Finland: Kesko Food opens new banana ripening facility

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Kesko Food opens a new banana ripening facility in Hakkila, Vantaa, today. The energy-saving heat economy control system guarantees that bananas available for K-food store customers will be of higher quality than ever. The ripening facility is the third one in Europe based on the corresponding technology.

Over 20 million kilos of bananas are bought from K-food stores annually. In the future, all bananas sold at K-food stores will ripe in the new facility in Vantaa. In addition to Chiquita, K-food stores mainly sell Fairtrade bananas and Rico, the K-Group's private label.

When arriving to Finland, bananas are green and unripe. They have been allowed to grow in their native soil for about nine months before having been loaded into ships for transportation. The ripening process takes some 4-8 days. When bananas ripen, they generate some heat and turn yellow.

The greatest advantage of the ripening facility is its reliability. While ripening is highly automated, most of the work is related to filling and emptying the rooms. The facility saves energy as it is tighter than old ones and the fans are more adjustable. Improved air circulation makes bananas ripen and colour more evenly.

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