September.
Drei said the melon would be marketed very much as a premium item. “This product won’t just be sold through traditional vendors via the Maestri della Frutta (Masters of Fruit) network, but also through supermarkets as a premium line.”
The fruit will be handled and packed on a daily basis by Modena-based cooperative Italfrutta according to clients’ varying demands.
“For Valfrutta Fresco,” Drei added, “Meloro stands for the promise we make to the final consumer that they will always be able to taste an innovative and superior-quality melon from May to September. We believe it’s the best product we have to bring value to the category by segmenting the market according to quality characteristics, not just product type.”
