Aiming to shake up the pineapple category with a new, naturally bred hybrid variety that was 15 years in the making, Dole is poised to officially introduce the Dole Colada Royale pineapple at the International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce and Floral Show, Oct. 16-18, in Anaheim, Calif.
Dole gave The Packer an advance taste of this new tropical fruit that delivers a unique and delicious flavor profile of coconut and piña colada.
An all-new variety of Ananas comosus that has been conventionally bred to be dark green on the outside and a lighter cream color on the inside, with a sweeter, bolder flavor, the Colada Royale pineapple is the result of years of trial-and-error natural breeding at one of Dole's oldest pineapple farms in La Ceiba, Honduras, where Roberto Young, a native of Honduras and Dole's director of pineapple breeding, has led the charge on the cultivation of this new pineapple.
“The Colada Royale has been a very special project for me and the team at Dole,” says Young. “I consider it my legacy.”
For Young, who is celebrating his 28th year with Dole, the Colada Royale, represents decades of work now coming to fruition.
“Most people don't realize just how long it takes to successfully breed a new hybrid species of fruit naturally,” says Young. “As a pineapple breeder, I do much of my work quietly since it can take 10, 12 or even 15 years to create a new hybrid pineapple through natural processes — and only a handful of the thousands of pineapples we try ever make it to market.
“I was assigned the task of creating a new pineapple when I joined Dole in 1997, so you can say that I've been thinking about the Colada Royale for almost 30 years,” he continues. “We attempted thousands of separate natural pollinations to create the absolute best pineapple possible — and considered many factors simultaneously including taste, nutrition, appearance, shell and pulp color, and disease resistance.”
And if you're truly going to shake up the pineapple category with a fruit that provides a perfect balance of Brix and acidity, innovation is critical.
“We also had the idea to bring something completely new to market, with a new flavor that was very different from other Dole pineapples,” he says. “So, when we finally landed on this combination back in 2009, we knew we had something that might work as a commercial variety.”
Dole's first new pineapple variety in decades, Colada Royale also offers a smaller core for more edible fruit.
And while the white interior of the Colada Royale pineapple may give some consumers pause, Young says once they taste it, they'll realize the flavor and delicate coconut taste is what “makes the Colada Royale stand out from all other pineapples.”
Dole considers the Colada Royale an extension of its global legacy in fresh pineapples started by James Drummond Dole in Hawaii in 1901, which continues today at its pineapple farm on Oahu and at family farms throughout Latin America.
Positive Impact in Honduras
The new Dole Colada Royale pineapple is not only grown in Honduras, it's also meant to positively impact worker welfare and human rights in the country, as Dole is reinvesting a portion of Colada Royale proceeds to benefit farmworkers and their families in Honduras.
“This new pineapple benefits the farm workers and their families,” says Young. “We will be using part of the revenue from the sale of the Colada Royale to build a community center that will offer workers and their children language classes, training and access to computers. When I realize the true impact of this pineapple, it makes me very happy.
“I am also proud that the Colada Royale is a product of Honduras, and we are able to bring a little of Honduras to the world,” he adds.
Dole says it has supported infrastructure growth in Honduras since its earliest days at the onset of the 1900s. This latest infrastructure investment by Dole will be managed directly by the workers.
From funding and building the Vicente d'Antoni Hospital for banana workers in La Ceiba in 1924 to more recently partnering with MedShare to ship medical supplies and equipment to hospitals in Honduras, Dole says it has remained committed to helping workers, their families and communities throughout the country.
Pineapple Nutrition
Dole says the Colada Royale is also a powerhouse of pineapple nutrition that offers all of the expected health benefits of its other pineapples, including improved digestion and reduced inflammation and protection against chronic diseases due to the presence of antioxidants like vitamin C and bromelain.
But the Colada Royale also stands apart from other pineapples nutritionally, offering two and a half times more vitamin B6. This essential nutrient supports brain, nervous system and immune health, while also aiding in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Vitamin B6 also plays a key role in producing hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells, the company says.
Marketing Support
Dole says it will take a multipronged approach to supporting the launch of the Colada Royale, including paid print and digital advertising; paid and organic social media; a dedicated webpage; new Colada Royale signature receipts in Dole's online recipe library; trade and consumer public relations and media outreach; retail sampling and POS; and booth and show activations at the IFPA Global Show.
For Bil Goldfield, Dole's director of communications, the intent with Colada Royale was to leverage Dole's century of pineapple-growing experience in Hawaii and Latin America to disrupt the pineapple status quo by combining natural growing techniques with unexpected flavors to create an exceptional premium pineapple with a price that is accessible to fresh fruit fans at all income levels.
And the timing is right, as Dole will mark its 125th anniversary in the pineapple business in 2026.
“Our new Colada Royale Pineapple is not just a novelty or publicity gimmick; it's Dole's long-term strategy for getting more people to embrace the tropical majesty of pineapples with a luxurious new taste experience that leaves you wanting more,” he says. “It becomes our premium fresh pineapple experience and the centerpiece of Dole's quasquicentennial celebration of growing the world's No. 1 organic and conventional pineapple, kicking off next year.”
