The shortlist of nominees for this year’s highly prized FRUIT LOGISTICA Innovation Award (FLIA) has been released by the leading trade show for the global fresh produce business.
The 2024 FLIA Technology nominees
Aspara to go
Company: Hepro GmbH, Germany
Stand: Hall 1.1, C-33
Website: www.hepro-gmbh.de/en
Hepro´s “aspara to go” is the smallest self-service asparagus peeling machine in the world. Covering an area of 0.34 m², it peels a standard commercial quantity in under a minute and uses a professional peeling principle to ensure perfect peeling results for both green and white asparagus – with an individually defined cutting pattern depending on the thickness of the asparagus. It is perfect for use in food retail outlets, because with its integrated compressor and water tanks, it only requires a domestic power connection.
Crop Load Vision
Company: Croptracker, Inc., Canada
Stand: Hall 3.1, D-35
Web: www.croptracker.com
Crop Load Vision (CLV) is a mobile app for counting pre harvested fruit developed by Croptracker, Inc.. Using only a mobile iOS device, CLV captures fruit count in real time to assist growers in faster and more accurate crop load assessments. It requires no setup or internet connection and can be used at any time in the season to count fruit and fruitlets. Real time results and on screen feedback eliminate double counting and allows for on the ground, informed decision making.
Mirical
Company: Koppert, Netherlands
Stand: Hall 1.2, C-30
Web: www.koppert.com
The new packaging serves as a user-friendly release system, improving application precision and reducing plastic by 99%. Significant improvements have been made in both the quality and performance of Mirical, Koppert’s biological solution for destructive whitefly in greenhouse vegetables.
The predatory bug Macrolophus pygmaeus (Mirical) is now stronger and better able to establish and develop itself in the crop.
Roto-cut vegetable trimmer
Company: Wyma Solutions, United Kingdom
Stand: Hall 2.1, B-41
Web: www.wymasolutions.com
A unique, fully automated vegetable trimming system to remove foliage, crowns, and tails from vegetables prior to packing or processing. The Wyma Roto-Cut vegetable trimmer is the first of its kind to use a combination of optical technology, a smart recognition system and artificial intelligence to individually determine the size and shape of each vegetable and the appropriate point at which it should be cut – precisely sizing, determining the cut point, and making the cut, all in just 0.2 of a second. This solution improves the sustainability and efficiency of operations with proven real-world reductions in labour of over 80%, increased cutting accuracy and overall yield, reducing waste by up to 20%.
Apogee
Company: German Bionic, Germany
Stand: Hall 21, C-50
Web: www.germanbionic.com
The German Bionic Apogee robotic exoskeleton combines human intelligence with machine power to enhance the health, safety, and wellbeing of those working in tough, physically demanding jobs. The smart, exosuits support in Lifting & lowering (Providing up to 30 kg of assistance per lifting movement), Static hold (Taking the strain off the back when working in bent over positions) and Walking assistance (Supporting every step taken).
The 2024 FLIA nominees
Three Halves Avocado Fresh with 30 days shelf life
Company: Infuseo, France
Stand: Hall 5.2, D-30
Website: www.thenakedavocado.com
An innovative solution from our Naked Avocado range – 100% fresh, ready to eat, and free from preservatives, acidifiers, and additives with a 30-day shelf life in refrigeration. Our packaging hides nothing, ensuring 100% product utilisation and zero food waste. Avocados should be enjoyed, not wasted, and the planet should benefit from responsible and environmentally conscious behaviour in the avocado supply chain and the food industry.
Zucchiolo
Company: Unica Fresh, S.L., Spain
Stand: Hall 18, A-20
Web: www.zucchiolo.com
Zucchiolo is a vegetable that marks the beginning of a new product category in the European market. It can be consumed fresh and raw in a salad, similar to a cucumber, and cooked, like a zucchini or eggplant. It stands out for its versatility.
It’s a product with a pronounced social character, where fifty percent of the income generated from it sales is allocated to the social purposes such as fight against cancer and degenerative diseases.
Frutastic
Company: Gautier Semences, France
Stand: Hall 1.2, B-40
Web: www.gautiersemences.com
Frutastic innovative squash varieties by Gautier Semences stand out, ensuring consistent yields through its highly parthenocarpic nature and adaptability to various indoor conditions. It emphasizes high-quality fruit production, reducing waste and chemical inputs, aligning with environmentally conscious agriculture and consumer preferences. These distinctive features position Frutastic as a trailblazer for squash production.
Exceed Watermelon
Company: Staay Food Group B.V., Netherlands
Stand: Hall 3.2, B-45
Web: www.exceedwatermelon.com
A modern twist on the traditional watermelon! Exceed mini watermelon brings sustainability and convenience to the forefront with extended shelf life, less waste, and robustness in cultivation. Its handy size, fresh, crisp flavour and seedless convenience make it a perfect choice for modern demanding consumers living in ever smaller households. Exceed is also the growers’ favourite, with the plants thriving even in the most challenging conditions.
Calypso Sweet Red Onions
Company: Bedfordshire Growers, United Kingdom
Stand: Hall 5.2, B-42
Web: www.bedgrow.co.uk
Join a grower’s 30-year journey dedicated to cultivating the finest Calypso sweet red onions. In his 80s, he still personally tastes each bulb for perfection. Experience a harmonious flavor with low pungency, allowing natural sweetness to shine. Each onion, with its singular center and thick layers, guarantees the perfect crunch. Admire the stunning red hue with hints of pink, and internally, a mesmerizing mid-to-deep red.
Winners of the annual awards for outstanding innovations from the entire fruit and vegetable value chain are chosen exclusively by trade visitors to FRUIT LOGISTICA 2024, which takes place in Berlin from 7 to 9 February 2024.
As revealed on the event’s FruitLog news page, contenders for this year’s award include a perfectly ripe, peeled avocado with a shelf life of one month, a versatile cross between a cucumber and a squash, a new trailblazer in courgette production, a modern twist on the watermelon, and naturally sweet, pink-red onion.
In addition to the FLIA, a FLIA Technology will be presented for the first time in recognition of innovations in the field of Machinery & Technology. Nominees for this award include the world’s smallest self-service asparagus peeler, a mobile app that counts fruit before harvesting, a natural method to prevent whitefly damage in greenhouse veg, an AI-enabled crop trimmer, and a robotic exoskeleton for packhouse workers.
Each of the nominated products will be displayed at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2024 in a dedicated FLIA exhibition area between halls 20 and 21, as well as in a special FLIA Technology exhibition area between Halls 1.1 and 2.1. To experience technical innovations, trade visitors have the chance to participate in guided tours to the exhibition booths of the FLIA Technology nominees. By voting for their preferred winners, each trade visitor has a chance to win one of three Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation).
Winners will be announced at an award ceremony taking place at 2:30pm on Friday, 9 February 2024 within the FLIA Technology exhibition area between Halls 1.1 and 2.1.
FLIA and FLIA Technology are the fruit and vegetable industry’s most important global awards and are presented by Messe Berlin with Fruitnet Media International, official partner of FRUIT LOGISTICA.
