Chainmail RZ Rijk Zwaan magazine for all chain partners | February 2015
Woolworths adds quality with Crunchita RZ
Apofruit captures the taste of the Mediterranean with Confetto RZ
Stark Alimentos enjoys Salanova® success in Brazil
Contents 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Woolworths and Crunchy Cos VegIMPACT, beef tomato in Indonesia Long cucumber in Hawaii
Winning Woolies intro The Woolworths Waterstone store in Cape Town, South Africa, won the Grand Prize for Design, awarded by the Association for Retail Environments (ARE). Featuring the best in contemporary retail design and greater shelf space, the store forms part of Woolworths’ strategy to grow its footprint through its ‘supermarket with a difference’ concept. Rijk Zwaan stimulates that ‘difference’ by introducing new and exciting products such as the Crunchita RZ crunchy cos.
Capturing the taste of the Mediterranean Internal Red and Silky Pink Indonesians stir-fry lettuce as ‘crispy veggies’ Rijk Zwaan connects with the foodservice sector
Stark Alimentos seeks human dimension Sweet Palermo©: surprisingly unique Venezuelan cuisine embraces RZ specialities
The Woolworths’ design team developed a fresh department with wide aisles, high ceilings and natural light. The space creates a real market atmosphere.
Big market for dried vegetables from Poland Responding to consumer needs around the world
The magazine Chainmail RZ is published in English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian and German by Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V. It is distributed to chain partners worldwide and has a circulation of 8,000. Text and editorial team: Rijk Zwaan Photography: Rijk Zwaan, Tjipke Meijer Lay-out: Drukkerij Van Deventer Printing: Drukkerij Van Deventer Reproduction stating source is allowed. Chainmail RZ has been created with the utmost care. Nevertheless no liability can or will be accepted for any incorrect information. Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V. Burgemeester Crezéelaan 40 P.O. Box 40, 2678 ZG De Lier The Netherlands T +31 (0)174 53 23 00 F +31 (0)174 53 21 63 E chainmanagement@rijkzwaan.nl www.rijkzwaan.com 2
Known to generations of South Africans
“We worked with our
as ‘Woolies’, Woolworths is the only
own design team
retailer of its kind in the country, offering
to create a roomy,
fashion, food, beauty and homeware
open space – making
under its own brand name. “Since
the aisles wider, raising the
its founding in 1931, Woolworths has
ceilings and using natural light via
become associated with a particular
skylights. The layout is intuitive, leading
lifestyle which embodies many values,
the shopper through custom gondolas
such as quality, style, inspiration and
of concrete, steel, brick, tile, oak and
innovation,” says Maurice Breslin,
reclaimed wood in a way that is fluid
Category Head for fresh produce.
rather than rigid,” continues Breslin. “To create a boutique or delicatessen feel,
There are over 400 Woolworths stores
there are many ‘shops within a shop’ – a
in a number of distinct selling formats,
fresh juice station, stations for coffee
but Waterstone is special. It is now six
and for tasting olive oils and balsamic
times its original size and, with almost
vinegars – and an in-store florist,
2,500m² of space, is the largest Woolies
butchery, fishmonger and sushi bar, all
food market ever. One of the first things
staffed by trained employees who are
shoppers notice is the much bigger fresh
on hand to advise.”
produce area, with a real market feel. Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
duces new crunchy cos
“We’re very proud to have won the Grand Prize for Design award, and to have created the world’s best supermarket! We are rolling out this concept to other regions and we will
Crunchy Cos
Midi Cos
Iceberg
soon have a number of such stores. However, we must remember that first and foremost our customers come to Woolies looking for quality, value and
Rijk Zwaan keeps us informed at an
excellent opportunity to put something
innovation in our fresh produce. At
early stage of development, and if we
new on the shelves, to raise the whole
Woolworths, to satisfy our customers,
see something we like we work together
category from heads to prepared salads.
we have to work with a solid base of
with Rijk Zwaan and our growers to be
That’s how this partnership works –
dedicated growers, and that’s also
the first to introduce it.”
together we develop something different to create value for ourselves, but also to
why we work with Rijk Zwaan. The partnership is very important to us, and
An example of this collaboration is the
offer our customers something new and
we like the fact that Rijk Zwaan is as
recent introduction of the Crunchita RZ
exciting that we know they will love.”
