COSTA RICA     Exports of fruit purees and pastes have increased in the last three years, from USD22 million in 2013 to USD81 million in 2016, according to Procomer, the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter with the first four months of 2017 already seeing sales at USD32.4 million.

Karina López, Procomer Market Research Co-ordinator, said that the main product shipped abroad by Costa Rica was banana puree and that sales were on the rise due to consumer trends, particularly in Europe, preferring fruit juices and foods with natural contents that don’t have other components.

Lopez added that fruit juice manufacturers, yogurt makers, jam makers amongst others have become major buyers of tropical fruit purees and pastes with the Netherlands overtaking the United States as the major destination.

The puree industry uses fruits with excellent quality but that can’t be exported in fresh because they present minimal deformities or because they have sharp blows caused in the harvest and transport towards the packing plants.

Source: nacion.com/Fresh Plaza