Direct from our orchards
Pink Lady® is no ordinary apple!
Miss Pink Lady® is a much sought-after title, which is only awarded to apples that meet the strict specifications and selection criteria. Pink Lady® calls upon an external body to perform constant and rigorous inspections: Bureau Veritas checks that the specifications are met and guarantees the constant quality and traceability of Pink Lady® apples.
Shape and appearance
The apple must have the round shape which is characteristic of the variety and be entirely free of defects.
Taste
A Pink Lady®apple is a fine balance of sweet and tart flavours and it must have a minimum 13 % sugar content as well as resist a minimum pressure of 6kg/cm².
Only 65 à 70 % of the apples produced are awarded the heart-shaped sticker, a gauge of Pink Lady® authenticity throughout the year.
An interview with one of our Bureau Veritas inspectors
«We perform over 1300 inspections per year, most of them unannounced. We follow the same procedure based on objective criteria for each inspection, throughout Europe.»
«I choose 2 batches of 100 apples at random, one of which will be freshly packaged. I check that each of them corresponds to the specifications.»
The quest for excellence
Ripening + climate + producer + harvest and meticulous packaging = a successful PINK LADY®
A long ripening period
The first apple to flower and the last to be harvested, Pink Lady® apples require permanent attention and care during this long ripening process.
A temperate climate
Specific conditions are required for great crunch: good exposure to sunlight, moderately cool weather, a large difference between day & night temperatures during the autumn… The apple grows in areas that meet these demanding conditions, in France (the Southwest and Loire Valley), Spain (Catalonia) and in Italy (Emilie Romagna and the South Tyrol).
An expert at work
The orientation of tree rows, how branches are positioned on the tree, crop thinning (to expose the maximum amount of blossoms to the light), just the right amount of water as well as perfectly balanced soil, Pink Lady® needs access to lots of sun and space to grow well. The producer provides meticulous care until the sugar levels and firmness indicate that it is time to manually and carefully harvest the apples.
The harvest is performed in several stages to enable each apple to reach maturity. Just as with packing the apple, harvesting requires both scrupulous care and the devotion of every actor involved in the process to ensure a fruit of optimal quality.
Each apple is deftly lifted to the side and turned a quarter of the way round itself in order to detach it from the tree with the least possible damage. It is then carefully placed in the harvesting box, and transported to the packing station with the greatest precaution.
Careful packing by hand makes it possible for any apples not meeting specifications to be removed. The sorting lines are slowed down by 20–30% compared with other apple varieties. The scanner and the well-trained eyes of our packers detect the slightest fault to ensure that only the best apples are given the Pink Lady® sticker.
For all lovers of the pretty pink apple, now you can enjoy it in juice form:
- > Pink Lady® apple juice, by Touraine jus de Pomme
- > Sparkling Pink Lady® apple juice, by Les jardins de l'Orbrie