committed to innovation and category
crunchy cos variety into Woolworths’
growth as we are. We collaborate on many things, especially with regard to lettuce and salads.
stores. “It’s really unique,” says Breslin, “with a great combination of sweet taste and crunchy texture. We see it as an
Crunchita RZ Rijk Zwaan’s new crunchy cos represents a very interesting alternative to cos or iceberg. This innovative cos offers the best of both worlds: its leaves are just as elongated and green as those of a normal cos lettuce, both on the outside and the inside. In addition, they have the crisp and crunchy bite of an iceberg lettuce. Crunchita RZ is the first variety of crunchy cos and has been designed for large-scale processing. It is still a prototype, but the first trials with mechanical harvesting have been very promising. Furthermore, the variety is very strong against tip burn and has already been tested successfully in several different growing regions, where it proved to generate a reliable yield.
February | 2015
3
VegIMPACT and Rijk Zwaan encourage beef tomato in Indonesia Consumption patterns are changing rapidly in Indonesia. Traders and retailers indicate that there is considerable potential for beef tomato. In the past, producing this type of tomato was rather expensive and yields were low. Rijk Zwaan has now demonstrated that high-quality beef tomato can be produced at a much lower cost price, making production and marketing attractive for all supply chain partners.
with bacterial wilt (Ralstonia spp), which
Grafted tomato plants
causes intensive damage to tomatoes.
Jos van der
Growing tomatoes in greenhouses on
Knaap, Product
provides: cultivation
a medium such as rockwool could be
Development Manager
training, seed loan for
a solution, but the majority of farmers
at Rijk Zwaan, explains:
grafted tomato plants
in Indonesia have no access to such
“An effective solution
advanced production methods. Most
to control soil-borne
There are 20 small farmers
farms do not have the means to invest,
diseases is grafting
involved, all with just
plus this would also increase the cost
tomato cultivars onto a
300-500 plants in Batu as
price of tomatoes in the short run.
resistant rootstock. We
the sourcing area.
Much of the soil in Indonesia is infected
have a lot of experience with tomato grafting in In-shop demonstrations are aimed at enticing shoppers in Surabaya.
farmers in Indonesia,” he continues. During the 1-year pilot period Rijk Zwaan
and advice (on request).
Mutual benefits
Southeast Asia and have successfully
Rara Dewayanti, Chain Manager
experimented with grafted tomato
Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore, notes
plants in Indonesia. Results are very
a growing demand for beef tomatoes:
promising and the technology is now
“They are used in a wide variety of
ready to be introduced to farmers
dishes, beyond the Indonesian cuisine,
on a wider scale. Secondly, we have
and in particular in salads. Beef
conducted experiments with a solution
tomatoes are considered an alternative
against fruit cracking and leaf diseases.
for the standard tomatoes that are
Low-cost rain shelters during rainy
currently available in the Surabaya
seasons had a very positive effect on
market. Our Doufu variety fulfils a need.
the quality and volumes of tomatoes
We’ve introduced it successfully in
harvested. Such rain shelters appear
Hero-Dairy Farm Group retail stores in
to be an economical solution; they are
Surabaya.” Buyung Mulyono, owner of
easy to build at an affordable price and
Condido Agro which is a nursery and
materials can be re-used for a couple of
trading company for the VegIMPACT
years afterwards.”
project, agrees with Rara: “We can all
Cultivation training
benefit from its popularity. By adding an attractive and unique packaging concept
“We believe that thanks to these
and some informative labelling and/
solutions, and due to the introduction
or branding, the beef tomato has good
of modern beef tomato varieties
potential to generate extra income for
such as Doufu RZ, everyone can grow
all supply chain partners, including the
and harvest good-quality products.
farmers.”
That’s why we’re participating in the VegIMPACT project, a programme
Visit www.vegimpact.com for further
that is aimed at improving vegetable
information.
production and marketing for small 4
Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
Cumlaude RZ best-producing long cucumber on Hawaii With regard to cucumbers, Hawaii presents two major challenges:
Low-tech facilities
growing a healthy product in tropical conditions, and transporting the
“We grow our own seedlings in seed trays, and
fruits from one island to another. “It’s pioneering,” says Brian Hudson,
germination with Cumlaude is fabulous. We
owner of Hudson Hothouses, Kamuela, Hawaii. “We learned to grow
transplant the young plants onto coco peat, 3
cucumber our own way and we’ll keep on doing so.”
plants per slab. We just copied that method from other growers, but on Hawaii there’s so much sunlight that we’ve added some extra plants. Production went up accordingly. I would say Cumlaude is a vegetative crop. It’s a relatively open plant with big, big leaves. That’s just the way this variety reacts in tropical conditions. Even if I would like to change the growing habits, it wouldn’t be possible. We don’t have any heaters or lights, so we can’t control the inside climate. That’s okay; Cumlaude handles itself just fine in our low-tech environment.”
