"The most popular exotics have remained the same for years," says Jan Vermeiren of Exofi. This company is located in the European Center and the Early Market in Brussels, Belgium. It has been importing exotic fruit and vegetable for half a century. "The top-selling fruits are still mainly avocado, mango, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, passion fruit, limes, fresh figs, lychees, and pomegranate. For vegetables, it's haricots verts, mangetouts, and green asparagus."
Jan Vermeiren
Subject to change, though, is the reason people buy exotics. These fruits and vegetables used to be primarily considered luxury items. Now, the emphasis is on their health aspects. "The global pandemic has caused consumers to start paying more attention to healthy fruits and vegetables. People are starting to look for alternatives to medication. That includes things that help high blood pressure or stomach ailments."
Commonplace
"In the first COVID year, there was an increased demand for vitamin C-rich fruits like kiwi and citrus. This year, Jan has noticed a rise in the demand for fruits that promote health, such as pineapple, mango, kiwi, blueberries, ginger, and papaya. "Belgians aren't eating more organic like the Germans. They're looking more for products that are good for your health," he says.
Kiwi, for example, is in demand because of its high vitamin C content, as are ginger and turmeric. These boost the immune system. "Exotics have become commonplace. Who doesn't regularly eat avocado or pineapple? We'll eat pomegranates because of their antioxidants. Or kiwis for their vitamin C content and immune system boosting properties. In Belgium, mango isn't yet the best-selling fruit, like in, say, India. But we're catching up with the rest of the world."
Jan points out that since exotics have become much more common, the holiday assortment is no different from the usual range. "That huge boom of the past - in December we used to have five times the turnover - has now been reduced to double. There aren't peaks anymore." That is not to say that the assortment does not shift with consumer preferences. Sweet potatoes are generally on the rise. And the limes range is being expanded with new varieties.
Half ripened
The undisputed number one of the exotics rankings, the avocado, is still going strong, says Vermeiren. However, there is a development in that area. Hass avocados used to be sent to Europe mainly unripened in four-kilogram boxes. Now, semi-ripened avocados are arriving in ten-kilogram boxes. "The semi-ripened avocados get a little gas when they leave their country of origin."
"By the time they get here, they're perfectly ripened. This temporary phenomenon is current mainly because of the oversupply of Hass avocado from South America." It also affects the price. "That's much lower than for avocados ripened and repackaged here. The price of ripened avocados is around €4/kg. The bulk ten-kilo semi-ripened ones go for half that," Jan concludes. These semi-ripened avocados may be slightly smaller, but they no longer need to be ripened, repackaged, and labeled.
For Exofi, that has led to a 40% increase in Hass avocado sales. Jan thinks this development will lead to a 30 to 40% drop in consumer prices. That is not a negative development. The exotic fruit and vegetable importer has noticed that, in addition to healthier products, people are developing a preference for somewhat cheaper alternatives. That is due to increasing costs.
Jan Vermeiren
Exofi Fresh Market
Werkhuizenkaai 112, mag.25-26
B-100 Brussel, België
+32 (0)2 243 1249
[email protected]
www.exofi.be
<<PHOTOS>>
In the file