Sysco Produce and Verdant Technologies have piloted a postharvest project with Verdant’s HarvestHold in broccoli to improve freshness. Sysco estimates the eight-week pilot across Sysco’s U.S. Broadline distribution sites saw a 40% improvement in customer experience at pilot sites and saw clear and meaningful reductions in spoilage.
What’s interesting, says Harlan Ewert, director of business development at Verdant Technologies, is that many of the conversations that surround integrating HarvestHold revolve around eliminating ice and potential slip and fall hazards as the ice melts.
But that’s not the case with Sysco. Ewert says Sysco has ice-free distribution centers. The company worked with Verdant Technologies to introduce HarvestHold to boost the freshness and quality of the broccoli supplied.
“I think it’s always important to look at your business and not always just say that what you’re doing is good, but what can you do that makes it better?” Ewert says.
Nick Hansen, director of category management in produce for Sysco, also notes the broccoli trial deploying HarvestHold technology also showed better turgidity, cleaner end cuts, and improved overall appearance compared to control samples.
Ewert, too, says this partnership helps Sysco stand out from its competitors by providing higher-quality produce.
“In the food service world, it’s about can they be the leaders in introducing this to their customers and, again, providing a difference from what is maybe out there from their competitors or also in providing something better?” Ewert says.
Hansen says Sysco evaluated the results of the pilot through its Sysco Quality Assurance and were also independently validated by the University of Florida, Michigan State University and Q Fresh.
Since this pilot, Hansen says Sysco has expanded its use of HarvestHold to more than 30 Sysco locations and has fully implemented the technology across Sysco Broadline, FreshPoint and Asian Foods starting the week of Jan. 18.
Ewert, too, says HarvestHold’s benefits for Sysco go beyond just quality and into sustainability and food loss. He says the ability for Sysco to deliver more usable product to its customers has a broad value.
“In a lot of the operations, it’s all, you know, that food loss comes about in the amount of shrink that’s there,” he says. “And can you reduce that? Because now more usable product and what you deliver is a benefit.”
And in terms of working with Sysco, Ewert says this is a strong introduction into the foodservice industry and helping Sysco meet and exceed some of its initiatives.
“It continues to be another validation point of the benefit we bring into the industry and making product better, better utilization, less food waste, making a difference in sustainability efforts,” he says. “And so, it’s a recognition of bringing the best product to your customers.”
And Ewert says for Sysco’s grower-partners, HarvestHold is an extension of the work Sysco has already done with removing ice and other innovative practices.
“As you move into the supply base with Sysco, it’s with growers who are using HarvestHold,” he says. “Harvest Hold has always been a simple introduction into the operation, and it just becomes an extension of that.”