Brian Hudson taught himself how to grow and sell cucumbers.
Retailers, grocers, restaurants and resorts Conditions on Hawaii are
“We’re really happy with the
unique. Each island has a
fruits as well. Quality is superb. We ship within 3 days of harvest.
varied micro-climate due to
I know the shelf life is at least 21
rainy sides and dry sides, with
days, but we sell them much sooner.
mountains in the middle. Brian Hudson had a difficult task finding
You see, transport is difficult here, as the
the right variety to fit these tropical conditions.
cucumbers are mainly shipped by barge. They are
“We started growing Cumlaude through a
cooled before shipping and then shipped in cooled
recommendation from Paramount Seeds (a Rijk
containers. There’s no export to the mainland,
Zwaan dealer in the USA). The trials we conducted
and our main buyers are the big retailers, smaller
together with Glen (Paramount) were great.
groceries, restaurants and resorts on Hawaii, Maui
Cumlaude just kept on producing and showed a
and the other islands. The cucumbers are nicely
10% increase overall.”
shaped, a good length and heavily ribbed. Crooked fruits are sold to a company that makes cucumber
Transition from sugar cane to gourmet vegetables
juice. One retailer sells the fruits in packages of 3, wanting a weight of 2.75 pounds, so that’s the
Agricultural farming has changed greatly in recent years to keep up
weight we’re targeting. Our 2.5 acres of Cumlaude
with demands from both home cooks and resort restaurant chefs. For
produce roughly 3,000 pounds of cucumbers a
many years, sugar was the major crop. The large burst of growth for the
day.”
vegetable industry came in World War II, when locally grown produce was purchased by the US government to feed the soldiers who were stationed on Hawaii. Now, with an excess of land and labour from the closing of sugar fields and increasing demand for fresh-grown ingredients and gourmet products, growers are adapting to market changes, diversifying their production and meeting marketplace challenges.
February | 2015
5
Capturing the taste of the Mediterranean According to Nives Raccagni from Apofruit Italia, the tastiest mini plum tomatoes come from Sicily: “The magical influences of the sun, sea and wind on the island’s south coast produce that special tomato flavour that consumers love.”
The mini plum tomato is just one of the many successes in Apofruit’s collaboration with Rijk Zwaan. The relationship was formed over ten years ago and has resulted among other things in the launch of Confetto RZ. The variety fits perfectly within the fruit and vegetable cooperative’s quality focus and can be Nives Raccagni
produced all year round in Italy’s climatic zones by member growers.
Confetto RZ
The Confetto RZ mini plum tomato is one of the five varieties in the Cubelli® ‘blocky’ tomato concept. In addition to the deep red colour and
Raccagni: “It’s a result to be proud of. With Confetto
good flavour of the tomatoes, their authentic
we surprised the national and international market
shape is particularly appealing to consumers.
alike. The mini tomatoes are sold under our own
For example, the blocky fruits stand upright
Solarelli brand in supermarkets in Italy and Northern
well, making them ideal for culinary techniques
Europe. That brand is only used on premium
such as filling. Confetto (14-16g) is good for
products. If a consumer chooses Solarelli, they
harvesting loose. The other ‘blocky’ varieties
receive top-quality tomatoes from the very best
are: 72-190 RZ (10-11g), Vacetto RZ (20-21g),
varieties, produced exclusively in Italy using the
72-174 RZ (23-24g) and the coarse Papeletto RZ (50g). Rijk Zwaan is the only breeder able to offer the blocky tomato in three segments.
