Primary Sector Category: 2024 Winner Next Generation Apples - Sassy™ Apples

Meet Sassy™: The apple with bite, brilliance, and a whole lot of attitude.

In a world overflowing with apples, Sassy™ dares to be different. Born in the orchards of New Zealand, this bold new variety is anything but ordinary! A vibrant ruby-red showstopper with the perfect blend of sweetness and sass. But Sassy™ isn't just another pretty fruit. She's the delicious outcome of more than two decades of world-class horticultural science, brought to life by Plant & Food Research, commercialised by Prevar, and globally grown and marketed by the trailblazing team at Next Generation Apples.

Sassy™ is not only a feast for the eyes and palate but a trailblazer in timing, maturing earlier than other varieties to beat the seasonal rush and land on shelves first. With unmatched crunch, high brix levels, and wide market appeal, especially in Asia, where bright colour and natural sweetness are king. Sassy™ was crafted to delight global consumers and empower growers with higher yields and stronger returns.

From its playful name to its powerhouse genetic lineage, this apple is a masterclass in natural innovation, sustainable thinking, and strategic brand-building.

The judging panel were extremely impressed with the collaboration and innovation that produced this export quality product.

“This exceptional apple boasts a crisp texture, high flavour, unique skin and flesh colour, optimal harvest maturity, and impressive pest and disease resistance. Its long shelf life not only enhances quality but also reduces food waste, earning the admiration of the assessment panel for its innovation and research.”

Entry (extracts):

1. Product Name
Sassy™ Apples

2. Description
Say hello to Sassy, the lovable new apple from New Zealand.

Luscious, crunchy, and adorned with a deep red colour that permeates goodness with every bite. Sassy is completely delicious, with the perfect balance of sweetness and attitude.

Innovation

3. Where did the idea for this product come from?
New Zealand is renowned for being one of the top apple-growing countries globally, excelling in both cultivation and the breeding of new varieties. New Zealand science company Plant & Food Research (PFR) has over 40 years’ experience in developing new fruit, vegetable, arable and ornamental cultivars, and created the Sassy cultivar, commercialised by Prevar, and grown and liscensed by Next Generation Apples. PFR’s apple breeding program is dedicated to creating new cultivars with traits that appeal to consumers and growers worldwide, such as crisp texture, high flavour, long storage and shelf life, novel skin and flesh colour, optimal harvest maturity, and pest and disease resistance. The Sassy apple, a product of extensive research and expert cultivation, exemplifies these desirable traits.

On top of these underlying key traits around appearance and taste, PFR had long aimed to breed an early-season apple, a goal realized with the creation of the Sassy apple. This apple matures in early February, while other varieties are mostly harvested in March, giving it a competitive edge as one of the first new season apples before the market is flooded. Sassy also boasts excellent eating quality, making it suitable for export to markets like Asia, where the portfolio previously lacked suitable varieties.

The breeding process involved selecting the best parent apples to achieve a highly attractive, red-coloured fruit that aligns with the classical preferences of Chinese and Japanese palates, which favour sweetness over acidity.

4. How did you determine product originality and validate market need?
As a new cultivar, Sassy is entirely original, and is a combination of thousands of potential pairings and refinement to land on the final product. Sassy would be virtually impossible to replicate and the bright wrap around red appearance and quirky shape are both very unique attributes, coupled with its early harvest window that sets it apart from other varieties.

From a brand development perspective, at Next Generation Apples our growers have on the ground marketing staff in our key markets for Sassy including China, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK. So we are very close to our customers and know that early season varieties with full colour and high brix (sweetness) from NZ are in hot demand so this variety really appealed to us commercially as grower marketers.

Before launching the variety, we commissioned extensive ethnographic testing with consumers in these markets to further validate market appeal of the product, and to build an appealing brand and messaging. Our research and team experience showed that there was a lot of opportunity to build an apple brand, not just launch a variety, which is what we set out to do with Sassy.

