Hazel keeping pears at their peak

February 14, 2018

Hazel Technologies Inc. has successfully completed research trials with Cornell University to validate a new post-harvest quality technology for fresh pears. Hazel Pear joins the Hazel suite of technologies and is available to growers and packers during the 2018 U.S. pear season.

Pears pose a unique challenge to growers, packers and retailers. Overripe pears are fragile and a significant source of shrink. Researchers at Cornell used Hazel Pear to extend shelf life in a simulated retail environment longer than control pears. Shelf-life quality was measured by color, firmness and flavor.

“Growers and packers want to see third-party data on new products from trusted academic institutions,” said Adam Preslar, chief operating officer and co-founder of Hazel Technologies. “The project with Cornell University, an institution highly respected by the pome fruit industry, has already caught the attention of some of the largest pear brands in the industry.”

The trials of Hazel Pear were conducted under the leadership of Cornell University professor Christopher Watkins, who specializes in post-harvest research studies with a focus in tree fruit. Watkins and the Cornell Cooperative Extension program specialize in post-harvest research studies with a focus in tree fruit, and is one of the world’s leading institutions in researching the commercial use of 1-Methylcyclopropene on pome fruit.

Watkins and his group found that D’Anjou pears treated with Hazel Pear had three-times longer shelf life and 95 percent internal color retention following three weeks of treatment. For more details on the trial, click here.