Revolutionising Food Tech with Innovative Drying Solutions
NRGene Technologies Ltd. (TASE: NRGN) proudly announces the debut of Supree™ (Supree-Zanim), its new FoodTech subsidiary dedicated to creating advanced fruit and vegetable varieties that naturally dry on the vine. This breakthrough technology ensures the preservation of essential vitamins, nutrients, and flavour, setting a new benchmark in the industry.
Innovative Semi-Dried Tomato Varieties
Supree’s premier product offering features a new variety of semi-dried tomatoes, known for their outstanding flavor and impressive nutritional benefits. These tomatoes feature a distinctive skin structure with microcracks that facilitates natural moisture evaporation. This drying technique retains the tomatoes’ rich taste, vivid colour, and high levels of vitamins and antioxidants, resulting in a superfood that reduces its weight by approximately 80% when ripe, thus intensifying its flavour and nutrient concentration.
The semi-dried tomatoes are ideal for a variety of culinary uses, including snacks, salads, cooked dishes, baked goods, and desserts. The product maintains its quality, texture, and nutritional benefits even after freezing and thawing, making it available year-round regardless of seasonal changes. Additionally, the tomato powder derived from these varieties enhances various processed food products, such as meat alternatives, healthy beverages, and snacks.
Expanding Market Reach and Application
Supree aims to penetrate premium B2B markets across Israel, Europe, and the Middle East, targeting restaurants, hotels, catering services, and food manufacturers. Chef Ran Shmueli from Tel Aviv’s Claro restaurant praised Supree’s semi-dried tomatoes, stating, “Incorporating high-quality, innovative ingredients is always our goal. Supree’s self-drying tomatoes bring a fresh and unique element to our menu, enhancing both taste and quality.”
The market potential for Supree’s tomatoes is projected to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2030, establishing a new segment within the USD 16 billion dried tomato industry. The tomatoes also have the potential to serve as alternatives in the USD 10.2 billion dried fruit sector, the USD 4.4 billion frozen fruit market, and the USD 60 billion superfood category.
Enhancing Sustainability and Efficiency
Supree’s self-drying tomato varieties promote sustainability and cost-effectiveness by optimizing natural growth conditions and eliminating the need for artificial climate controls. The immediate post-harvest drying, packaging, and freezing processes significantly reduce fruit loss and improve supply chain efficiency. Planned mechanical harvesting is expected to lower labor costs, contributing to more affordable pricing.
Supree has partnered with Tzabar Tech to support the production and processing of its tomatoes. This collaboration will bolster agricultural practices and foster technological innovation in agrifood-tech. Tzabar Tech’s expertise in farming and agricultural trading will be instrumental in advancing Supree’s unique cultivation and post-harvesting techniques.
Comments from the Leaders
Gil Ronen, CEO of NRGene, remarked, “Israeli farmers are eager for innovative products that can compete in global markets, enhancing their revenue and supporting the Israeli economy. Supree’s focus on advanced agricultural products will enable swift market entry with distinctive offerings. Our partnership with Tzabar Tech is set to drive the success of this initiative.”
Gilad Mintz, CEO of Tzabar Tech, added, “The alliance between Tzabar Tech and Supree is a remarkable opportunity to integrate progressive growth technologies, streamline farming practices, and achieve more profitable yields.”
