Dole Europe has announced that all Dole pineapples imported to Europe will bear a newly designed hang tag - the 5 digit farm code – which will allow consumers to trace their fruit back to the farm where it was produced. The fruit can be traced using the Dole Earth online platform.
Dole Europe had launched its platform for bananas a year ago. With this announcement, the company is extending the website to pineapples.
The visitors will be able to view pineapple plantation through an interactive film and discover all aspects of pineapple cultivation and the people behind the fruit. For the occasion, has also been redesigned to include the choice of a second fruit and optimized for enhanced navigation.
The launch will be supported by an online banner campaign.
Dole Europe Communication and Marketing director Xavier Roussel said that the consumers have been enthusiastic about the Dole Earth experience and the transparency in the supply chain has been very well received.
"Dole Earth is an engaging and emotional brand experience. It tells the story of our products and in particular what Dole does to improve sustainability in production. "
Extending Dole Earth to pineapples is particularly important further to the suspicions surrounding the pineapple production which have received some media coverage lately. It is an opportunity to change perceptions about those issues," Roussel added.
Dole Earth pineapple will start in week 20 with its Latin America sources and will roll out to its Costa Rican organic farms as well as its suppliers from Africa thereafter. The website is available in English, German, Dutch and Italian. Greek and Spanish translations will follow shortly.
Dole Europe is part of US-based Dole Foods, one of the world's largest suppliers of fresh fruit and vegetables. Dole Europe imports a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables from both Dole Food's own farms and independent growers from all over the world.
