Rijk Zwaan extends lettuce shelf life with KNOX

Rijk Zwaan exhibited KNOX, a new trait that reduces pinking in lettuce leaves after cutting, at Fruit Logistica this year.

“We first revealed KNOX at our Leafy Event in September but it’s now time for us to present this innovation to a wider audience. 2016 is going to be a key year of testing and trials for the KNOX varieties,” Bauke van Lenteren, specialist convenience & leafies, said. “It extends the shelf life of a bag of pre-packed lettuce by around two days, which opens up new opportunities for the whole chain.”

At the trade fair, Rijk Zwaan advised its partners on how to gain optimal benefit from the trait, the company said. “For example, it enables retailers to improve their inventory situation. Processing companies no longer need to pack the lettuce in low-oxygen bags, plus they have more options to create blends of several different types. Ultimately the consumer benefits. By extending the shelf life, KNOX can increase the purchase frequency of pre-packed lettuce and that will help us to boost worldwide lettuce consumption together.”

Ten varieties already have the KNOX trait, with plans to expand the range of KNOX-based varieties in the coming years, the company said.

For more information, visit the Rijk Zwaan website.