Black bananas, Zuchiolo, seedless lemons, sweet red onions… new AI technology…. The sector is innovating and putting on a show at EU trade fairs!

Black bananas, Zuchiolo, seedless lemons, sweet red onions… new AI technology…. The sector is innovating and putting on a show at EU trade fairs!

Through the FFM+ programme, the COLEAD Market Insights team keeps an eye on trends and innovations at major trade shows in Europe and beyond. We meet our stakeholders, visit stands and talk to as many people as possible to gather the latest news and trends. Want to know more about the big stories from the shows or the latest varieties to hit the fruit and vegetable market? In this article, we share some of the discoveries we made during the 2024 trade fairs.

Since the beginning of the year, we have explored the exciting future of produce at Fruit Logistica 2024, BIOFACH 2024 and Macfrut 2024. From the Black Banana to the award-winning Zuchiolo 🏆, and the emergence of seedless lemons, sweet red onions and exotic fruits like the Rubyglow Pineapple, the industry is evolving rapidly.

As well as exciting new varieties, cutting-edge technologies such as AI are shaping the future. We have also discovered innovative processing methods, such as freeze-drying, which offer exciting culinary experiences and ultimate convenience.

Black Banana: extended shelf-life and rich taste

Black Banana: a novel processed form of bananas, apples and pears obtained by slow drying under controlled conditions. The resulting products are black in colour, with a caramel flavour and soft texture. They also have a shelf life of 2 years. At FL24, we had the opportunity to review the analytical reports of the products from the microbiological analysis tests. The inventor of the black banana, Krisztián Nagy, could imagine bringing the slow-drying technique to Africa. Let’s see if this could be a new option for adding local value and reducing food waste!

Zuchiolo: A pioneering vegetable mix that won the FL24 2024 Innovation Award

Zuchiolo: The only new vegetable at FL24 and winner of the FL24 2024 Innovation Award. The Zuchiolo is a previously unknown vegetable with a blend of colours and flavours, of which the yellow Zuchiolo variety is completely new. Zuchiolo is very versatile, it can be cooked and eaten fresh and can be kept for several weeks without refrigeration. The taste is a cross between courgette and cucumber, while the vegetable also has some characteristics of a pumpkin. It is the result of 5 years of cross breeding by Beyond Seeds and IFAPA and is adapted to greenhouse production in Mediterranean climates. How did you win the FL24 Innovation Award? By creating an attractive product with a wide range of uses, but also by adding a good story! The Zuchiolo is a social project, with 50% of the proceeds going to social causes such as the fight against cancer.

Innovative varieties: Seedless lemons, sweet red onions, miniature apples and more!

Other exciting innovative varieties include

Seedless lemons

Although introduced a few years ago, we have seen seedless lemons become increasingly popular in the marketplace. The variety is still patented by LemonGold TM, but it is being grown by many growers in different countries and the product seems to be very well received by consumers. Demand is currently higher than supply, which we believe makes it an interesting investment for new growers.

Other recurring trends in citrus have been the introduction of new early and late varieties such as the Sweet Cott, special pigments such as pink lemons or spotted oranges, and a general focus on sweet, juicy, easy-peeling fruit with almost no pips.

Sweet red onions

Another shortlisted candidate for the FL24 Innovation Award was Calypso, a very tasty sweet red onion with very low pungency, making it easy to slice and very nice to eat raw.

Ruby Glow Pineapple

Del Monte came up with this innovative product: a striking red-skinned pineapple that is still very rare and is currently only grown in Costa Rica and exported to China and the US as a luxury product.

All things mini: watermelon, apple

Watermelons, such as the Exceed watermelon launched at FL24, follow the same trends we have seen in many fruits: small, more convenient sizes, no seeds, sweet, juicy and crunchy taste.

The world’s first snack-sized apple was promoted at FL24. Rockit TM introduced these mini apples (a big hit with kids), following the healthy snacking and convenience trends.

Jackfruit

Jackfruit was very present at the shows this year, it’s being discovered in many European countries as a meat alternative, pre-cooked ready to eat, in pizza toppings, in powder for smoothies, as chips and more.

Freeze-dried fruit

A recurring trend that includes bananas, berries, passion fruit, mango, jackfruit and more. These products are used in snacks or as powders in drinks, smoothies, ice cream and more. Exhibitors from Germany, Turkey, Indonesia and other countries showcased their innovative freeze-dried fruit offerings, demonstrating the global reach and appeal of these products.

Innovative technology!

The number of innovations in the equipment industry is hard to count. Innovative products on show ranged from drones and robots that work the fields to high-tech, self-learning AI processing machines. Here are two examples that caught our eye:

Faster and better sorting with AI

Artificial intelligence was the buzzword at the spring 2024 trade fairs. AI is also pushing the boundaries in the processing equipment industry. Several suppliers presented sorting machines that use AI to analyse information from different scanners to sort fruit faster and more accurately. These sorting machines can separate a wide range of defects that are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, while providing information on the quality of each individual fruit in terms of sweetness or juice content.

Sorters presented at Macfrut2024. AI-driven accuracy and speed using data from acoustic, NIR, RGB and other sensors.

AgroVoltaics

The Agrisolar Systems and Technologies exhibition at Macfrut 2024 was another eye-catcher. Several companies showcased their most innovative ways of combining agricultural production with photovoltaic energy generation. Agrovoltaics is seen as a new frontier for renewable energy that could represent a significant step in the decarbonisation of agriculture. A variety of solutions were on show at Macfrut, including solar panels with tracker sensors that allow them to follow the sun, and semi-transparent photovoltaic modules that can reduce crop shading.

A variety of Agrovoltaic systems showcased at the new Agrisolar Systems and Technologies exhibition at Macfrut 2024.

For more information on these observations or any other exhibition related topic, please contact the COLEAD Market Insights team via network@colead.link

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.