Zespri International, the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, is bringing a new look to supermarket shelves in New Zealand.
Red kiwifruit is on limited release in supermarkets around the country as part of a nationwide sales trial.
Zespri is eager to get feedback from consumers and retailers about the taste, colour, shelf-life and storage handling of the red fruit, which is still some way off full commercialisation.
“We’re excited that New Zealanders have an opportunity to taste the new Zespri Red Kiwifruit, with a limited release in supermarkets across the country underway as part of a NZ wide sales trial,” the company said on its Facebook page.
“It’s packed with 100% natural goodness, grown with Mother Nature’s building blocks and naturally bred from kiwifruit cultivars. Best eaten a little soft. If firm to the touch, pop your Zespri Red Kiwifruit in your fruit bowl for a day or two for the best eating experience and refrigerate for keeping.”
The company will release 30,000 trays of the fruit grown in a handful of New Zealand orchards to both national supermarket chains and selected retailers over the next five weeks, Zespri cultivar innovation manager Bryan Parkes told the NZ Herald.
“We know there’s a lot of excitement about the potential for a red kiwifruit … the fruit itself brings some pretty distinct characteristics that many of our consumers won’t have experienced before,” Parkes said.
The fruit’s recommended retail price is $7 per kg.
