CHILDREN: THE BEST WAY TO GROW CONSUMPTION

“The fresh sector should continue looking at new  trends in order to increase sales within the post-recession economy”

Interview with Jeff Oberman, vice president membership United Fresh Produce Association

United Fresh Produce Association is a trade association of 6,500 individual members from over 30 countries. It focuses its work on food safety, global standards, good agricultural practices and also traceability. In an interview with Brassicas Today during Fruit Logistica 2010, Jeff Oberman, vice president membership United Fresh Produce Association, explained that the main goal at the moment for the fresh produce sector is to increase fruit and vegetables consumption, especially of children.

Q. Could you present United Fresh Produce Association to our readers?
A. We are a global trade association representing the entire supply chain, from the grower shipper, wholesale distributor and all the way to retail and food service, for example restaurant provider. So, as a trade association, what we work on is main big issues facing the industry: food safety, transportation, growing, seed research and development. And over all, our main function is helping our members to produce fruit and vegetables and get them to market. We also help as a trade association to explore opening new markets.

During Fruit Logistica 2010 we worked in educational forums, where we showed how we are trying to increase consumption with our members, for example trying to get fruit and vegetables into the schools, at the young age, but also working together with our members in Europe and around the world.  

Q. Which are the main objectives of United Fresh for 2010?
A. The main objective of United Fresh is to grow global produce consumption. We also want to help our members, because they represent the whole distribution chain, but the main goal is to increase consumption. We believe that children can start at a young age eating fruit and vegetables: it will be the best way to grow consumption.

It is also important to help our member companies understand and educate our members for food safety, produce traceability and understand new opportunities and new channels. In the European Union we can help bringing new technology and joining the Global Gap standards, because if they are exporting to the USA, we will help them to understand requirements for traceability, and then continue to develop more educational programs like Fresh Convenience Europe.

Q. Will you join more educational forums or conferences?
A. Our next conference will be in Las Vegas, where we have an annual convention in April www.unitedfresh2010.org. We will focus on four main sections and educational programs. We divide the industry into grower shipper, fresh cut processor, whole sale distributor (buys and sells) and retail and food services, so actually, the end users.

“I truly encourage produce companies in the EU and beyond to continue looking at new opportunities and trends in order to increase sales within this post-recession economy”

Q. As an advice, what do you think it will be the best strategy for the fresh produce sector to deal with the financial crisis?
A. I will go outside of the fresh produce world to answer this question. Microsoft, a major company, very successful, was founded in the middle of a recession. So, recession is not a time for the fresh produce industry to dazzle. We have all been personally affected by recession, but at the same time you can’t stop marketing, you must continue selling. We have seen a challenge if we look at organic and sustainability. Now we are looking to more economic production. United Fresh had a German retail tour during FL 2010 and we heard that over 42% of the market is for discount and retailers.

So, what I would say is that the best choice for our companies is to look at new product innovation, satisfy the consumers and work for the extension of the fresh fruit and vegetables consumption. The challenge that we have seen is that while volume is picking up we have seen stable price at retails standard. I truly encourage produce companies in the EU and beyond to continue looking at new opportunities and trends in order to increase sales within this post-recession economy.

Q. Food safety was a main topic during FL 2010, what do you think about this issue in the current situation?
A. United Fresh Produce Association has worked together with auditing companies and organizations like Global GAP, because fresh produce companies are on their own making their commitments to safe product. United Fresh is preparing its companies, because we know that government will be getting involved in regulating food safety laws in the U.S., and we see the Canadian food safety departments are regulating the industry as well.

So it will be no longer an option, but it will be regulation to do business: you must be aware of food safety and you must adhere or conduct food safety agricultural practices.  We are working towards a goal of Global Harmonization (standardization) of food safety audits to help with this effort, at our annual convention being held in Las Vegas www.unitedfresh2010.org on April 20-24, 2010.

“You must be aware of food safety and you must adhere or conduct food safety agricultural practices”

Q. Innovation seems to be a top theme in the sector, what does United Fresh about it?
A. There are a number of future trends, which were set together in the Freshconex Forum area and it is still an opportunity in the European Union. We see growth in the last few years, but there is still room for new product innovation. Regarding new channels we have seen a growth. For example, at the first session of the Freshconex Forum we took a look at new packaging trends and some of them liked flexible standard approach making it more convenient at store and refrigerator. That is a new trend, but also new products going to a personal serving size. These are all opportunities.

"Besides the new product development, but we also try to get new channels to get availability"

What we learn through our studies is that, for instance, Coca Cola was successful because they made it very available, no matter where you are, because you can always see it. It is not in that way for fruits and vegetables and this is the challenge. We have focused on these new trends and consumer feedback during our annual convention in Las Vegas and during our time at Freshconex at Fruit Logistica 2010.  We encourage industry members to join us in London for the Fresh Convenience Europe Congress taking place in London on June 2010.  This will be the premiere event for innovation and new products in the EU marketplace, and to learn more visit: http://freshconvenience.com.

Q. Which were the main objectives of United Fresh by having a stand in Fruit Logistica 2010?
A. We have a lot of members around the world, especially in the European Union. So, what we want to do is look at the new trends in the industry and share the value that we can provide to companies that are involved in United Fresh, as well as those who may not be familiar with a trade association. We provide a number of educational programs, specifically in tracking what commodities may be successful, what pricing are going to get, what consumers think about fresh produce.

“Fresh produce companies are on their own making their commitments to safe product”

Q. Which were the main topics of the Freshconex Forum during FL 2010?
A. We looked at new innovations in packaging design, standard flexible and environment friendly packaging. Sustainability is a major issue that United Fresh is working out establishing the global center producer of sustainability. It is very important for the fresh convenience, when you use plastic packaging consumers think that this is not environmentally positive, that it is waste.

“So, we are trying to use new environmental packaging”

Another topic was the cold chain, how can we keep it “green”, because cooling takes a lot of power. So if we can minimize this energy consumption, it would be a huge step.

New seed technology is also a big issue, how you can extend the life of the seeds and how new varieties can be developed. In United Fresh we believe that it is extremely important to know how a consumer tastes, enjoys and delights every bite.

We also worked on food safety and how the industry is responding to upgrades: how are we examining ourselves, what are the standards, what are we going to test, how often do you test and when. So then we looked at the global standard with Global Gap in the North America and also Africa coming into Europe, the whole world should follow the correct practices. We also talked about traceability as a new issue, because we will hear more and more about it, when the product comes from and all its way.

S&G Brassicas Today - March 2010