BaRe ensures that REMA 1000's customers have the choice of an abundance of vegetables. This Norwegian company is based in Kaldfjord close to city of Tromsø, in the north of the country. Giving clients this choice is more difficult in the northern regions than in those to the south. This is according to Arnfinn Mikalsen. "The distances are long, which often leads to logistical problems.
This became painfully clear over Easter. Many roads in Finnmark were closed due to the bad weather. We usually transport everything by road. Then, however, we had to turn to the post boat, the Hurtigruten", he says. The long distances can also have consequences for the products' quality. It often takes two to three days to transport something from Oslo to Tromsø. From there is still has to reach its final destination. Nowadays the situation is much better than it used to be. At every stage in the transportation chain, attention needs to be paid to quality. "Our trucks are divided into two separate temperature zones. This keeps the products fresher for longer. Earlier, everything was stored in one space", says Mikalsen.
Quality control
At BaRe's Kaldfjord location, there are three people whose sole concern is quality. They ensure that all the products are checked. Not only when they arrive, but also before they leave. "A lot can happen to fruit while it is in transit. It is essential that we check it. Even if this was done in Oslo", says Tom Eilertsen, one of BaRe's quality controllers. "We take random samples of everything that comes in. This amounts to five or six trailers per day. You need to cut avocados open to check their quality. With many other products, it's enough to feel and smell them."
At BaRe, they can find a product's precise origin. They know how far-reaching the circumstances in the country of origin were on the product. If, for instance, Spain had a lot of rain, the quality of their oranges is poorer. BaRe can also see how much fruit and vegetables the 32 REMA 1000 shops they supply, sell. "From our figures, it seems that people in the rural areas eat more traditional foods. They eat lots of potatoes and carrots. In Oslo, we sell more mangoes and sweet potatoes. We are, however, seeing a shift in the rural areas. People are no longer so old-fashioned here", says Eilertsen's colleague, Gøril Martinsen. More berries are also being sold. These include blueberries and strawberries as well as red wild berries and yellow brambleberries. "In the past, everyone went out to the forest to picked their own berries. Things are different now. Now, most people do not pick these berries themselves. They do, however, like making, for example, jam", says Martinsen.
More fruit and vegetables
In recent years, it has been emphasised that people need to eat more fruit and vegetables. This was done by both the food industry and the Norwegian government. An increase of 20% must be realised by 2020. This can be seen in the shops. "Consumers are buying more and more fruit and vegetables. This year alone, we saw an increase of ten percent. So, it looks good", says Mikalsen. "Take oranges, for example. Of these alone, we sold 77 000 kg, even before Easter. Before Christmas, we sold 120 000 mandarins. Mini plum tomatoes are also popular. During the shops' marketing campaigns, about 2,500 cups were being sold per week. It is clear that we are eating more fruit and vegetables than ever before."
Source: www.nordlys.no