Big Game avocados get a shelf-life extension assist
Hazel Technologies is teaming up with Sysco and Avocados from Mexico for a second year to help ensure the produce inside the collaboration’s annual, direct-to-consumer, Gametime Guac Box meal kit, stays optimally fresh from the time it ships to kick off of the Big Game.
The Gametime Guac Box is a DIY guacamole-from-scratch kit containing all the ingredients needed for a restaurant-quality outcome at home, showcasing Hass avocados and a recipe playbook. Added to the box of fruits and vegetables is one Hazel 100™ packet -- a small-sized food innovation that is engineered to slow the ripening process and maintain flavor, color and firmness in avocados, tomatoes and limes.
Over the past two decades, United States consumers have fallen deeper and deeper in love with avocados. When coupled with the country’s favorite pastime – football – a growing tradition of guacamole during The Big Game shows no sign of slowing. Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for avocado consumption in the U.S. To punctuate its popularity and the rate of increase over the past 20 years, Game Day consumption of avocados has skyrocketed from 8 million pounds in 2000 to 105 million in 2022.
“We were truly impressed with the impact Hazel 100 had on our Gametime Boxes in 2022,” said Julie Olivarria, vice president, produce, Sysco. “Bringing our consumers a premium eating experience is one of Sysco’s many objectives and Hazel is helping us achieve that goal. Being able to keep sustainability at the forefront of our Gametime Guac Box campaign while providing high-quality produce in the process, is a win-win in our book.”
“We truly believe that our strong marketing program, Sysco’s dynamic customer base and Hazel’s quality technology is a winning combination for our 2023 campaign,” said Alison Snowden, foodservice sales manager at Avocados from Mexico. “The Big Game is the #1 guacamole occasion of the year and the right ripeness is essential to making this dip at home.”