Consumer demand has shifted to a new genetically modified pineapple, the lycopene-enhanced “Pinkglow pineapples” by Fresh Del Monte, a company that grows and distributes pineapples worldwide.

A product of long-term genetic engineering, the Pinkglow pineapple marks a major research breakthrough. 

Selina Wamucii talks to Hans Sauter, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate R&D, QA, and Agricultural Services at Fresh Delmonte Produce Inc. He starts by allocating the research duration for developing Pinkglow® pineapples.

“It took us 17 years of research and development to create the Pinkglow® pineapple.” Mr Sauter says.

It must have been an ‘who is who’ scientific partnership in this genetic engineering process?

“This project was done in-house by our own scientists in California and Costa Rica,” states Mr Sauter.

Market Niche Segmentation

This naturally leads to the question of the current source and market: specifically, is Fresh Del Monte growing and selling Pinkglow only in Costa Rica?

“Pinkglow® pineapples grow on a select farm in the South-Central region of Costa Rica,” expands Hans Sauter, “which has the ideal soil and climate for growing pineapples. They are sold in a variety of markets, including the US, Hong Kong, Qatar, and Canada.” 

It must be remarkable that Fresh Delmonte is still basking in the still-profitable Honeyglow and according to Mr Sauter, the former product is still popular even after the release of Pinkglow.

“Yes. We have seen high demand for both the Honeyglow® and Pinkglow® pineapples this year, specifically in our North America market.”

Notably, the new genetically engineered range joins the list of Costa Rica’s golden Oro, crownless and traditional pineapple varieties. However, each has its “niche” and will still fit its market segment amid this innovation:

“These products fill different niches in an every day, more segmented and specialized fresh pineapple market. Innovation has allowed Fresh Del Monte to differentiate product lines that cater to different market segments.” Mr Sauter finishes on this discerning note.