5. Did your company incorporate new technologies or ingredients in the development of this product and if so, please describe them.
Our company did not incorporate “new” technologies or ingredients in the development of this product as we employed classical or ‘natural’ plant breeding methods, rather than genetic engineering.  But the development process built on decades of experience in breeding the parent plants and employed the most up-to-date and best classical/natural breeding methods available.

The testing process for Sassy, was also significantly more rigorous than previous efforts. This enhanced testing ensured the apple would be compatible with growers' production systems, an aspect we hadn't previously examined in such a scientific manner.

6. What were some of the challenges in developing this product and how did you overcome them?
One of the major challenges in developing Sassy™ was the lengthy process, we started in 2001 and sold the first commercial volumes in 2023. Even after its commercial launch, we continue to refine the harvest and post-harvest protocols as we learn more about this new variety. Understanding all the characteristics of Sassy™ and managing them effectively from both a grower and post-harvest storage perspective required a rigorous procedure to handle potential defects in a practical and commercially viable manner.

During the development process, dealing with the large population of seedlings is a significant challenge. When breeding for Sassy, we removed 99.5% of the seedlings along the way due to various issues like defects or undesirable characteristics. The sheer scale of this process is enormous, finding exceptional seedlings is like finding diamonds. We aimed to identify these "diamonds" quickly and eliminate the undesirable ones to minimize costs. This involved cloning the selected seedlings and starting an extensive testing procedure with over 10,000 seedlings over several years. Multiple crosses were made without initially knowing the best parent combinations, so we relied on past experience and performance data to make informed decisions.

Surprisingly, choosing a name for the new variety was also one of the hardest parts. Since Sassy™ is marketed globally as both a product and licensable intellectual property, we needed a name that suited the apple, had personality, was easy to pronounce, and had no negative connotations or double meanings in other markets. Additionally, it had to be trademarked globally. Finding a name that met all these criteria took a couple of years, but we are thrilled with the result. "Sassy™" is a playful and fun name that offers great marketing opportunities and resonates well with our consumers and partners.

7. In your food technologist’s words (using science, technology and engineering explanations), what was the proudest moment in the product development process?
Building on the previous answer - Given the sheer number of seedlings and the lengthy period before evaluating results, identifying a promising seedling for further development was extremely rewarding.

Our proudest moment in the product development process was the realization that Sassy™ is a truly robust apple. Sassy™ stands out because it thrives even under challenging conditions. Produced early to mid-February, when temperatures can be quite hot, it still consistently develops a rich red colour across various temperature ranges. This is notable because apples typically require cooler evenings for optimal colour development. For instance, in trial sites in Hawke's Bay, even with nighttime temperatures around 35°C in January, Sassy™ still produced red fruit. This robustness has been observed in much hotter climates as well, such as in South Africa, where test trees continue to yield red fruit. Recognizing that we had developed a variety that performs well across multiple locations and conditions was an exciting and proud moment for us.

The launch of Sassy™ was another proud milestone, marking the culmination of efforts from a diverse team. It showcased the collective skills of scientists at Plant & Food Research (PFR), the commercialization team at Prevar, and the growers and marketers at Next Generation Apples, co-owned by Golden Bay Fruit in Nelson and Taylor Corp in Hawke's Bay. Seeing Sassy™ become a reality and make its way to the market was a moment of immense pride for everyone involved.

Sustainability

8. Describe how environmental outcomes have been optimised across the life cycle of the product entered. Demonstrate your process with examples of initiatives.
Apples already have a low carbon footprint as far as food goes. A key part of the development of Sassy also focused on choosing strains with fewer defects during the selection process, which reduces food waste and orchard issues once the fruit moves to commercial production.

Our packaging for Sassy is either 18kilo packs which maximise freight efficiency and minimise materials, or a 2KG retail pack that we developed for Costco which stacks into itself to create a pallet that is dropped directly onto the store floor – minimising packaging waste that occurs when you have a separate outer and retail pack.  

