Pineapples

Pineapple fruit is basically differentiated by the various varieties first. The most well-known variety best suited for canning and industrial processing for us is the “Smooth Cayenne”. It is mainly grown and processed in Thailand, Indonesia and Kenya and has the most intensive flavour due to its high acid content. Besides this, there’s the “Spanish Queen” from Indonesia too, was well as the “Queen variety” from Vietnam. This variety is mainly used for freezing, is a bright yellow in colour but not as aromatic in taste.
If we concentrate on the “Smooth Cayenne”, we differentiate between the individual qualities “Standard” (our main quality sold in Germany, pale yellow), “Choice” (more yellow because it is more mature in colour and flavour) and “Fancy” (bright yellow and with a high level of natural fruit sweetener). Pineapple slices are sold by ring diameter size: for example, ring size 2 is mainly sold in a 580ml can with 10 slices per can. Only 8 full slices of ring size 1 fit in a 850ml can, as the slices are thicker. Either 14, 16 (the standard number of ring size 2) or 18 pieces are then cut up out of these ring sizes to produce pineapple pieces. Pineapple chunks are also produced out of the slices using a different knife. While standard goods are also produced out of broken slices, only whole slices are used for the production of the better “Tidbits” quality. “Grated pineapple” is also produced out of small whole fruits or more broken pineapple parts, as “waste product”.
Pineapple is also a very popular raw product for the drinks industry worldwide.