Crunch Pak to launch ripe and ready-to-eat pears this fall

Pears have been known to be a bit of a challenging fruit for consumers to pick and purchase, but that is all about to change thanks to Crunch Pak’s new Sweet Peeled Pear Slices called Opera (O-pear-a), which will be hitting the foodservice and retail markets this fall.

“Pears can be challenging for the average consumer to purchase at a degree of ripeness that is enjoyable,” said Andy Kimbrel, vice president of sales and marketing at Crunch Pak. “Additionally, they can be messy to eat or slice. Crunch Pak is taking out the guesswork.”

Much like its sliced apple program, Crunch Pak’s Sweet Peeled Pear Slices come fresh, sliced, peeled and ripe in peel-reseal packaging, saving customers time and labor.

“The Opera product is the epitome of value-added fresh-cut fruit,” Kimbrel said. “Plus, with the peel-reseal packaging, it is easy to store and allows for use on multiple occasions.”

This program can be especially beneficial to foodservice customers since pears can be difficult to prepare, Kimbrel noted.

“On average, this can save 3.9 minutes of labor in washing and slicing — that is 23 minutes per case,” Kimbrel said. “Additionally, there is a significant reduction in waste as we are taking care of that.”

Crunch Pak’s Opera Sweet Peeled Pear Slices is a project that has been in the works for many years, according to Tony Freytag, executive vice president and co-founder of the company.

“The name is a bit of a play on words, Opera, but the goal is for consumers to think of pears like they have never been able to buy them,” Freytag said. “Fresh, sliced, peeled, sweet and juicy, ready to eat when you open the package. No more waiting for ripening as Crunch Pak has taken care of that.”

Crunch Pak has even thought of special tray packaging to ensure the pears are not bruised in transit, Freytag noted.

“It’s taken a number of years to get it right,” he said. “We believe they are ready.”

For more information, contact Kimbrel at 503/853-0681.