For the fourth year in a row, Mercadero facilitated the annual peer group meeting for Processed Fruit and Vegetables and Edible Nuts on April the 20th, in Amsterdam. During this well attended meeting, sector experts and business representatives identified important trends and developments in this sector. The input serves as the starting point for the production of market information which will be published gradually until September on the CBI website. The highlights of the meeting are discussed here, presenting you with a sneak preview on the upcoming reports.
Vegetable juices, frozen kale and avocado purees are gaining popularity in the European market. Growing consumer concerns about health and sugar intake lead to an increased demand for low sugar products and already has a negative impact on the sales of natural fruit juices in several EU countries, such as Italy and the Netherlands. Market experts expect that the demand for fruit juice as a final product will decrease and that fruit concentrates will increasingly serve as an ingredient for low calorie- and low sugar fruit drinks. Consumption of lemon, pineapple and mango juice and coconut water, as well as superfruits like sour cherries, haskap and goji berries are expected to increase.
Stricter regulations about Maximum Residue Levels for example for apples and peanuts, form an additional challenge for suppliers from developing countries, as laboratory tests in practice become more important than already existing demands on food safety certification, such as HACCP, BRC and IFS. Corporate Social Responsibility is an upcoming trend in this industry quickly gaining momentum, from which suppliers with CSR certification are expected to benefit. An increasing number of EU companies is doing social audits themselves to ensure labour standards are being respected. For several products, the number of producing countries is growing and competition increases, which is further exacerbated by the fact that demand is growing in emerging economies and South-South trade is increasing.
If you would like to know more about these trends or if you would like to share your expert knowledge during the next years’ annual peer group meeting, please contact Mercadero for more information.