In addition all Sassy™ orchards are Global GAP certified, meaning they meet the highest environmental and social standards.

9. Describe how social outcomes have been optimised for the product entered. Demonstrate your process with examples of initiatives.
Foundation for Sassy™: We are establishing a foundation where 10 cents from every 18KG box sold will fund scholarships for young New Zealanders to pursue studies and courses in dance and the performing arts. This foundation will also have a charity arm to support broader community initiatives.

Economic Impact: Introducing a high-value cultivar like Sassy™ has significant positive effects on the community. It generates higher income for fruit growers, which in turn benefits the entire supply chain from growers to exporters. The royalties from Sassy™ support Plant & Food Research (PFR), Prevar, and the industry, keeping New Zealand's fruit industry at the cutting edge and bringing economic benefits back to the local and national community, rather than just to shareholders of one company.

Global GAP Certification: All Sassy™ orchards are Global GAP certified, ensuring the highest standards of social and environmental practices. This certification demonstrates our commitment to equal opportunities, employee health and safety, and sustainable practices.

10. Outline the likely commercial sustainability of the product entered, without compromising the environmental and social objectives detailed above.
The commercial sustainability of Sassy™ apples is promising without compromising the environmental and social objectives. Here’s why:

1. Increasing Production: Our growers are planting more Sassy™ trees annually, with international growers joining in, generating revenue through royalties on every box sold. In 2023, we produced 14,617 TCES (18-kilo boxes), which has already increased to 49,851 in 2024. Projections indicate this number will double to 95,585 TCES next year.

2. Higher Returns: As a high-quality “IP variety,” Sassy™ offers better returns for growers compared to traditional varieties. This is supported by strong brand positioning and marketing efforts that resonate with consumers. On average, Sassy™ is expected to return 10%-50% higher profits than generic varieties, ensuring growers' financial viability despite rising production costs.

3. Ongoing Revenue Streams: The royalties from international markets provide a continuous income stream, further enhancing the product's commercial sustainability. We already have licensees on board in Australia, South Africa and China, with more in the pipeline.  

Excellence

11. Briefly outline your product development process including team expertise involved.
The teams involved in Sassy are diverse team. scientists at Plant & Food Research (PFR), the commercialization team at Prevar, and the growers and marketers at Next Generation Apples, co-owned by Golden Bay Fruit in Nelson and Taylor Corp in Hawke's Bay.

The product development process for Sassy™ apples involves a diverse and highly skilled team, including scientists at Plant & Food Research (PFR), the commercialization team at Prevar, and the growers and marketers at Next Generation Apples, co-owned by Golden Bay Fruit in Nelson and Taylor Corp in Hawke's Bay.

Sassy™ apples are developed through traditional breeding methods, not genetic modification (GM). Here is a brief outline of our process:

1. Define Breeding Objectives: Establish clear goals for the desired traits in the new apple variety, for Sassy this was; an early varietal, with bright red colour and sweet taste that could be grown commercially.

2. Create Crosses: Hand-pollinate mother trees with pollen from selected father trees each spring, mimicking the natural process to produce new cultivars.

3. Harvest and Germinate Seeds: Harvest fruit from the mother trees, extract seeds, and germinate them the following year. These seeds are then planted and grafted onto rootstock.

4. Initial Selection: Grow seedlings (around 10,000 per year) on dwarf rootstock. After 2-4 years, evaluate the fruit-bearing trees. Only 0.5% of seedlings are selected for further trials.

5. Advanced Trials: Conduct further trials with selected seedlings, focusing on fruit quality and storage potential. Cold store the fruit for 10 weeks and assess characteristics like taste and appearance. Evaluate tree productivity and storage conditions in this stage.

6. Post-Harvest and Consumer Testing: Involve post-harvest specialists to test different storage conditions. Engage consumer scientists to gather feedback from target consumers and industry stakeholders. Conduct extensive trials and collect performance data from multiple sites.

