Agrexco this week become the first Israeli exporter to produce and supply a lychee untouched by the acid traditionally used to enhance skin colour in the fruit.

First arrivals were airfreighted into the UK on Tuesday and were hailed by Agrexco's product manager for exotics Rob Cullum, pictured with the first box, as a major advance.

'We feel this is a positive and innovative step forward in keeping the fruit as natural as possible,' he told the Journal. 'The major plus factor is that not only is flavour improved, the shelf life of this fragile fruit could be extended.

'It does mean the skin colour is paler. Once out of the coolchain, it will colour up, although not to the same depth we are used to.' The lychees, packed in 2kg cartons by three packhouses in Israel will be in the UK market until the second week in September, with airfreight giving way to sea arrivals once volumes rise.

Cullum added that the crop has been unaffected by recent extreme hot weather in Israel. The UK is scheduled to receive 100 tonnes of the total lychee volume of 500t.

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