Hortalizas Ortiz is an independent Spanish company located in Orihuela (Alicante) that produces and markets little gem and romaine lettuce wholesale to other distributors; it does not sell directly to consumers.
Hortalizas Ortiz invests in ongoing training for its team and in state-of-the-art machinery to offer a fresh, high-quality product to its customers, who are primarily retailers, warehouses, small and medium-sized supermarket chains, and other distributors. Thanks to its extensive experience and its large own fields, it facilitates and supplies lettuce to distributors so that it arrives fresh and flavorful to the end consumers.
Hortalizas Ortiz uses a Moelco Levante’s model Vacuum Cooler, a specialized supplier of vacuum cooler machines, which offer the following advantages for lettuce:
- It extends shelf life because by cooling the lettuce immediately after harvesting, degradation is stopped, and freshness and crispness are maintained for much longer.
- It reduces wilting by slowing the plant’s respiration and preventing it from losing its internal moisture.
- Uniformity. Unlike forced-air cooling, vacuum cooling cools the entire product evenly, regardless of where the box of lettuce is located.
- It prevents microbial spoilage by rapidly reducing the temperature, which limits the growth of bacteria and microorganisms that cause spoilage.
- Logistical efficiency, as it allows pallets of lettuce to go directly from harvest to the vacuum chamber and then to refrigerated trucks, thus optimizing time and preservation.
In short, Hortalizas Ortiz little gem and romaine lettuces stay fresh, crisp, and have a much longer shelf life (4 to 6 times longer than normal) by removing the plant’s internal heat through the controlled evaporation of its own water.
If you would like to learn more or contact Hortalizas Ortiz directly, you can do so here.
