Message-printed mangoes for Father’s Day at a fruit store in Tokyo
An agricultural cooperative in Saito, Miyazaki Prefecture (JA Saito), started selling message-printed mangoes in a trial at a fruit store in Tokyo. The mangoes, intended as gifts for Father’s Day, are available in a gift box containing two, one with a message “Thanks Dad” and the other with “Happy Father’s Day” printed on the surface in Japanese.
The messages are printed on mangoes by jetting white ink made from titanium oxide used in food additives. JA Saito borrowed a printing machine from Kishu Giken Kogyo, a Wakayama-based manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers, and prints messages at the production area after receiving purchase orders.
The mangoes are available in two types – fully-ripe mangoes and “Taiyo no tamago (egg of the sun),” a premium brand name for ripe mangoes which meet certain standards such as having at least 15 degrees of natural sugar content and weighing at least 350 grams.
They are sold at Sun Fruits’ store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, at 15,000 yen per box for 4L-size ripe mangoes and 15,750 yen per box for 3L-size Taiyo no tamago.
“We will analyze whether there is demand for such products and whether they are profitable, and if they appear promising, we want to publicize them to be used as presents for guests at wedding receptions and other events,” a JA Saito official said.
(June 14, 2013)