What started as a breeding idea to close a market gap is quickly turning into a retail success. Pop Its, the extra-small snack cucumbers developed by Mastronardi Produce in collaboration with seed company Harmoniz, are selling out fast in their first markets and are now gearing up for wider European expansion.
© Jannes Goedbloed | FreshPlaza.com
At Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Andrea Meloche of Sunset Grown, Mastronardi Produce's flagship brand, details the rapid uptake of the product since its launch. "The demand is enormous," she says. "I was recently in England and went into a Tesco store to see for myself how they were doing, but I couldn't find them anywhere. So I asked an employee where the mini cucumbers were. It turned out they had already sold out completely. What we're seeing is that they're especially popular with young parents, who buy them as a snack for their kids."
One-bite cucumber
Pop Its are positioned as a true one-bite cucumber. Measuring just 4–5 centimetres in length, they are smaller than standard mini cucumbers and designed to be eaten whole. According to Mastronardi and Harmoniz, the variety is sweeter and crunchier than other snack cucumbers, with a Brix level about one degree higher than conventional types.
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The product made its official debut in October 2025 at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, California. "At that show, we handed out around 800 kilos of Pop Its," Andrea recalls. "Normally, giving away 100 kilos at a trade show is already considered a success. So that really tells you something about how well this product is received. Here in Berlin, we brought 600 kilos, and once again it's all going."
Convenience drives consumption
The concept behind Pop Its fits squarely into the broader convenience trend within fresh produce. "These extra-small snack cucumbers are all about convenience," Andrea explains. "You can literally pop them straight into your mouth. There's no preparation, no cutting, no peeling. You can also toss them whole into a salad. I think we're going to see more and more similar products in the coming years: fresh produce that requires absolutely no extra handling to consume."
© Jannes Goedbloed | FreshPlaza.com
That focus on ease of use extends beyond the product itself to its packaging. For the U.S. market, Pop Its are sold in an oval-shaped plastic pack that is designed to fit perfectly into a car's cup holder. "I really wanted to make sure it actually worked," Andrea explains. "So at work, I borrowed the car keys of all my colleagues and tested the pack in their cup holders. It fit in every single one."
In the UK, however, a different approach was needed. "For the English market, we use a rectangular pack," she says. "That was a specific request from Tesco, because it fits their shelves better."
From breeding to the greenhouse
Behind the scenes, the development of Pop Its started with a clearly defined set of challenges. According to Andrea, consumers were looking for healthier snacks that deliver on flavour without sacrificing convenience, while growers needed varieties that were efficient and economical to produce. Retailers, meanwhile, wanted fresh produce items that shoppers would actively choose rather than see as an obligation.
To bridge that gap, Harmoniz partnered with Mastronardi Produce to develop a new cucumber variety with patented genetic traits. One of the key advantages is harvest efficiency. "In terms of growth speed, it's essentially a normal cucumber," Andrea says. "We harvest every other day. From the moment we receive the young plants from our supplier, it takes about four to five days before we can pick the first cucumbers."
Unlike many existing mini cucumbers, which often require daily or even twice-daily harvesting, Pop Its can be picked every second day. According to Harmoniz, this gives growers more flexibility in scheduling, while delivering 10–20% higher yields and reducing fruit waste by around 25%.
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Andrea also points out an interesting botanical quirk. "If you let this variety grow for longer, it doesn't really gain any more length. It just gets thicker. You end up with almost round cucumber balls," she notes. "Which only goes to show that all cucumbers are basically melons with an identity crisis. If you wait long enough, they want to become round. We normally don't wait that long, of course, but who knows – maybe one day we'll even bring round cucumber balls to the market."
Rapid retail rollout
At present, Pop Its are available in the United States and the United Kingdom. In Europe, production is taking place in England, Ireland, and Spain, ensuring year-round availability. The UK launch began in November 2025 through Tesco, with production handled by growers including Glinwell and Agrosol. A broader UK retail rollout is planned for April 2026.
The product is also attracting attention within the industry. Pop Its have been nominated as a finalist for the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award, highlighting not only their consumer appeal but also their potential impact on production efficiency and sustainability.
© Jannes Goedbloed | FreshPlaza.com
The international expansion of Pop Its will be gradual. "Right now, they're only available in the UK and the U.S.," Andrea explains. "We want to expand step by step into more countries. The rest of Europe will follow soon."
European expansion ahead
Given the speed at which the product is selling out in its first markets, expectations are high. With its focus on flavour, convenience and efficient production, Pop Its appears well positioned to capitalise on changing consumer snacking habits – and to carve out a new niche within the already crowded snack vegetable category. As Pop Its prepares for further European expansion, early market performance suggests that demand for truly bite-sized, no-prep fresh snacks is only just beginning.
For more information:
Andrea Meloche
Sunset Grown (Mastronardi Produce)
Tel: +1 (519) 326-3218
[email protected]
www.sunsetgrown.com
Harmoniz Seeds
[email protected]
www.harmonizseed.com
