Europe: New Trends that offer opportunities for Chilean fruit

14/05/2015

Although it is almost imperceptible, Europeans are changing their habits regarding the consumption of fruits and vegetables, not only increasing their intake, but also modifying their preferences regarding the types of fruit, and changing the way in which consume, all marked by the increasingly stronger incorporation of the search for healthier and more natural foods.

In fact, in the last five years, sales of fresh fruit grew 1% in Western Europe -considering Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the United Kingdom-, which exceeded the 34 million tons last year, representing around 8% of the world fruit market, according to a recent study conducted by the consultancy Euromonitor International. When looking at the complete food basket of Europeans at the close of 2014, fruits and vegetables (with more than 36 million tons in sales in this last category) have more than 50% share in total - each has the 27% and 29%, respectively-, above meats, fish, dairy and eggs.

Despite the severe crisis faced by some economies in that region, the consumption of processed fresh fruits, fruit snacks and products such as berries have also grown, although they still occupy a small portion of the market, leading the annual average increase about the sales.

Although the figures of the study should be understood as the comparison of two photographs of the consumption of these foods among Europeans, they reflect changes in consumer preferences and set guidelines for trends that will gain strength in the coming years, such as the increasing preference not only for fresh products, but for those that are easy to eat and that are in the most natural state possible.

In this sense, a niche for organic fruits and vegetables, as well as for products that have fair trade certification, is seen as consolidated, since it is another issue that increasingly concerns them.

The potential of the berries

Although up to now apples and oranges have led by far the participation in the Western European fruit market, they are categories that are already mature and do not show large variations in consumption.

On the contrary, products such as berries and cherries, which have much smaller portions of the sales pie, are those that show the greatest growth, with an increase of 5,6% and 2,2% between 2009 and 2014, respectively. , supported by the interest in consuming healthier foods or "superfruits."

Euromonitor's fresh food analyst, Anastasia Alieva, explains that this increase is understood by the health properties that nutrition specialists on that continent have promoted. «High levels of elements that help protect cells from damage from berries put them in one of the highest places on the list of desirable 'superfoods' to consume", it states.

To these benefits, Alieva adds as positive factors the availability of these fruits throughout the year -mainly cranberries and cranberries, since the strawberries are considered as an independent category, which also grows-, their versatility for different kitchen preparations and their high profitability for producers.

In this category - which the analyst recognizes as «Developing«-, Chilean exporters also see attractive opportunities. In fact, in the last season shipments to Europe grew 27% compared to last year, with exports to the United Kingdom standing out among the main increases, with 55% more.

«We have studies that show that the countries with the greatest growth potential for blueberries are the Nordic countries, such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy, and these are the markets where we have developed an important part of our promotional efforts«, highlights the executive director of the Blueberry Committee, Andrés Armstrong.

Arrive and take

The stagnation in the consumption of fruits such as apples and oranges, as well as falls in pears and grapefruits, is explained by the preference of others that are easier to transport and consume, such as tangerines, cherries and even bananas.

«The consumption of oranges declines as they are more difficult to peel, but the full category is maintained thanks to the growth in the consumption of clementines and other citrus easy peelers«says Anastasia Alieva.

In this sense, fruits like oranges have also lost market, because people no longer make juice at home, since today there is a wide range of fresh and natural juices in supermarkets, which is more comfortable.

«In Italy, consumers are changing their habits, decreasing lemons and oranges, although they traditionally had high levels of per capita consumption in that country. There they are also moving towards fruits that are easier to consume«Adds Alieva.

Along with the growth in the consumption of easy-to-carry and eat fruits, the study reveals a growth of 25% in the sales of fruit snacks and 22% for those that are sold cut into pieces, for the same reasons, which opens options for Chilean products.

«The most relevant of this study is the growth seen in snack and pre-cut fruits, which is consistent with the tendency to consume healthy foods, but also easy to eat and use. This represents an alternative for Chile, to provide fruit for fresh process in these markets, such as pre-cut«says the executive director of iQonsulting, Isabel Quiroz.

ChileEllimentos general manager, Guillermo González, has a similar vision, adding that there are opportunities for snacks and frozen fruits in Europe in the coming years. It also calls attention to niche markets, such as canned products stored in glass containers, which are recyclable and attractive.

