Pompano Beach, FL – HLB Specialties, one of North America’s premier papaya grower-packer-shipper, is proud to announce the unprecedented launch of organic Formosa Papayas in the US market. In an effort to promote healthy living with nutritious foods and in keeping with consumer demand for organic, non-GMO products, HLB Specialties is leading the way in the tropical section with their innovative move.
Those familiar with the papaya industry know that organic Formosa or Tainung papayas, as they are also known, had not been commercially available in the USA. HLB Specialties, with their 26 years of experience in growing, importing, and serving top retailers and wholesalers in Europe and North America, have once again set themselves apart by being the only importer to offer conventional and organic Formosa papayas in substantial quantities to support large programs year-round.
HLB Organic Formosa Papayas are cultivated in a protected microclimate that allows for the right conditions to grow the fruits organically with the minimal amount of pesticides. The area is shielded from heavy rains, extreme weather, and strong winds. Lorenz Hartmann de Barros, HLB Specialties’ Director of Sales, confirms, “our organic Formosa Papayas have a terrific shelf-life and are very sweet.” The fruit travels less than a day to reach HLB’s distribution center in McAllen, TX and from there HLB ships orders ranging from a few cases to truck loads. The fruit can also be conditioned to achieve a desired maturity, according to customer specifications. However, Formosa/Tainung papayas are ready to be eaten with just 2-3 stripes of yellow and don’t need to be ripened to 100% color to be sweet and tasty.
The new HLB Formosa fruit sticker includes a ripeness indicator that shows buyers the ideal color necessary to enjoy a sweet and ripe papaya. “Consumers love the ripeness indicator because it helps them find the right fruit for them. This is especially useful for people who are trying papayas for the first time,” adds Mr. Hartmann de Barros.
Formosa papayas are the large papaya kind and similar to the Central American Maradol papayas in size, but the Formosa variety in known to have a more pleasant aroma, sweeter flavor, and longer shelf life.
According to the annual consumer study Fresh Trends 2015 published by The Packer, 39% of people who bought papayas also bought organic produce. Among the 56 commodities studied, papayas showed the second-largest growth of organic purchases. These findings translate into a very high demand among papaya buyers for an organic line.
Papayas are undoubtedly one of the healthiest fruits in the world. Countless studies have documented the many health benefits of papayas and confirmed that they are among the most nutrient-dense fruits in the world. Just half of a large papaya has almost 150% more vitamin C than an orange, without the acidity of a citrus fruit. Papayas also have high levels of antioxidants, beta-carotene, lycopene, and the enzyme papain that breaks down protein and therefore promote digestive health.
All papayas marketed by HLB are non-GMO, not irradiated, and their Brazilian Golden Caliman Papayas are FairTrade certified. HLB Specialties handles a variety of tropical fruits, including mangoes, avocados, limes, rambutan, and goldenberries. For more information, please visit www.HLBinfo.com, call (954) 475-8808, and follow HLB Specialties on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Source: HLB Specialties