High-end UK retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) is to stock a new range of ready-to-eat (RTE) pears from Worldwide Fruit Ltd (WFL) and It'sFresh that adopt the latter's innovative ethylene management technology – described as a 'world first' by the groups.
According to the WFL/It'sFresh! partnership, the pears are the first to utlilise It'sFresh!, and follow in the footsteps of the strawberries, raspberries and blackberries marketed earlier in the year by M&S.
The It'sFresh! strips are present in packs of Conference and Green Williams varieties, although the technology will also be used with Comice, Concorde and Taylors Gold pears later in the season.
'We are delighted to be first retailer to sell our delicious pears packaged with this exciting innovation – we are hoping it will lead to reduced food waste and increased availability for our customers,' said M&S fruit buyer Shaz Rehman.
'We see It’sFresh! as a game changer for RTE products plus ethylene emitting and sensitive product types,' noted Tony Harding, technical director for international fruit supplier and distributor WFL. 'The technology is simple to use and has unique benefits over other ethylene management technologies.
'It works throughout the entire supply chain in ambient and chilled; in raw material and the final customer pack,' Harding added. 'The return on investment is working for us and our customers so we’re very pleased to be part of this roll-out.'
WFL has also been working with It'sFresh! on a number of other fresh fruit products as the technology gains greater recognition as a maket leader in extending freshness and reducing waste.
'Following successful roll-outs of our technology in other fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and tomatoes, it is great to be able to deploy our technology in pears,' explained Simon Lee, director of It’sFresh!. 'It’s been a pleasure to work in partnership with WFL to make this happen. Like us, they are a company that embraces innovation, ensuring that consumers can enjoy top-quality fresh produce at home for longer.'
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