«They are conserved of high value, which usually occupy the vegetables and gourmet products, and there are consumers from developed countries who prefer them for their appearance, because they usually contain spices along with the main product, and because the packaging can be reused«, he specifies.

Grow organic and fair trade

The concerns of Europeans in terms of nutrition go beyond nutrition. As in other areas, such as clothing, in recent years the group of consumers who prefer products made in a sustainable way and with certifications of good labor practices has grown, and they are willing to pay more for it.

In fruits and vegetables, the trend is also present. In fact, the study confirms that organic fruits, for example, represent almost a fifth of this market, which is reflected especially in Spain and the United Kingdom.

However, exports from Chile in this type of fruit and vegetables fell 10% in the last two years - adding just over 7,4 million kilos and US $ 14 million at the end of last year - and only apple shipments show increases , with a total of US $ 8 million in 2014, according to ProChile data, which presents a market to be explored.

On the other hand, the specialists observe a greater interest for the fruits that have certifications of fair trade, even when the budgets for the consumption of food in some countries, like Spain, have been affected by the economic crisis.

«In that country, for example, organic fruit sales grew 25% between 2009 and 2014«says Anastasia Alieva, adding that in Germany they have seen an increase of 76% for this category in the last five years, while in France and the United Kingdom the increases have been 12% and 50%, respectively.

«Despite its higher costs, organic fruits still have good growth prospects, because they are perceived as more environmentally friendly and pesticide-free.«projects the Euromonitor analyst.

Another trend that comes is the reduction of food losses and the interest to reduce the carbon footprint, under the concept of having the shortest possible distance between the field and the table, which also goes hand in hand with product preferences. fresh

Along these lines, the development of smarter packaging is also expected in the coming years, which will allow the fruit to be kept fresh for a longer time, and the increase in the commercialization of 'deformed' fruits, which until now have been ruled out due to their imperfect appearance.

New varieties

One of the data that throws the study is the fall in the consumption of apples, something that the distributors recognize and that the Chilean exporters have noticed this season.

Isabel Quiroz admits that the study data, which also reflects a decrease in the consumption of pears and grapefruits, «they agree with what we have observed in terms of interest, due to the greater supply of other types of fruits that must take away market space from the more traditional ones«.

By the same line goes the president of the Association of Exporters (Asoex), Ronald Bown, regarding the panorama for the apples in this season, that until the beginning of May registered shipments 42% lower than the previous one in the red ones and of 61% except in the green ones.

«It is a season that poses great challenges for the pomáceas sector, because we have a European market with a large production and fruit storage, which produces a surplus of apples within Europe, derived from the blockade to Russia, as well as a large production from the United States«, he analyzes.

For this reason, fruit recipients in Europe have tried to rebound at the sales level by introducing new varieties and flavors, as well as special promotion and marketing campaigns, which is seen as a trend that will continue in the coming seasons.

From the international consultancy they comment that the variety pink lady has had very good results in sales in the United Kingdom during the past year, and that others like opal and raspberry have also performed well among consumers.

In that sense, Anastasia Alieva ensures that there is much innovation in terms of varieties in different fruits, to which consumers would be responding very well, especially in the most exotic in terms of taste and appearance.

«There is good potential for easy-to-consume fruit, such as the seedless papaya introduced in the FruitLogistica 2015, and the kiwi berries (also known as baby kiwis), which are child-friendly, because they do not need to be peeled and are small enough to take them in the collation«, he details.

Another aspect to work, and that can be a contribution for the apples, is the directed marketing, which aims to develop specific niches of consumers and that would gain more notoriety during the next years.

«There should be more joint efforts among fruit producers and marketers to target specific segments of consumers, both demographic and social.«explains Alieva, referring to a wider variety of packaging and fruits presented in different formats and sizes, with different prices.

At this point, the key will be to identify the right groups and their needs, although children, small families, ethical consumers, premiums and, on the other hand, those seeking to save, already stand out as attractive niches.

27% increased Chilean exports of blueberries to Europe in the last season, according to figures from Asoex. Shipments to the United Kingdom increased 55%. 76% organic fruit sales have grown in Germany between 2009 and 2014.

Source: Revista del Campo