The Produce Retail Podcast · 2026-03-18 · 1h 9m
We're delighted to welcome to the podcast two of the foremost ripening experts in the country: Dennis Kihlstadius, CEO of Produce Technical Services, and Gary Campisi, president of Campisi Produce Consulting. They discuss both the fundamentals and finer points of banana ripening, including why ripening with external color as the guide only works 80% of the time; how to get a more precise understanding of ripening progress; the three rules of ripening Gary developed during his 25 years at Walmart; how country of origin factors into ripening; what qualifies as a good ripening room; how to sample effectively; where in the supply chain ripening happens depending on the size of the retailer; the importance of bananas as a quality messenger for the overall department; and more. Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy the conversation!
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