About
Hazel Technologies, Inc. is a produce supply chain innovation company offering patented technologies that extend the quality and shelf life of fruits and vegetables from grower to retailer. Their flagship solutions—including Hazel Breatheway® modified atmosphere packaging—create a protective shield around produce by conditioning the storage environment to reduce respiration rates and increase resistance to decay-causing ethylene, excess CO2, and microbial spores. Hazel's contact-free, easy-to-use products are uniquely formulated for each crop type, covering a wide range of produce including berries, bananas, avocados, broccoli, mangoes, stonefruit, citrus, and more. The technology works passively throughout storage, transit, and retail display, helping partners across the supply chain reduce shrinkage, minimize waste, and deliver consistently high-quality produce to consumers. The platform serves four primary audiences: growers looking to protect the value and reputation of their harvest, packers and shippers aiming to reduce risk during transit, retailers seeking to lower shrink rates and exceed shopper expectations, and food service operators requiring consistent quality. By integrating Hazel products into existing operations, all supply chain participants can reduce food waste and improve profitability. Hazel's innovations have earned recognition in industry media and represent a meaningful step forward in sustainable, efficient global produce logistics.
Key Features
- Hazel Breatheway® Modified Atmosphere Packaging: Proprietary packaging technology that conditions the storage atmosphere to slow produce respiration and delay spoilage without ice or active refrigeration add-ons.
- Crop-Specific Formulations: Active ingredient blends are tailored to the unique biological needs of each crop variety, covering 15+ fruit and vegetable types including berries, avocados, mangoes, and broccoli.
- Contact-Free Protection: Hazel products work passively to regulate environmental conditions around produce, protecting against ethylene, excess CO2, and microbial spores without direct contact.
- Full Supply Chain Integration: Solutions are designed for use at every stage—from grower packing and transit to retail display—ensuring freshness is maintained across an unpredictable global supply chain.
- Cold Chain Break Prevention: Technology helps produce remain resilient even when cold chain integrity is compromised during shipping or storage transitions.
Use Cases
- Growers packaging berries or stonefruit for long-distance export can use Hazel products to maintain quality and reduce rejection rates upon delivery.
- Retail grocery chains can partner with Hazel-certified growers to reduce in-store shrinkage and ensure a higher percentage of sellable, fresh produce reaches shoppers.
- Packers and shippers transporting avocados or broccoli across international supply chains can use Hazel Breatheway® to reduce spoilage during transit without relying on ice.
- Food service distributors supplying restaurants can use Hazel's technology to ensure consistent produce quality and reduce waste from early spoilage.
- Cold chain logistics operators can implement Hazel solutions as a buffer against temperature breaks, keeping produce resilient during unexpected delays or refrigeration failures.
Pros
- Reduced Food Waste: By significantly extending shelf life, Hazel helps growers, retailers, and food service companies reduce shrinkage and waste across the supply chain.
- Easy to Implement: Contact-free, passive solutions integrate into existing packing and shipping workflows without requiring major operational changes.
- Broad Crop Coverage: Supports 15+ crop varieties with customized formulations, making it versatile for diverse produce operations.
- Multi-Stakeholder Value: Delivers measurable benefits to every supply chain participant—growers, packers, shippers, retailers, and food service operators alike.
Cons
- Enterprise-Focused Pricing: Hazel's solutions are designed for commercial supply chain operations, making them less accessible to small-scale or individual farmers.
- Limited Transparency on Costs: Pricing is not publicly listed and requires direct contact with a Hazel representative, adding friction for initial evaluation.
- Not a Traditional AI Software Tool: Despite the 'AI' label in the product slug, Hazel is primarily a physical/chemical technology product rather than a software-based AI platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Hazel Technologies extend produce shelf life?
Hazel's patented products condition the storage atmosphere around produce to slow the natural respiration process and protect against ethylene gas, excess CO2, and microbial spores—the primary drivers of spoilage.
What crops does Hazel Technologies support?
Hazel supports 15+ crop types including berries, bananas, avocados, broccoli, mangoes, limes, melons, cherries, peaches, plums, pomegranates, rambutans, stonefruit, nectarines, and apricots.
Who can use Hazel Technologies products?
Hazel's solutions are designed for growers, packers and shippers, retailers, and food service companies seeking to reduce food waste and improve produce quality across the supply chain.
What is Hazel Breatheway® packaging?
Hazel Breatheway® is a modified atmosphere packaging product that eliminates the need for ice during shipping (e.g., broccoli) by regulating the environment inside the package to maintain freshness.
How do I get started with Hazel Technologies?
You can contact a Hazel representative directly through their website at hazeltechnologies.com. Pricing and implementation details are provided on a case-by-case basis depending on your crop type and supply chain needs.
