PRESS RELEASE

Miami, U.S. - Hazel Technologies Inc., a company developing new, USDA-funded post-harvest technologies to extend shelf-life in fresh produce, announces successful commercial results with multiple leading distributors of tropical fruit. Results include up to 5 days longer shelf-life, reduced shrink rates of up to 50%, and higher sales in several tropical categories, including guava, dragon fruit, passion fruit, “green-skin” avocado, and starfruit.

Companies using Hazel Tech’s USDA-funded post-harvest product line for tropicals include Miami, FL-based WP Produce, the largest tropical avocado distributor in the world, McAllen, TX-based Sweet Seasons LLC, one of the largest tropical fruit importers from Mexico to the U.S. and Canada, and Los Alamitos, CA-based Frieda’s Specialty Produce, one of the largest distributors of tropical produce in the world.

Tropical fruits are especially challenging perishable items to maintain at peak quality. When shipping fruit long distances or after cold-chain breaks, tropicals often have arrival claims, which result in lower sales and higher amounts of food waste. Hazel® is a quarter-sized biodegradable and food-safe packaging insert that is placed in the box during packing which extends the shelf life of a variety of fresh produce items. The new technology has been validated by researchers at universities such as UC-Davis and Cornell University.

“We’ve seen tremendous increases in the shelf life of our Desbry Tropical Avocados with Hazel’s active technology,” commented Chris Gonzalez, Vice President at WP Produce. “We’ve received great feedback from retailers who appreciate the reduced shrink the additional 4-5 days of shelf life offers. This technology is especially useful in protecting our Tropical Avocados on longer transit times to Canada, the West Coast and the Caribbean.”

"Working with Hazel Tech´s easy-to-use solution allows us to consistently deliver high-quality tropicals,” added Allen DeMo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing at Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

“Sweet Seasons exports a large range of tropicals over long distances, and since we started working with Hazel®, we have seen a 50% reduction in product shrink.” said Marina Bernal, Owner at Sweet Seasons Produce.

“Hazel Tech is fast and an easy-to-use solution for tropical fruit growers, packers, and retailers to maintain longer shelf life, reduce food waste, and increase category sales,” said Aidan Mouat, CEO of Hazel Technologies, Inc.

To learn more, e-mail pat@hazeltechnologies.com or visit www.hazeltechnologies.com.