Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers, and distributors of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, announced it will offer its latest pineapple innovation, the Rubyglow pineapple, in Europe in early 2025.

This red-shelled pineapple has a red outer skin, bright yellow flesh, and a new, sweet flavor similar to Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet pineapples. The Rubyglow pineapple’s initial launch in China in January last year prompted a global waitlist and a subsequent launch in North America in May 2024.

The waitlist is now open in various European countries — those already on the list will be contacted once the product becomes available. The company anticipates the soonest delivery to be early 2025.

“We are proud to introduce our latest pineapple innovation, the Rubyglow pineapple to the European region. This Del Monte exclusive pineapple further cements our global leadership position in the pineapple market,” said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and CEO of Fresh Del Monte. “Our scientists continue to elevate the bar by creating new pineapple varieties, with varied tastes and colors, that cater to more and more consumers worldwide.”

Grown in Costa Rica, the Rubyglow pineapple has been developing for over 15 years and has a registered plant patent in the United States. It is a cross between a traditional pineapple and a Morada pineapple — typically inedible — making the Rubyglow pineapple a hybrid fruit produced through traditional crossbreeding techniques. It takes two years to grow each Rubyglow pineapple, which are then naturally ripened on the plant and sold crownless in elegantly designed packaging. This intricate and time-consuming cultivation cycle — coupled with limited seed supply — is the reason behind the scarcity of Rubyglow pineapples globally.

Fresh Del Monte has been at the forefront pineapple innovation globally since the 1990s with the debut of the Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet pineapple, the first of its kind. The pineapple has a golden color and, at that time, was much sweeter than any other pineapple on the market. Since then, the company’s robust pineapple program has released the Pinkglow pineapple (not available in Europe), the Honeyglow pineapple, the Del Monte Zero pineapple, and now the Rubyglow pineapple.

Photo credits: Business Wire