"The kiwi berry is a fine product to look forward to"
Hoogstraten kiwi berries on the shelves earlier this year
One of the first growers to start a kiwi berry crop was Paul Stoffels. Together with his wife, Petra Veldman, he has 7000 square meters of land. "We planted the kiwi berry in 1998," he says. It took a little time, but after about four or five years you have a top quality product. "The kiwi berry crop cannot be compared to other crops. It is really like an odd man out. They are mostly all grown outside. The berries are harvested when they are hard and they are ripened at Hoogstraten. The berries are first cooled and then stocked with apples in order to start the production of ethylene so they can begin ripening. This is the process to turn them into a delicious product for the customers." According to Jan they can be stored for quite a while, "but that does not happen often, since the berries always sell very quickly."
For abroad as well
Jan Engelen says that the Belgian retailers are the most important kiwi berry customers, and that the products are sold for a fixed price, just as they are with other specialities. "First we only supplied to Colruyt, but after that others soon followed. Next, we started to supply Albert Heijn in the Netherlands. This year we are supplying to Lidl Germany for the first time, a distributor that has included the Hoogstraten kiwi berries in their own snack range. A little less than a third of the supply goes to Lidl Germany." Jan expects that as the volume increases so will the export. "We already have interest from other countries, so there will probably be new customers in the coming years."
The production comes from 20 hectares and 25 growers. "We collect the product from 7 cooperatives: CLTV Zundert(NL), Belorta, Fruitveiling Zuid-Limburg (NL), Fossa Eugenia (NL), Reo Veiling, Veiling Haspengouw and of course Veiling Hoogstraten." Engelen expects production to increase in the coming years. "Right now not all the plants are working at full speed. If all 20 hectares used, that could yield 300 tons of berries.
The kiwi berries from Stoffels being selected and packaged.
The right climate
The Belgian kiwi berry is the result of four years of research from the department of life sciences from Gent College. "During the first few years certain varieties were still being tested. This happened in collaboration with the University. After some searching we chose a good variety, and that is the one we are now growing. The climate in the Netherlands and Belgian is perfect for cultivation. The only thing is that it must not freeze during the growing period because that can be fatal to the berry. It also cannot be too hot because the berries don't do well in hot weather. Kiwi berries are also grown in Chile in the spring. Therefore there are two times a year in which the product is available. The kiwi berry season will probably last longer in the coming years if the growing area increases, but we are not going to unnecessarily stretch it. The kiwi berry is a typical seasonal product and that has some charm to it."
Future
Kiwi berry production will continue growing and new plants will be planted. In collaboration with Gent University new varieties are being researched which will be developed in Belgian. We also want to create more awareness among customers." A portion of the kiwi is intended for the berry industry. "Diverse products are made from the berries, but there is also the possibility that the berries could be used for other things, such as in cosmetics or for health care products."
Snack Packaging
The kiwi berry is a user friendly snack due to the convenience of its on-the-go packaging. The packaging comes in the form of shaker holding 125 grams of berries and is ideal when travelling or at work. The customer does not have to peel or cut the kiwi because they can be eaten like a grape."
The Hoogstraten kiwi berries are packaged in a new take away cup in order to sell it as a snack. Research commissioned by Hoogstraten has shown that many people eat very unhealthy snacks at work. 62% of employees would eat more fruit if their employer offered it either free or at a discount, only 12% of employers are actually doing this. Unhealthy snacks remain popular and this is having a negative impact on the health of employees. But healthy employees are very important for a company. They are sick less, and are more concentrated and efficient at work. Veiling Hoogstraten is therefore launching their new harvest as an alternative to unhealthy snacks. The kiwis are packaged in user friendly, to-go shakers so they are easy to eat when travelling or when sitting at your desk at work.
This has been seen from a recent study with six hundred employees regarding their eating and snacking habits. This study was conducted by the independent consultancy i-Vox on behalf of Veiling Hoogstraten.
Employwwa are currently under a lot of stress: more work has to be done with less people to do that work, there is less time and everything has to be faster. People reach for easy food, which usually means unhealthy, either because they need extra energy (54%) or due to a need for sugar (51%). Stress is also an important factor in snacking. 1 out of 4 admit to having a lot of stress at work and that is why they will quickly grab for an unhealthy snack. According to over 25% this improves their concentration. The need for healthy snacks at work inspired Veiling Hoogstraten to create the new packaging. "The kiwi berries, that are eaten just like a grape with the peel still on, offers an immediate and tasty snack, and it offers a good alternative to sweet snacks. These kiwi berries have all the same health benefits as the kiwi. Through offering the kiwi berries in a shaker we are actively tapping into the need of fruit being seen as snack," says Jan Engelen.
Unhealthy living style is detrimental to productivity
In order to learn more about the snacking and eating habits of employees Veiling Hoogstraten probed further in order to find out the frequency of snacking, why employees need to snack and how often they choose healthy or unhealthy snacks. The research showed that half of the employees snack at their desk while working, without taking a break. The combination of lack of exercise with unhealthy snacks creates a high calorie intake, a risk of heart- and vascular disease and a risk of being overweight. "Various scientific studies have associated a higher BMI and an unhealthy lifestyle with absenteeism. Obese men and women have 82 to 133% higher chance of having a long absence from work. The WHO wants employers to play an essential role in the fight against obesity. Employers need to promote healthy meals, physical activity and access to healthy snacks. The excess of sugar in many snacks leads to employees getting a short energy boost followed by lethargy. This obviously does not improve the productivity on the work floor," reports Prof Partrik Mullie, an international good expert, from the VUB
Interest, but resources lacking
Often employees want to eat healthier but they do not have the resources to do so. The hardest times are when they are being treated by colleagues, (41%), an offer in the cafeteria occurs (23%) and snacks are out during meetings (16%). 62% of the people asked said they wanted to eat healthier if fruit was offered either free or at a discount. Company initiatives that try to promote fruit consumption, like a fixed fruit day in which the employer offers free fruit, are only organized by 12% of the employers. Another variation, the vegetable day, is only organized by 3% of the employers. Other initiatives such as a bonus or a discount when employees eat healthy (2%) or motivational talk regarding health (7%) are not seen very much.
The availability of healthy snacks at work would motivate 55% to eat healthier. 53% would choose healthy snacks if it were cheaper than sweets. More health related information at work would be enough reason for 22% to eat healthier. Randstad Group is one of the companies that sensitizes their employees to healthier eating, which fits in with their prevention policy, "On our intranet platform for personnel we regularly publish tips and tricks on how employees can eating healthier during work. That information is about snacking and mealtime, but often the tips also include information about moving more at work. Employees don't move enough throughout the day and this has a negative effect on their health," says Joris Trog, Prevention Adviser of Randstad Group.
For more information:
Veiling Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
B-2320 Hoogstraten
België
Tel: ++32-33.40.02.11
Fax: ++32-33.14.78.44
www.hoogstraten.eu