IMG Citrus has announced the launch of a new Florida grapefruit brand and specialty product, YELLOS.

The company, which controls over 70% of Florida’s fresh grapefruit production, said the brand will have limited availability during the winter months of November through April, and is an opportunity to invigorate the citrus aisle across the U.S. market in a convenient grab-and-go 2-pack. 

Although considered a new product on the U.S. market, the YELLOS grapefruit variety is in fact Florida’s original, heirloom grapefruit and the white-fleshed counterpart of the well-known Florida Ruby Red grapefruit.

YELLOS are harvested from mature groves over 25 years of age, primarily located in Florida’s Indian River region. The profile of these groves allows YELLOS to boast a consistent and uniquely sweet taste, IMG said.

Unlike red grapefruit, white grapefruit exhibits a unique, golden-yellow hue on both the outside and inside of the fruit, which helped inspire IMG Citrus’ new brand name YELLOS.

Through both color and taste, YELLOS evokes Florida’s sunshine, bringing consumers on a tropical getaway filled with warm breezes and sandy shores during the chilly winter season. With consumer trends supporting the desire for heirloom and unique varieties with high taste profiles, YELLOS is positioned as an attractive choice for this winter season.

IMG Citrus is a family-owned, vertically integrated citrus grower, packer, and shipper in Vero Beach, Florida. Florida’s white grapefruit has traditionally been sold to export markets, notably to Japan, where the white-fleshed grapefruit is favored over the red-fleshed and collects a premium price.

“To us, it makes sense to shift our marketing towards the U.S. market, where the Florida grapefruit brand-name is strong, and where consumers are looking for unique experiences while also connecting with local farming and heritage,” says Sydney Allison, Director of Sales at IMG Citrus. 

IMG Citrus also sees an opportunity to reduce food miles, a sustainability goal they have in common with their U.S. retailer clients. In 2019, a grove acquisition made by IMG Citrus substantially increased their share of white grapefruit, consolidating their position as the leading fresh Florida grower.

This control of the supply gives IMG Citrus a unique opportunity to re-introduce white grapefruit to the U.S. market with the confidence to consistently feed U.S. retailer programs.