The company processes industrial tomatoes into pastes, sauces, and concentrates for the domestic and export markets. The tomatoes are sourced mainly from third-party fields, with planting beginning in September and harvesting extending through March-April.

Alternaria disease, caused by the fungus Alternaria spp., recurrently affects tomato crops and has become critical in recent seasons. Some Alternaria species can also produce mycotoxins that persist in the fruit and enter the processing line, with direct implications for food safety and compliance with destination-market requirements.

In this context, the company seeks to:

1. Reduce in-field losses associated with Alternaria disease.
2. Reduce Alternaria mycotoxin levels in fruit entering the processing plant.
3. Have validated solutions available for deployment from the next growing season.