HLB Specialties in full swing with papayas for holiday season
HLB Specialties in full swing with papayas for holiday season
HLB Specialties, a Pompano Beach, FL-based distributor of a full-line of tropical produce items with a focus on papayas, is promoting a good supply of high-quality papayas during the holiday season.
Homero Levy de Barros, president of HLB Specialties, said the company sources the large Formosa variety papayas for the U.S. market primarily from Guatemala and Mexico, and both regions are in a period of maximum production, with no issues of weather that could cause an interruption in supply.
"Papayas are grown year round, but they are extremely sensitive, and July, August and September are months when there could be complications due to rain and hurricanes," said Levy de Barros. "But now we are in a period when there should be no complications from weather and we can offer a consistent supply with peak eating quality."
Levy de Barros said he anticipates strong supply from Guatemala for the next seven months and from Mexico for the next five to six months.
Papayas from Mexico are only 18 hours from farm to border, said Levy de Barros. As a result, they offer retailers an extended shelf life of up to three-and-a-half weeks. Papayas from Guatemala spend five days in transit, but still offer a shelf life of approximately two-and-a-half weeks.
HLB also sources the smaller Golden papaya variety from Brazil through its grower Caliman. New for Brazilian papayas this year is a two-pack clamshell for retail in addition to a four-pack clamshell for club stores.
The clamshell packs offer several advantages over bulk fruit, including reduction of bruising and subsequent shrink; increased hygiene because people do not touch them; and delays in moisture loss, which extends the life and quality of the fruit.
"Some fruit in the supermarkets looks beaten up, and the clamshell packs reduce damage to the fruit and can increase sales," said Levy de Barros. "It's all about delivering quality to consumers and bringing a healthy profit to the trade. We always try to decrease the cost to the trade as much as possible. If prices are low and quality is high, they will be able to sell a lot more fruit."
Levy de Barros said the winter time is when the best-tasting fruit is available, and he is excited to have ample fruit to promote during the holiday season. In fact, he advocates for making papayas a part of the holiday menu.
"Papayas are extremely healthy and have an enzyme that aids in digestion," he said. "So if people end their big holiday meal with papaya for dessert instead of pumpkin pie, they will feel a lot better."
