Oxnard, CA – Mission Produce and Hazel Technologies Partner on Shelf-life Extension of Avocados
After over a year of testing post-harvest solutions, Mission Produce, Inc. and Hazel Technologies, Inc. announce a partnership to extend the shelf-life of avocados and enhance customer experience. As part of the collaboration, Mission Produce will continue to test (with the aim to integrate) Hazel Technologies’ USDA-funded packaging solution across its global supply chain to reduce waste and shrinkage.
“This partnership demonstrates Mission Produce’s dedication to quality, innovation, and growth, and Hazel’s® commitment to post-harvest solutions in the produce industry,” said Steve Barnard, President and CEO of Mission Produce. “Our partnership with Hazel Technologies strengthens our position in the industry,” added Barnard. Mission Produce is the world’s leading producer, distributor and marketer of fresh Hass avocados, and this collaboration confirms that the company is eager to remain at the top. “Mission Produce is always looking ahead,” said Aidan Mouat, CEO and Co-Founder of Hazel Technologies. “Considering the demand for avocados, we could not have chosen a better partner.”
For many years, Mission Produce actively researched several new post-harvest shelf-life extension solutions. According to Patrick Cortes, senior director of business development, “We decided to collaborate with Hazel Technologies because in our initial year of testing, the company’s solutions proved to increase the shelf-life of both hard and ripe avocados, maintain and extend the internal quality of the fruit, and minimize the operational impact to the supply chain. However, the main benefit of the partnership is working together to reduce global food waste.” Mission Produce also wants to reduce customer throwaways, in turn increasing profits, while creating more positive consumer experiences that ultimately drive category growth.
After over a year of research and trials with Hazel Technologies’ packaging inserts, Mission Produce saw an increase in the shelf-life of both hard and ripe avocados when including the new technology. In several different settings, Mission Produce conducted studies using Hazel® 1-MCP technology and the results were consistent: the avocados experienced an extended shelf-life and internal quality. The technology, which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a quarter-sized biodegradable and food-safe packaging insert that is placed in the box. “Our premier technology effectively reduces waste and shrink in an easy-to-integrate fashion. Because of the packet’s ease of use, there is little impact to the efficiency of the supply chain,” added Mouat.
The packet can be applied in various environments such as at source, during packaging, or at Mission Produce’s distribution centers. All of this together provides solutions in many aspects; shelf-life extension, ease of application, limited supply chain disruption and an improved customer experience.
“Combining Hazel Technologies’ solutions with Mission Produce’s advanced avocado network means that together we can continue to provide the world’s finest avocados to consumers worldwide,” concludes Cortes.
About Mission Produce, Inc.: Mission Produce operates state-of-the-art avocado packing facilities in California,
Mexico, and Peru. In addition, the company’s global distribution network includes nine ripe centers in North America, with additional ripe centers in Europe and China. Over the past 35 years, Mission has grown to become the leader in the worldwide avocado business.
About Hazel Technologies, Inc.: Hazel Technologies is a USDA-funded startup company that develops new technologies to extend the quality shelf life of fresh produce. Founded in 2015, Hazel Tech ® works with over 100 of the largest fresh produce packers, shippers, and retailers in the US and Latin America. For more information, visit us at www.hazeltechnologies.com today!
