CHICAGO, IL - Hazel Technologies is not one to slow down when it comes to forming key partnerships in the industry. That is why it came as no surprise when the company announced it would be expanding its partnership with Grower Alliance, an exclusively owned produce distributor of wholesale fruits and vegetables, to ensure optimal shelf-life for the company’s honeydew.

“Fruits and vegetables make up over 40 percent of global food waste, and melons are a major contributor to that number,” Aidan Mouat, Hazel Technologies Chief Executive Officer, commented. “Working with companies like Grower Alliance allows Hazel to curb that statistic. In 2020 alone, we were able to prevent 240 million pounds of produce from going to waste.”

In addition to honeydew, Grower Alliance also specializes in table grapes, cantaloupe, mini and regular watermelon, multiple varieties of peppers and cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, and squash. According to a press release, Jorge Quintero Jr. and Louis Caballero founded the company with the goal of growing and offering the best produce on the West Coast. Jorge’s father, Jorge Quintero Sr., joined as a partner in 2008, bringing more than two decades of field experience with him. Since then, the multigenerational company has expanded across North America and distributes to over 100 companies in the U.S. and Canada, including Walmart and Kroger. The company also exports its melons to Japan, New Zealand, and Europe, making longevity even more vital.

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Grower Alliance began testing Hazel 100™, a small sachet that releases a shelf-life extending vapor that combats the spoiling of fruits and vegetables when placed in a box of produce.

Throughout the past three years, millions of pounds of honeydews grown by Grower Alliance have been quality-protected by Hazel 100 and shipped worldwide, helping maintain firmness and protecting against cold-chain breakage and quality challenges.

“Our relationship with Hazel® has been a gamechanger for our honeydews,” Jorge Quintero Jr., Founder of Grower Alliance, said. “Hazel has helped us protect millions of pounds of melons moving through the global supply chain. We adopted their technology years ago and today trust the technology as an integral step in our quality assurance commitment to our customers.”

In 2019 trials, Hazel found that honeydew melons packed with Hazel 100 were 41 precent firmer compared to control 14-day supply chain scenarios. These results reflect the same Grower Alliance experience, with significantly firmer fruit up to three weeks after harvest using Hazel’s technology.

According to data from Hazel Tech’s release, the average American consumer eats approximately 28 lbs of melon each year, and, over the last decade, there has been a larger push within the melon market to improve shipping standards of the fruit. With COVID-19 further driving the need to optimize shipping, Hazel Tech’s Hazel 100 solution comes at the perfect time for Grower Alliance, giving the company a leg up amid transportation challenges.

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