“Magenta, available all-year-round, is well placed for increasing demand as it is already a universally liked product that will sell anywhere in Europe,” says Claude Guérin, Nunhem’s Produce Chain Specialist for Melons.
Magenta attractions
Key attractions for consumers include its sweet tasting qualities and astonishing Magenta flesh colour, which according to Claude, “breaks all the rules and is unique”.
From a trade perspective, Magenta, which features an unblemished sutured skin with uniform netting, offers a number of major benefits, least of all its easy-to-handle qualities, successfully tolerating supply chain stresses. There’s also less waste than other melons with orange flesh.
Interestingly, in spite of poor growing climatic and growing conditions this spring, the melon still keeps for at least 4-5 days in-store. The flesh also keeps its nice texture, colour and structure during dicing, making it a winner for the fresh cut market.
Kirene’s yellow skin guarantee of ripeness
Meanwhile, Kirene, which was launched in 2008, is already taking around a 50% share of some European markets and has the potential to get even bigger.
Kirene’s bright yellow colour acts as a graphic indicator and guarantee of ripeness for both sides of the chain. Growers know precisely when to pick the melon for perfect ripeness and consumers can be confident that they will have 100% satisfaction. It perfectly illustrates Nunhem’s ability to develop products focused around both consumer and growers’ needs.
The melon has been a major breakthrough product for Nunhems, retaining the traditional Galia melon’s properties of fragrance and sweet taste, but with a greatly extended storage and shelf-life, more suited to today’s market needs.
With a juicy texture, it stays firm from the field to the plate, with long shelf and storage life guaranteed.
Its size – typically around 1kg – means that it is also suitable for the fresh cut market.
