Publication date: December 1, 2019
From Brazil to the World A year after the establishment of Zespri, new regulations in the United States trigger market entry for a new tropical fruit brand with Brazilian origins that had already found success in Europe. “In 1998, Brazil received the authorization to export papayas to the USA, which is when our family emigrated […]
Publication date: May 17, 2019
HLB Specialties, an importer and distributor of tropical fruits, based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, is getting ready for its first rambutan shipment of the season, which will start in the second week of May. The company will first receive Guatemalan rambutan in its Miami warehouse and soon after in its Los Angeles distribution center. HLB […]
Publication date: August 13, 2015
HLB Specialties has become the first company to supply organic Formosa papayas to the US market. The Mexican-grown papayas are cultivated in a protected microclimate that allows for the right conditions to grow the fruits organically with the minimum amount of pesticides.
Publication date: August 11, 2015
“Until now, organic Formosa (or Tainung) papayas were not commercially available in the US,” says Melissa Hartmann de Barros with HLB Specialties. “In an effort to meet customers’ increased demand for organically grown, non-GMO fruit, we’ve spent the past four years working with a grower from Mexico on developing the right product. We are the […]
Publication date: June 12, 2003
And recent research suggests eating papaya may boost your immune system against such strong enemies as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). As a result, you can’t even find a papaya in Toronto’s Chinatown, where this virulent virus is a threat, according to Homero Levy de Barros, president of HLB Tropical Food USA in Plantation. He imports and distributes Caliman papayas from Brazil. Plus, he says, a papaya has more vitamin C and potassium than two oranges and has fewer calories. In fact, its calorie count is half that of a large banana. It has more vitamin A than carrots and is an abundant source of the antioxidant vitamin E.
