On the way to the future

Thanks to our latest investment in a hyper-modern banana ripening facility, Greenfood is scaling up as a provider of perfectly ripe bananas of the absolute highest quality. For everyone. Every day. All year long.

The new advanced ripening plant is part of Greenfoods facility, the Greenhouse in Helsingborg, Sweden. In 12 banana rooms that are nine meters high, we will ripen 33,000 boxes of bananas a week.

A severe capacity boost, that’s right, but it also comes packed with benefits throughout the whole chain.

“We will ripen 33,000 boxes of bananas this week”

Fun facts

Sweden has imported bananas ever since 1909

The first cargo that arrived at the port of Gothenburg was frozen black and inedible

Bananas are filled with energy and important nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin B6 and vitamin C

“This is Sweden’s most modern banana ripening facility,” says Ted Stenshed, CEO of the Greenfood Fresh Produce business area. “It will be at the forefront of energy and environmental efficiency, with the latest technology, such as sensors that automatically monitor and manage the banana ripening process. The result is sustainably produced bananas, with a more even ripening, higher quality and longer shelf life in the chain.”

After being transported by boat across the Atlantic, the bananas get fully ripened in hermetically sealed rooms where temperature, airflow and oxygen content are carefully measured. The new facility can control the temperature down to 0.1-degree accuracy, in addition, it’s equipped with reverse fans that reverse the airflow in the rooms.

It may sound totally bananas, but we’re talking big business here. The banana is a massive seller, accounting for approximately one percent of the turnover in Swedish grocery stores and ten percent in the fruit department.