After more than three decades R&D in the U.S. and Spain and several years’ commercial success in this country, the tearless sweet Sunions have been introduced commercially in the United Kingdom through retail innovator Waitrose.
Lauded as a “new branded variety of onion that doesn’t reduce cooks to tears,” Sunions are up for the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award this year as well.
Waitrose, which exports its own label and branded goods to more than 50 countries worldwide, is working with its onion category manager, Moulton Bulb Co., which receives the seed from Sunions breeder BASF.
In a story released this week at http://www.fruitnet.com/fpj/article/187206/ground-breaking-tearless-onions-launch-at-waitrose, the history of Sunions was explained.
“The product, which was developed through natural crossbreeding and not genetic modification, comes from the BASF innovation program and is launching in collaboration with various other partners in the value chain,” the story said. “BASF provides the seeds, growing recommendations and quality assurance, while Moulton Bulb Co., Waitrose’s onion category manager, is the exclusive producer in the UK.”
Nasir Ahmed, U.K. consumer and customer manager at BASF’s vegetable seeds division, said, ““Many people have tried to understand how to stop crying when cutting onions by freezing the onion, soaking it in water, cutting in a certain way, using a spoon – the list is endless but unfortunately, they still make you cry. All that has now changed thanks to BASF developing Sunions.”
Ahmed described Sunions as “a truly innovative product within a staple and boring onion category” and emphasized the variety’s sweetness and flavor, making it suitable for eating raw in a salad as well as cooking.”
BASF also reported that Sunions received strong feedback in consumer tests carried out by Leatherhead Food Research, and Ahmed “believes the product has a good chance of winning the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award when the trade show takes place in Berlin in April.”
Moulton Bulb Co. Director Robert Oldershaw is quoted as saying, “We’re really excited to be launching Sunions as we think they have a lot of potential. The onion category is not always thought of as being innovative, but Sunions bring something new to the table.”
Launched in the U.S. about four years ago, the Sunions brand has been growing and expanding its distribution network here. The concept was taken to Spain in 2020, where it has 10 retailers on board for the current growing season.
In the U.K., Waitrose will begin selling Sunions on Jan. 18 for a limited period. “Online and offline marketing will include a feature in the February edition of Waitrose magazine,” the story said.
“There are two onion seasons in the U.S. where the variety originated: the winter storage season, when onions are shipped out of storage facilities for nine months of the year, and a three-month window of fresh onions during the summer,” the story continued. “`Within the storage segment, the onions are normally very hot and pungent by their genetic background, their origin,’ said Jeff Boettge, head of crop marketing and strategy biennials at BASF.” Boettge continued, “The breeder had an idea [over] 35 years ago to create a variety that would actually be sweet coming out of that storage area.”
A tearless, sweet onion had not been developed before and was genetically quite difficult to achieve, Boettge said.
“We are the first to introduce a storage onion that has the combination of tearlessness and sweet flavor,” he said. “This variety that makes up the Sunions brand is really unique in the world of onions – it’s a real one of a kind,” he said.
The variety was certified tearless through testing by the Sensory Lab of BASF’s vegetable seeds business and Ohio State University.
