The tomato – a top product in these Corona times Whether it is about maintaining good health or beating quarantine weight gain, these days consumers often choose healthy and low-calorie products when grocery shopping (online). Producers of these healthy alternatives stress the positive claims through marketing. “Why does the fruit and vegetable industry fail to do so?”, asks Wim van den Berg, marketing manager of the Dutch tomato brand Prominent. After all, a tomato contains hardly any calories and added sugars while it is bursting with vitamins.
Tomatoes are ideal for small snack variations or as finger food.
Enjoy snacks with healthy tomatoes According to Van den Berg, there is a specific tomato with the right characFRUCHTHANDEL Special best in fresh 2021
teristics for each dish. “How about a healthy salad for lunch? Then go for an aromatic cocktail tomato. Or does the autumn weather ask for a hearty soup? Choose a juicy tomato. The same counts for pasta dishes. And for in between meals – or in kids’ lunch boxes – choose from a wide range of sweet snacking tomatoes. A healthy alternative to a packet of crisps: you can keep snacking on these small tomatoes without the guilt”, explains Wim van den Berg. If you would like to know more about Prominent’s fresh products, please contact Wim van den Berg at Growers United, responsible for the brand Prominent: w.vandenberg@growersunited.nl or +31 (0)6 5756 4346.
About Growers United Growers United is a professional cooperative by and for fruit vegetable growers. With five brands, more than 40 family businesses, approximately 600 hectares of greenhouses and a € 400 million turnover, Growers United is one of the main players in the cultivation, packaging, and sale of greenhouse vegetables in Europe.
Photos: Growers United
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im van den Berg’s arguments are understandable, now that we are working from home more often, several new trends arise. Consumers are moving less yet snacking more. “Now that we work from home more often, certain trends in leisure time behaviour and nutrition are also becoming apparent. Consumers move less but eat more snacks. This leads to an unwanted increase in the annoying ‘corona kilos’, so that more consumers pay attention to what they put in their shopping basket when doing their (online) shoppings. Many people make a conscious choice for healthy products, which has led to a 10 % increase in the amount of tomatoes consumed at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a great and healthy trend as tomatoes not only contain many nutrients, but they are also incredibly versatile and can be used in many different ways,” says Wim van den Berg.
Consumers are at the centre of the company’s strategy, which is also expressed by the slogan “Good food in good hands”. Consumers should be encouraged to enjoy healthy and tasty fruit and vegetables of reliable origin and of the highest quality several times a day.
A delicious tomato smoothie – easy to make, full of vitamins and wonderfully refreshing. 77
