European Kissabel apple production up 40%
Northern Hemisphere Kissabel apples returned to the market in mid-September. European production will rise by 40%, with a crop of 3,500 tons, for the apple with a colored flesh ranging from pink to intense red shades.
To coincide with the new season, Kissabel partners are preparing to exhibit at Fruit Attraction 2023, the international fruit and vegetable show, Oct. 3-5 in Madrid, where the brand will have its first individual stand and present the new juices made from the red inside apples.
Harvesting pink-flesh Kissabel Jaune and Orange varieties started with British partner WorldwideFruit, Mesfruits and Blue Whale in France and Fenaco in Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, where the Rouge apples with red skin and flesh grow, harvest season runs until March.
Rouge apples are also harvested in Germany by the Red Apple Germany Consortium, in Italy by Melinda, Rivoira and VIP, and in the United States by Stemilt Growers. The United States is the project’s focus, as 2023 brings the country’s first real sales season. Quantities are also forecast to rise in Europe, where crop quality is to be good.
The expanded crop size brings a stronger presence at Fruit Attraction, with unique interactive sessions for visitors and juice samplings.
Fruit juices made entirely or partly from Kissabel apples are available in Italy, Germany, and France. Each authorized partner offers a different blend of coloured-flesh and traditional varieties, providing diversified products tailored to various countries’ tastes. The project reduces food through the use of fruit unsuitable for sale as table apples.
“Kissabel is growing thanks to the partners’ planning and their commitment to producing the best possible apples,” comments Emmanuel de Lapparent, manager of the IFORED program. “Kissabel is an extremely innovative range and has succeeded in surprising consumers with its appearance and flavor. The juice we are presenting in Madrid this year will enable us to grow the red-flesh apple segment and the Kissabel brand further, with new opportunities for consumption even when the apples themselves are not available.”