English apple producers are being urged to take advantage of a £5 million government fund to promote innovation.
Colin Gutteridge, chief executive of East Malling Research, urged visitors to the National Fruit Show to use the opportunity to gain funding to help them work towards adding value to their fruit products.
Defra has pledged to spend at least £5m over the next five years in supporting scientific research under its Food Quality and Innovation programme, part of the FoodLINK system.
The project is designed to encourage industry and academic experts to work together on ground-breaking projects to improve food quality and innovation.
Gutteridge said EMR was keen to act as a catalyst to the industry to push the added-value agenda.
During a presentation at the show, he highlighted a number of examples from around the world, including apple slices with a 21-day shelf life, and the Grapple, a Fuji apple with the flavour of a grape.
He said innovation has clear rewards. “In the US, carrot consumption rose from 2.5kg a head to 4.5kg in 20 years following the introduction of miniature carrots and carrot sticks. Where is the equivalent for that on apples?
“I dream of developing an apple that is small, doesn’t have a core, can be grown on a bush and harvested mechanically - it’s biologically possible, but no-one has ever asked us to do it.”
He said the industry also needs to think more broadly, particularly in how produce is packaged and presented, to meet consumer demands for convenience.
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