The nominees for the FRUIT LOGISTICA Innovation Award 2019

For another year in a row, the international exhibition FRUIT LOGISTICA 2019 is being held in the capital of Germany, which has established itself as the leading global trade fair for innovations in the fruit and vegetable sector. This year’s edition of the exhibition once again draws attention to the FLIA (Fruit Logistica Innovation Award). In recent years, the Berlin award has become the most prestigious prize for innovations in the international fresh produce industry. This distinction guarantees the presentation of products, services and technical solutions that give new impetus to the global fruit and vegetable trade industry, from production to point of sale.

More than 77,000 buyers, guests and visitors from over 130 countries will be able to vote for the innovations of the year on 6 and 7 February 2019. The ten nominees will be presented in exhibition halls no. 20 and 21.

On 8 February 2019 at 14:30 the winners will be announced. FLIA will be awarded to the winners for the 14th time in 2019.

An expert jury consisting of members from all levels of fresh fruit production has nominated the following 10 participants from over 70 applications submitted:

“Avocado Pitter 300-AVC“, Italy

A machine for easy removal of the avocado pit. The machine is capable of processing about 300 avocados per minute, splitting them into two halves and removing the core (pit). The pear-shaped fruits are positioned vertically in a special holder and cut from top to bottom without splitting the pit into two.

Until now, on a global scale, the removal of the avocado core has been carried out manually in processing plants.

"DCM Viscotec® Blue", De Ceuster Meststoffen - DCM, Belgium

A highly concentrated, water-soluble and easy-to-use mineral fertilizer in gel form, intended for use in organic farming and horticulture. The high nitrogen content of 9% N in combination with 5% potassium has a biostimulating effect. The amino acids contained activate the root system. They provide a significantly increased root surface area, improved nutrient uptake and thereby rapid plant growth. The gel-form fertilizer is considered very pure and is approved for use in organic farming.

“Die Birne Fred®“, VariCom, Switzerland

The new pear variety “Fred” is the result of many years of research (nearly 18 years) by specialists from Switzerland and across Europe. The variety is registered as CH201, which is marketed under the brand FRED®.

It is resistant to fire blight.

The advantages of this pear are its long storage life in cold rooms and its considerable durability during transport.

The fruit is characterized by a fresh texture and pleasant sweetness. The pears are juicy, tasty and have firm yet crisp flesh.

“Modula“, Roter, Italy

An electronic seeder that allows control and adaptation of the seed sowing distances according to the respective crop. The flexibility in sowing intervals and adaptation to different crops is exceptional.

“Oriental Red® - Red Kiwifruit“, Jingold, Italy

Kiwi, known as a small vitamin bomb due to its high content of mineral salts and vitamins, is increasingly entering into Europeans’ everyday fruit consumption.

The red kiwi Dong-Hong has unique properties that distinguish it from the well-known Hayward kiwi. The fruit of the red kiwi is cold-hardy, often withstanding temperatures down to –30°C. The yield is usually abundant and consists of sweet fruits with a honey-like taste and aroma, and a smooth skin that can also be consumed.

“PerfoTecO2Control“, PerfoTec, Netherlands

The packaging machine from the Netherlands creates a special protective system in each package of the respective fruit or vegetable product. The optimal mixture of carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen used in the packaging process ensures a significantly extended shelf life of fruit and vegetables.

"Redlander", Bejo, Netherlands

A red hybrid onion with high resistance to downy mildew. It is juicy and fresh, with good bulb quality and a light red color. It is considered particularly resistant to diseases during storage.

"Slide Valeriana Eco", Hortech, Italy

An electrically powered harvester for collecting lettuce. The machine’s equipment with three-phase brushless asynchronous motors, 48V batteries with a capacity of 450 ampere-hours and a built-in charger with a charging capacity of up to 16 hours ensures full utilization capacity.

"Softripe® Ripening Technology", Frigotec, Germany

A fully automatic ripening technology for bananas and other tropical fruits, in which they ripen homogeneously, i.e. "naturally". In special ripening chambers, the ethylene used is regulated, as well as the air temperature, oxygen and carbon levels. This ensures faster ripening, longer shelf life and an optimized acid-sugar balance, which affects the taste. Different ripeness stages can be offered to the consumer on request.

"Top-Sealable Compostable, Recyclable Strawberry Punnet", CKF, Canada

A sealable, compostable and recyclable packaging for strawberries, available in two options – 350 and 400 grams of strawberries. The packaging contains a minimal amount of plastic, offers high protection, good product visibility and allows for longer shelf life.