7. Commercialisation & Brand: At this point the industry has the chance to access the variety, via Prevar who initially fund the PFR breeding program. Next Generation Apples (co-owned by Golden Bay Fruit and Taylor Corp) bought the global growing and licensing rights from Prevar and developed the Sassy™ brand strategy and visual identity in partnership with Prevar and external consultants and design agencies, committing to a long term planting schedule.

8. Growing and marketing: Once the initial trees came to maturity, our Sassy™ growers GBF & Taylor Corp harvested and packed Sassy™ and sold it around the world while also recruiting growers in other territories to plant Sassy™ to create year-round supply. 

12. Explain how your product is at the forefront of food science and technology, food safety or customer experience.

Sassy™ sets a new standard for excellence in the produce industry, here's how:

1. Innovative Branding and Customer Experience: Sassy™ stands out in the produce department with its vibrant branding, catchy one-liners, and bold personality, creating a fun and engaging experience for customers. Its loud crunch adds to the appeal, offering a unique sensory experience that elevates the enjoyment of eating an apple.

2. Advanced Packing Technology: Sassy™ utilizes cutting-edge technology in its packing process, such as infrared cameras for sorting defective fruit and high-speed, low-impact packing lines. This ensures that only the highest quality apples reach consumers, enhancing food safety and quality control measures.

3. Leading Plant Breeding Techniques: The development of Sassy™ incorporated the latest plant breeding techniques, leveraging previously successful IP varieties in its DNA. By building on these advancements, Sassy™ reduces inherent defects found in older apple varieties, resulting in a superior product with improved taste, texture, and overall quality.

13. Demonstrate the product's success with sales and distribution information.
Sassy™ is growing in the domestic NZ market, picking up major retailers like New World and Costco in the first two years of commercial sales at sales prices higher than traditional varieties. Sassy™ production volume is doubling year on year as the new plantings come to maturity with around 20 containers exported and sold in 2023.

In-store tastings and repeat purchases from our customers have demonstrated the overwhelming appeal of Sassy™ apples, with an impressive conversion rate of over 50% from sample to purchase. This indicates strong consumer demand and satisfaction with the product, highlighting its success in the marketplace.

Primary Sector Category

1. Has any alternative technology advanced the product development or launch? 
No, natural / classical plant breeding methods were used.

2. What markets are the product currently in and what are your future markets? Please provide any relevant sales and distribution information.
Sassy™ is distributed across multiple countries, including New Zealand, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Canada and the UK. The popularity of Sassy™ has led to international licensing partnerships, with confirmed partners in Australia, China, and South Africa. Test trees are also being trialed in the UK, Europe, and India. As our production volume increases year on year, we plan to sell Sassy™ to our customer base across more than 20 countries globally, while still saving some for our own NZ community!

3. What customer or market research or expertise have you used?
At the time Sassy’s development began in the early 2000s, fruit growers had limited direct insight from Asian markets as all fruit was exported through the apple & pear board, so the consumer insights were largely anecdotal from various sources available, overseas tour groups visiting PFR’s labs and team visits to China, but all the circumstantial evidence pointed in the same direction; that Asia markets really valued the appearance of the fruit and a bright ruby red colour, as well as strong sweetness with minimal acidity – these insights steered the breeding of Sassy and are the same market preferences we hear out of Asia today, making Sassy’s bright red appearance one of its biggest assets.  We also knew that there was a premium to be had for early harvest varieties which again has stood true.

Since the variety was finalised and we moved to the commercialisation stage, we ran ethnographic research through agencies in China & Vietnam as well as running in-person sampling sessions in retailers to build our insights and help support our ongoing brand and marketing strategy. We also attend tradeshows, and lean on direct insights and feedback from our customers, as well as category insight reports developed by NZ agencies like NZTE to understand broader industry trends.

4. Have you created or developed a new market with your product? How do you know this? 
Not a new market per se, but definitely contributing to a higher value consumer brand in the produce sector, rather than just generic commodity varieties.