Grupo Femago has invested heavily in summer fruits now that the weather is getting hotter and demand is on the rise. At an event this week, focused on both gastronomic and technical aspects, it promoted its new brand Veg&Fruit, which serves to identify the highest quality products in its range.
Melons and watermelons were at the heart of this presentation, in which the excellent balance of these two products was highlighted; a result of selection work carried out by technicians of the company with the goal of making them attractive for consumers.
Development
María del Mar García, technical director of Femago, said that watermelons and melons are attractive, tasty, refreshing and healthy fruits, "but they are also the result of the effort of many people, who have been working very hard for years to select the best varieties and to help develop a product that has been grown since ancient times."
History says that watermelons first arrived from the Kalahari Desert as a fruit no bigger than an orange; bitter and with a harsh taste, "but after 5,000 years of development and varietal improvement, it gradually became the tasty and desirable fruit it is today."
Selection
Femago has been working on selecting the best varieties and has improved the cultivation techniques to adapt the product to the demands and preferences of consumers. "The result is an attractive product, highly appreciated by our customers, and this is mostly thanks to the work carried out in the field by the producers, of technicians who control the crops and study their development, and of the extreme care put in the fruit's marketing."
Ángeles Márquez, Quality director at Agrupalmería, outlined the nutritional and healthy properties of melons and watermelons, both rich in water, fibre, vitamins or antioxidants. In the case of watermelons, studies have revealed that, in addition to these, they also provide lycopene, a potent antioxidant considered a preventive agent for various types of cancer and with positive effects on the cardiovascular system; they are also a source of substantial amounts of vitamins A, C, and some of group B. Lastly, watermelon acts as a natural 'Viagra', given the vasodilator effect of lycopene, which gives elasticity to arteries and significantly improves the circulatory system.
