Pink Lady® apple creator dies at age 95

By: Szöllősi Réka Date: 2022. 05. 27. 06:38

The legend behind the the Pink Lady® apple, John Cripps has passed away in Australia where he released his apple formula to the market 30 years ago. Cripps daughter Helen Cripps commented on her father’s legacy in an interview with ABC radio.

She said it took 25 years of research to develop the apple genetics of the Pink Lady® to the point it’s at today. Her father was looking for a particular taste — he was looking for the red color, the sweetness, the crispness and that they had good storage so they could survive in cold store for a long time. She said her family is proud of his contribution to the agricultural industry, by developing the variety, which is now a staple item on shelves around the world, and a potent brand within the produce industry.

The Pink Lady® also pioneered the marketing of premium quality fruit, being amongst the first fresh produce in the world to be trademarked, requiring apples to meet strict quality standards to bear the variety’s label.

The Pink Lady® apples first hit the market in 1991 and has since been listed as one of Australia’s top 100 greatest inventions. Eventually, the brand accounted for more than 30 percent of Australia’s apple production, the report said.

In 2010, Cripps was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia and five years later was made an Officer of the order of Australia.

(Source: www.freshfruitportal.com)