Vittorio Valenzano with his son Vito (top); the second and third generation family of passion and tradition for growing table grapes.
Since the cherry season, the company Fra.Va. has set up a MW (microwave) plant by FIT-Food & Innovative Technologies: "We believed in this innovation in order to optimize the fruit management and to reduce wasted produce. The cold chain management is very difficult in the most critical phases of the supply chain: transport, distribution, point of sale". These are the words of Vito Valenzano, company sales director.
Above: packaging line for cherries. The firm owns a grape line as well, where the FIT facility (2 pallets capacity) is positioned.
"The MW technology, fully introduced at the end of the table grape season, was able to maintain our grapes for a long time, leaving unaltered the physical/organoleptic characteristics and especially the taste, which can usually been affected by the use of sulphites (a preservative used all around the world to keep the product in the cells or to transport it on long journeys)".
"Reducing waste - Vito continues - allows us to look at the future with more optimism and greater confidence. We could be more competitive in foreign markets, such as Northern Europe, US, Asia and Arabia, which are all known to be very demanding regarding health and taste standards".
On the subject of the seedless grapes, Vito says "even with constant attention to the evolution of the seedless varieties market, we have reason to believe that our producers will be oriented to increase the cultivated extensions of the Italy grape variety, because of its unique flavour, in addition to its nutritional and health properties deriving from our soils".
An external view of the packaging facility.
Fra.Va. is an agricultural firm specialized in the producing and sales of cherries and table grapes; these are the only products that, after harvesting, are packaged in a modern and equipped factory in Rutigliano. The facility covers a total area of 26,000 square meters, of which 4,000 are covered, including a packaging and assembly area, processing rooms, and 1,000 square meters of cold storage with a quick temperature reduction system.
From here, the packaged products are sent to supply national and foreign retailers (Belgium, UK, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Germany).
Cold storage cells.
Fra.Va. sells annually 3,000,000 kg of cherries; 1,500,000 kg of different varieties of table grapes. The firm owns more than 100 hectares of grapes (different varieties) and employs up to 500 workers over the full season.
Above and below: some seedless table grapes.
Fra.Va. will be present as a visiting firm at the next edition of Fruit Logistica 2015. Everyone interested in Fra.Va products are invited to contact the firm via the information below:
Further info:
Fra.Va.
Headquarters and offices:
Strada prov. Adelfia-Rutigliano
70018 Rutigliano (BA) - Italy
Vito Valenzano
Mob. +39.348.3736241
Ph.: +39.080.4761995 and 080.4770311
Fax: +39.080.4762668
Email: info@fravasrl.it / qualita@fravasrl.it
Web: www.fravasrl.it