CHICAGO, IL - Hazel Technologies is furthering its commitment to not only the innovation but the quality of fresh produce, as the tech savant recently announced the launch of its first-ever virtual Cherry Quality Summit ahead of the 2021 Northern American cherry season.

“Hazel Tech® invests in extensive research to understand the unique quality and supply chain challenges in cherries,” said Mario Cervantes, Senior Business Development Manager, Hazel Tech. “We are excited to offer solutions that can help growers, shippers, and retailers provide premium quality fruit to the market. Hazel is committed to developing pre-harvest and post-harvest technology for cherries and is excited to participate in and sponsor this event.”

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The free, one-hour event will take place on Friday, March 26, and will feature keynote speakers from across the industry, according to a company release, including Cervantes and Anne-Marie Roerink, Founder and Principal of 210 Analytics.

“In the U.S., cherries are among the top 10 fruits and vegetables in terms of absolute dollar growth at retail—a remarkable accomplishment based on the size of the segment,” said Roerink. “I look forward to digging into this performance a lot more to understand what drove success in 2020 and what may be ways to continue the winning streak in 2021.”

Dr. Yu Dong, a former Horticulture Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Oregon State University, will also be speaking at the anticipated event.

“My research vision of preserving fruit quality, reducing postharvest losses, and extending sweet cherries has been the cornerstone to my studies for over a decade,” commented Dr. Yu Dong. “I look forward to sharing insights around proven advancements in postharvest technology.”

David Ortega, Orchard View Cherries Director of Packaging Operations, will be another one of the distinguished speakers at the summit.

“Orchard View looks for premium flavor, size, and harvest timing to create a seamless supply of top-quality cherries,” commented David Ortega. “We are continually looking for innovative ways to enhance our consumers’ experience, which is why we are excited to participate in the Cherry Quality Summit.”

These keynote speeches will feature the latest research on cherry post-harvest quality, including stem greening, dehydration, and pitting, as well as new cherry quality technology that has been tested on Bing, Lapins, Sweetheart, Skeena, and Ranier varieties by Oregon State and Cornell Universities, the release noted. In addition, industry experts will also present data on domestic and global trends, merchandising, and more.

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Registration is open to the general industry until March 26 or until capacity is reached. Click here to register for the event.

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