“French walnuts are washed with water instead of chemicals”

The French walnut season will not start until October, but Coopenoix sells throughout the year. “Outside of the season, we mostly send our walnuts to Italy and Spain, and they can be found in French supermarkets as well,” says Christine Bonnet, sales executive for the company. “During the season, we export to Germany, Spain and Italy, and to a lesser extent to Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland. People in the Netherlands and Germany tend to eat walnuts from October until Christmas.” Walnuts are more a part of people’s diet in Southern Europe, compared to the more northern countries.

Good season
“We have had a good season, with good volumes and production. Compared to last year, our volume increased by 1,000 tonnes, that is an increase of 15 per cent,” Christine continues. “This is due to the good weather we have had, which was ideal during the flowering stage. All in all, prices were good as well, sizes of which we had more supply tended to be a bit cheaper than the sizes of which we had smaller supply.”

Regional
“Our walnuts are cultivated in the Grenoble region, they are very much a local product. We have 500 cultivators who grow a special variety for us, Franquette, which is a walnut famed for its good flavour and which is a bit more refined than other walnuts. We also have Noix de Grenoble walnuts, which are also a regional product and have an AOP label.”

Difference with American walnuts
Walnuts are labour-intensive, and Coopenoix therefore hires additional workers during the harvesting stage. “During the season, we have about 60 people who help with the harvest. The nuts are harvested mechanically, but we need people to wash and sort the nuts,” Christine explains. The workers also peel the walnuts. “We supply both peeled and unpeeled walnuts - about 7,000 tonnes of regular unpeeled nuts, of which 700 tonnes are organic walnuts, and 300 tonnes of peeled walnuts. After peeling, the walnuts are washed.”

The difference between French and American walnuts is the way they are washed. “American walnuts are washed with chemicals, which is why they are bleached white. Because these chemicals are banned in France, we only wash with water. This results in a slightly browner walnut, but also in a healthier, chemical-free walnut.”

For more information:
Christine Bonnet
COOPENOIX
Tel: +33 476 369 521
c.bonnet@coopenoix.com
www.coopenoix.com