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Mission Produce Deploys High Tech For Extending Avocado Life

Oxnard-based Mission Produce, a major avocado distributor, says it is deploying a new, high tech system from Hazel Technologies Inc., to help extend the lifetime of its avocados. According to Mission, it has launched AvoLast by Hazel, using technology which it says keeps avocados at an optimal level of ripeness for three extra days, on average, across its supply chain. The Hazel Technologies technology uses a packaging insert which the two says temporarily blocks an avocado's ethylene receptors and slows the ripening process. Mission Produce said deploying the technology will help reduce food waste; the company says about 30 percent of all food harvested in the United States is thrown away, often because of early spoilage.