Jan Prinsen of the Belgian Fresh Food Institute recently visited France, where he went to supermarkets and markets in the Alsace region. Jan Prinsen took photos in a supermarket, a discounter, a fresh market and a 'regular' market. He says that in general, there was a lot of attention for product presentation, regional products and organic products.
Great displays
Jan says he saw 'really great displays' with fruit and vegetables. "I saw many good and beautiful quality fruit and vegetables, everything was to a high standard. For instance, I saw outstanding displays with pumpkins, and a great packaging for Belgian endive. Here, the origin was shown in large print. In the stores I visited, nowhere did I see products that weren't fresh, the focus was on freshness everywhere. The indoor market in Colmar also had a great humidification system for fruit and vegetables."
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More green crates and 'own' packaging
Prinsen noticed that products in the stores he visited, were more strewn around individually, less packaged than in Belgium. "Also, Clementines were often sold without a tray, something you don't see in Belgium." At Discounter Norma, there was a lot of attention for organic produce. He also noticed that many of the fruits and vegetables were displayed in a green crate. "Fruit and vegetables come out nicely in those. Not many blue EPS crates are used any more." In addition to the green packaging, he also saw that more was being displayed in suppliers' boxes. "That way, consumers can also see where the product originates."
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