Bonduelle is worried that French consumption of vegetables is stagnating. The Food Sanitary Safety Agency has estimated that the French consume 140g/day/person, less than what is recommended by the National Nutrition and Health Programme.
Having visited 150 restaurant kitchens over many months in seven different countries, Bonduelle believes that the situation is not irremediable. The Food Services division of the group has decided to aim to reach a two figure increase by 2020, despite this sector (about 20% of turnover) decreasing non-stop since the crisis in 2008. It has only recently recovered with a 1% growth at the end of June 2016.
The aim is now for vegetables to lose their status as just a side dish for meat, and to become the main ingredient in a whole range of meals. Bonduelle will try to help chefs rethink their menus with more vegetables, they rely on them as the “prescribers”. Christophe Chateau says that “In some restaurants, notably canteens, vegetables are never served. Pasta, rice and chips are preferred as they fill the stomachs better”.
Bonduelle has therefore completely reorganised their Food Services division and their production should triple over the next five years. A new range has already been released that includes vegetable tempuras with carrot burgers, pumpkin and carrot smoothies and strengthening purées for collective catering for senior citizens. Hundreds of thousands of Euros were invested into the strategy, without having to create new production lines.
Away-from-home catering represents 6 billion meals in France and a €55 billion turnover. In Europe, the amount of meals is ten times that figure, with an estimated worth of €450 billion.