Spar Group Begins Testing Heritage Alpine Apples for Commercial Markets

The Spar Group, one of Europe's largest supermarket operators, has begun testing heritage apple varieties to bring them to market at scale, Good News Network reported. The retailer is conducting commercialization tests on several alpine apple cultivars to offer alternatives to the most commonly consumed global varieties. [1]

Austrian produce trader Frutura is partnering with Spar on the initiative. According to Good News Network, the initial varieties undergoing testing are the Ilzer Rose and the Falchs Gulderling. Some of these alpine cultivars were originally developed more than 200 years ago. [1]

An heirloom plant or heritage fruit is an old cultivar grown and preserved by gardeners and farmers. These varieties were once widely cultivated in human history, but modern large-scale agricultural operations generally do not use them. [3]