Sirane sees big interest from South America
Shelf-life extending bags and films, cooking bags and absorbent pads all proved to be a huge draw, as potential clients flocked from all across the American continent.
But the shelf-life bags/films and pads proved a big winner with potential customers from Latin America – particularly Chile and Mexico, both massive fruit exporters.
Managing director Simon Balderson said: “We had numerous visits to the stand from people in that region, many of whom expressed an interest in becoming an agent.
“We’re very interested in taking on agents and distributors in both South and Central America, so would encourage any interested companies to get in touch with us.
“There is an enormous potential market for Sirane in the region, not just for fruit but also for meat products – Brazil and Argentina in particular export enormous quantities.”
Mr Balderson added: “The response to our Sira-Flex Resolve shelf-life bags was overwhelming. There is simply nothing like it currently on the market.
“A lot of fresh produce is travelling large distances, not only within the US but also from South and Central America, so shelf-life is a massive issue.
“Supermarket shelves in the UK – and the rest of the world - are packed with fruit grown in countries such as Chile. Companies there are exporting on a global scale.
“We were surprised to see the markets still use more traditional perforated films and we can offer a whole new level of technology and make a huge difference.”
Fresh Summit was a huge success for Sirane, with tremendous interest from US markets. In addition to the shelf-life bags and fruit pads, cooking bags – still a very new concept in the States – also proved a big attraction to customers from North America.
Sandra Evans, sales manager for fresh produce, said: “Customers were attracted by the possibilities that our cooking bags presented them. They could see how selling their produce in a cooking bag with sauce, for example, could add real value.”
Sirane's stand itself attracted a lot of attention - with the focal point two giant flags, the Union Flag and the Stars & Stripes, created entirely from fruit and vegetables. The flags featured plenty of fresh produce, including a lot of berries - and more than 1,000 blueberries.
Berries proved a popular fruit at the show. Fruit pads – particularly for the berry market – attracted a lot of potential interest from potential clients.
“The pads used widely in the United States don’t extend shelf-life, absorb ethylene or come with anti-fungal options – so there’s a real thirst in the US for this type of technology.
“As a result of PMA we’re going to be pretty busy,” added Sandra.
PMA Fresh Summit was held at the Anaheim Convention Center, with a record 21,000 people passing through the show. Next year it will be held in New Orleans.
For more information:
Mark Lingard
Sirane Group
Tel: +44(0)1952 230055
Email: mark.lingard@sirane.com
www.sirane.com