For some time HillFresh has been working with supplier Tropicales del Valle from Costa Rica, a supplier who has obtained an impressive place on the pineapple market in the past nine years. “Tropicales del Valle is a large player with a total production of 7 million cartons per year. They ship approximately 80 containers per week, and HillFresh is the partner who delivers within northern Europe,” Edwin Fillekes, responsible for pineapple sales for HillFresh, explains.
Distinctive brix and colour
“What makes Tropicales del Valle special is their focus on taste, which of course connects closely to HillFresh’s corporate philosophy, ‘The Expert in Taste.’ Tropicales del Valle only harvests their pineapple at the right moment. For that reason they can offer pineapples in three flavour gradations. The absolute best is their Super Sweet pineapple with a brix level of 17. The types are not only distinguished by brix, but also by colour. This way we have the right type of pineapple for every market.”
Truly ripe
“An important reason why the quality is so good has to do with the way of harvesting and packing. Fields are not harvested at once, but the pineapple is harvested the moment it is truly ripe. By selecting and packing equal weights, the customer is assured of a perfectly filled box, something other suppliers cannot always guarantee. With sufficient shipments to Europe, Tropicales del Valle harvests at precisely the right moment.They are then shipped to Rotterdam by fast transport, which guarantees an almost perfect product.”
“Tropicales del Valle also feels very strongly about CSR, which results, among other things, in the Rainforest Alliance certificate. The product is currently already in shops for several retailers,” Fillekes concludes.
