Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has launched its red-shelled Rubyglow pineapple, which it says features a red outer skin, bright yellow flesh and a new, sweet flavor similar to Del Monte pineapples.

The Rubyglow pineapple is first being launched in China, in time for Chinese New Year as part of the company’s grand debut in the Chinese market, according to a news release, which added that a waitlist is available for consumers in other countries.

With around 5,000 pineapples available worldwide in 2024 and 3,000 in 2025, the pineapple’s rarity and limited inventory make Rubyglow pineapple a highly coveted item, Fresh Del Monte said. This holds particularly true in the Chinese market, where consumers wield significant spending power and value luxury novelty items, according to the release. Grown in Costa Rica, the Rubyglow pineapple has been in development for more than 15 years and has a registered plant patent in the U.S., the release said. The pineapple is a cross between a traditional pineapple and a Morada pineapple — which is typically inedible — making the Rubyglow pineapple a hybrid fruit produced through traditional crossbreeding techniques, the release said. Rubyglo pineapples are naturally ripened in Costa Rica on the plant and sold crownless in elegantly designed packaging, according to the release.

The company strengthened safety measures for the care and protection of the new variety of red skinned pineapple Rubyglow, as confirmed by the company. Last June, the brand acknowledged the theft of plant material from the pink pineapple, an exclusive variety for export that began to be marketed in the country, without authorization. Fresh Del Monte said it has been driving pineapple innovation since the 1990s with the debut of the Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet pineapple, the first of its kind.

The pineapple has a golden color and, at that time, was much sweeter than any other pineapple on the market, according to the release. Since then, the company’s pineapple program has released the Pinkglow pineapple, the Honeyglow pineapple, the Del Monte Zero pineapple and now the Rubyglow pineapple.