In the spring of 2022, Leamington, Ont.-based Pure Flavor brought the first greenhouse-grown melons to market with the launch of its Solara Mini Galia melons.
Bullish on the category, Pure Flavor followed up with the greenhouse-grown Alonna Canary melon in the fall of ’22.
And Pure Flavor isn’t likely done when it comes to greenhouse fruits to add to its extensive lineup of greenhouse-grown vegetables.
“Our R&D pipeline is full of exciting new product opportunities,” said Chris Veillon, Pure Flavor’s chief marketing officer.
The addition of greenhouse grown melons to Pure Flavor’s lineup, Veillon said, has enabled the company to have new conversations with both existing and new retailer partners and new departments within the buying office.
“Bringing an innovative item like greenhouse-grown melons to the table is a game changer in many ways.”
Removing the seasonality of items and moving production indoors to controlled environments is helping ensure a consistent supply of vegetables — and now, increasingly, fruits, too, Veillon said.
Supply chain challenges due to weather and crop disease can strain product availability, he added. Product grown in a sustainable environment where every step in the growing process is measured and controlled helps ensure consistency in size, color and, most important, flavor by using as few resources as possible.
And when it comes to greenhouse-grown fruits, the opportunities extend far beyond melons.
“There’s an ongoing and significant uptick in infrastructure investment in greenhouse-grown berries and other products to meet the surging demand of consistently available products,” Veillon said. “Reducing food miles while growing a more sustainable product that is not reliant on natural environments will continue to gain momentum as consumer purchasing habits continue to evolve.
This article is an excerpt from the September 2023 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Greenhouse Fruits feature and more in the digital edition here.