CHICAGO, IL - Hazel Technologies is celebrating its third collaborative year with Freshway Produce. Since 2019, the company has optimized the quality of its U.S.-grown dragon fruit through the implementation of Hazel Technologies’ flagship product, Hazel 100™, and is committed to continue using the technology throughout the 2022 season.

“The true advantage of investing in Hazel Tech products like Hazel 100 is that our technologies can be vertically integrated into your existing production process,” said Joe Parker, Account Executive at Hazel Technologies. “By adding one simple step into your operations, like dropping a sachet into a box, you’re able to extend the quality of the produce being sent to all of your customers.”

The Miami, Florida-based grower/packer/distributor specializes in commodities including exotic fruit like white, red, and yellow dragon fruit; rambutan; and other tropical fruits like starfruit. While dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is still considered an emerging crop in the United States, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, there is a rising popularity for the tropical fruit that exceeds the country’s supply.

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Dragon fruit is native to South and Central America but is also commercially grown in California, Florida, and Hawaii to meet the niche demand. One of the predominant struggles for the dragon fruit market is the product’s short shelf-life. With its produce being shipped nationwide, Freshway turned to Hazel® three years ago for a technological solution to this industry-wide problem.

“At Freshway, our mission is to broaden consumer awareness to exotic fruit and vegetables. We do that [by] providing the highest quality and variety of tropical fresh produce to our retail, wholesale, and foodservice clients,” said Jose Roggiero, President and Chief Executive Officer at Freshway Produce. “Hazel 100™ and the Hazel Tech® team have been an integral part for us to achieve such great arrivals for our customers. We look forward to continue working alongside them in the years to come.”

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