UK retailer Tesco has become the first in the country to use Food Freshness Technology group's It's Fresh! ethylene absorbtion technology on tomatoes, and will roll it out with its Finest range of tomatoes from 13 May.
The roll out follows successful trials on UK-grown sunstream tomato varieties from Thanet Earth, and a commercial depot pilot with Tesco during February and March this year.
'We're delighted to have been chosen as the first European grower to pilot It's Fresh! on tomatoes with Tesco,' said Robert James, technical manager at Thanet Earth. 'Our trials have shown it consistently extends product life, even with UK-grown varieties. By keeping our products fresher for longer, It'sFresh reduces waste and enhances quality, giving consumers the confidence to buy and eat more – which is good news for everyone in the supply chain.'
Results of trials have demonstrated that Tesco can now offer a 'freshness guarantee' of two additional days by adding It'sFresh! to tomato packaging, and this will be communicated to consumers via new on-pack graphics.
'People love the rich flavour of vine-ripened tomatoes and now, thanks to It'sFresh!, Tesco customers will be the first to savour a longer-lasting premium eating experience with our Finest varieties,' explained Steve Deeble, technical manager at Tesco. 'It'sFresh has the proven ability to reduce waste and extend shelf life, and is changing the game for the whole of the fresh produce industry.'
Simon Lee, director of It's Fresh!, noted that the trial results 'speak for themselves', and welcomed Tesco's speed in implementing the technology.
'We’re delighted that Tesco has moved so decisively to be first in the market with tomatoes. It’s also been a pleasure to work with Thanet Earth; like It’s Fresh! they’re not afraid to embrace innovation to ensure that consumers get to enjoy top-quality fresh produce at home for longer,' Lee added.
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