Grapefruit — Commodity Profile

This commodity profile was rendered from knowledge.domain = commodity, key = grapefruit (GDF v2.0, 3230 attributes, 28 sections).

Renderer: commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0. Source row version: knowledge_forge_gdf_v2.0_export_2026-04-06.

Identity & Botany

Attribute	Value
Canonical name	Grapefruit
Scientific name	Citrus paradisi
Family / Genus	Rutaceae / Citrus
Produce category	Citrus
Produce subcategory	Grapefruit
FSMA 204 covered?	No
PLU — conventional	4112
PLU — organic	94112
AGROVOC URI	c_3368

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s01_identity. External: FAO AGROVOC.

Varieties

Estimated commercial varieties: 25.

Variety	Market share	Notes
Ruby Red	45%	Deep red flesh, sweet flavor, seedless or nearly seedless, high juice content. Most popular US variety. Discovered in Texas (1929), improved through irradiation breeding. Excellent eating quality with
Star Ruby	20%	Darkest red flesh of all varieties, very sweet, low acidity, seedless. Thin rind makes it easier to peel but more susceptible to damage. Developed in Texas through irradiation (1970). Smaller tree, lo
Rio Red	18%	Dark red flesh, excellent color retention, sweeter than Ruby Red, seedless. Developed in Texas (1985). Good tree vigor and consistent production. Superior internal and external color. Good commercial
Marsh (White)	8%	White/blonde flesh, seedless, slightly more tart than red varieties. Original seedless mutation discovered in Florida (1860s). Hardier and more cold-tolerant. Lower sugar but good acid balance. Declin
Oro Blanco	4%	Pomelo-grapefruit hybrid, sweet white flesh, low acidity, seedless, thick rind. Developed by UC Riverside (1958, released 1980). Sweeter and less bitter than standard grapefruit. Good for consumers av
Melogold	2%	Pomelo-grapefruit hybrid (similar to Oro Blanco but larger fruit), sweet, low acid, thick rind, pale yellow flesh. UC Riverside release (1986). Excellent eating quality, minimal bitterness. Premium sp
Flame	1.5%	Pink-red flesh, early season variety, seedless, good balance of sweet and tart. Developed in Florida. Earlier maturity than Ruby Red by 2-4 weeks. Good for extending season.
Duncan	1%	White flesh, seedy (30-50 seeds), very juicy, excellent flavor, cold hardy. Original Florida variety (1830s). Still grown for processing and juice. Superior flavor but seeds limit fresh market appeal.
Thompson (Pink Marsh)	0.5%	Pink flesh, seedless, mutation of Marsh. Discovered in Florida (1913). Intermediate between white and red varieties. Good juice quality. Moderate sweetness and acidity.

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s04_varieties.variety_summaries.

Post-Harvest Handling

Temperature

• Chilling injury threshold: 50°F.
• Freezing point: 29.8°F. Hard limit.
• Handling urgency: 2 / 5.

Ethylene

Property	Value
Production class	very_low
Production rate (20°C)	0.2 μL/kg·hr typical (0.1–0.4)
Sensitivity class	low
Sensitivity threshold	10 ppm
Climacteric?	No

Agent note: Can be stored with other citrus and low-ethylene commodities; avoid storage with high ethylene producers only if extended storage (>6 weeks) is planned

Mixed-load compatibility

citrus_group

Operational flags

• Can be top-iced? No
• Light-sensitive? No

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s07_harvest_post_harvest.

Market Intelligence

Demand

Declining long-term trend with consumption down approximately 2-3% annually over past decade due to aging demographic, bitter taste profile, and drug interaction concerns. However, stable niche market among health-conscious consumers for weight management and vitamin C benefits.

Elasticity

Metric	Value
Price elasticity	-0.85
Income elasticity	0.35
Organic premium elasticity	-0.65

Market share by variety

Variety	Share
Ruby Red	55%
Star Ruby	20%
Rio Red	15%
Marsh White	6%
Oro Blanco	2%
Other	2%

Pack sizes

• 20 lb carton
• 23 lb carton
• 25 lb carton
• 32 count
• 36 count
• 40 count
• 48 count
• 56 count
• 5 lb mesh bag
• 8 lb bag

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s09_market_intelligence.

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Rendered by commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0 on 2026-05-15T22:30:00.000Z.