Tomatoes, apples and pears are still very popular, but new trends such as snack tomatoes and picnic apples are conquering the customers’ hearts.
In the past year Germans bought 88.7 kilos fruit for 180.78 Euros per person. They mainly bought apples and bananas. However, over the last three years melons and grapes have gained in popularity. A further 71.7 kilos of fresh vegetables (173.54 Euros) per person were bought and just like every year, they bought mostly tomatoes. The tomatoes were followed by carrots and onions, so they regained their position as favorite.
However, the German Association for Nutrition (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung) reports in its 13th Nutrition Report a continuing decline in the consumption of fruit and vegetables. Advertising attempts to convince consumers appear to have no effect. President of the German Fruchthandelsverbandes, Dieter Krauß, stated during Fruit Logistica in Berlin that: "It is a sad problem that fruit and vegetables do not occupy their rightful nutritional position." Apples, pears and cabbages just aren’t sexy enough. Supermarkets do take action and modernize their fresh food departments. Furthermore, retailers work on their advertising and on the positive image of fruit and vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables are now offered to consumers in various ways – ranging from processed food to snacks to go. Health-conscious social media users use platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to create a positive image of fruit and vegetables. The trade has caught up with this trend, explained Hans-Christoph Behr of the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI). The consumption of fruit and vegetables should not only be measured in kilos, as this is clearly a mistake. Berries, for instance, are very popular now, but customers won’t eat kilos of berries. Furthermore, smartly packaged snack tomatoes or picnic apples are also conquering the hearts of customers.