most innovative techniques available. We share the same vision as Rijk Zwaan: we are both committed to quality and are not afraid to develop new concepts. In that context, we will also soon be adding Sweet Palermo sweet pointed peppers which are an ideal match for Apofruit.” Just like all other Apofruit products, the pointed
Apofruit Italia
peppers will be grown sustainably, which the company regards as being the key to producing the
Apofruit is a cooperative with its own growers, 11 production plants
healthiest and tastiest vegetables. That approach has
and 6 reception storage centres throughout Italy. It is focused on
certainly paid off for Confetto. Sicily is the optimal
achieving the highest possible specialisation within fruit and vegetable
location for that tomato variety and Rijk Zwaan
products – and they hope to do so through far-reaching chain
advisors supervise production, which starts in June/
collaboration. Apofruit actively seeks contact with leading research
July. The search is still underway for a suitable region
institutes and breeders, for instance. After all, only the best and most
in Northern Italy for January until June. The mini
suitable varieties are right for its growers. Everything revolves around
plum tomatoes are presented in small, attractive
meeting changing market needs.
consumer packs, and larger cardboard boxes are available for retailers.
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Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
Internal Red: tomatoes with a heart Johan Vis, Specialist Marketing Tomato & Cucumber at Rijk Zwaan, slices a seemingly normal truss tomato and places the pieces on a sandwich. “See, it looks beautiful doesn’t it? A highly productive truss tomato which is simply bursting with flavour!”
In 2014 over 3,000 visitors to the Trial Centre Tomato in Kwintsheul saw the Internal Red
Johan Vis
varieties in Rijk Zwaan’s Marketing@Work range.
with the same nice, uniform trusses and strong
Vis is enthusiastic about the interest generated by
green parts. The trusses look their best when they
this innovation. “Visitors were impressed with the
are cut per 6 tomatoes. The average weight of each
attractiveness of the tomatoes, and many were
fruit is approx. 90 grams.
genuinely surprised when they saw the inside: a
The second variety which has the potential to
deep red colour. ‘That’s how a tomato should look,’
emerge as an Internal Red success is 72-720 RZ.
they said.”
In terms of speed and yield, this medium truss tomato is on a par with Cappricia RZ and produces
Internal Red is not yet available. Growers are
high-quality tomatoes (110-120 grams): dark red
currently testing the two main varieties, 72-245 RZ
on the inside and out, and with a good flavour.
and 72-720 RZ. The fine truss tomato 72-245 RZ is
Both 72-720 RZ and the fine truss tomato can easily
a joy to behold. Its exterior resembles Roterno RZ,
withstand warmer periods.
Amazing Oriental trials Silky Pink If you love Asian products, take note: Rijk Zwaan’s Silky Pink tomatoes are now on food retail shelves in various European countries. By stocking the juicy pink tomatoes that are firm favourites in Japan, supermarket chain Amazing Oriental has brought the taste of the Far East another step closer.
option, but it was more logical to select Dutch-grown Amazing Oriental has 20 stores in The Netherlands
products. Rijk Zwaan contacted us at precisely the
and its range includes Korean, Chinese and
right moment. Their Silky Pink tomatoes and Asian
Indonesian products. Consumers can choose from
cucumbers, for instance, are extremely appealing to our
more than 7,000 major brands. The target group
shoppers. We now work together to trial innovations
is by no means restricted to Asian consumers; a
in our stores and evaluate sales performance. In the
growing number of Westerners are interested in
summer, we tested reactions to the pink cocktail 72-175
oriental cuisine. When further broadening the range
RZ and fine truss tomato Hibachi RZ. Our collaboration is
in his stores, general director Martin Chan decided
positive and open, and I still see plenty of opportunities for
to significantly expand the choice of fruit and
the future. People’s eating habits are becoming increasingly
vegetables.
international and they are taking a growing interest in Asian
Martin Chan
food. Hence, we are planning to open new stores plus we Chan: “We wanted to extend our fresh offering with
will be further expanding our online activities. Innovative
beautiful Asian products. Importing them was one
vegetable concepts are definitely welcome.”
February | 2015
7
Indonesians stir-fry lettuce as ‘crispy veggies’ Lettuce consumption is on the rise in Indonesia, especially since more people are learning how to stir fry it – and a cleaner product has become available. Lettuce is being produced using the nutrient film technique (NFT). Excelindo, the company which sells the necessary equipment, sees satisfactory results – crunchy, hydroponically grown Rijk Zwaan lettuce – every day.
People in every layer of Indonesian society,
necessary. We’re only selling to local supermarkets
whether rich or poor, are becoming increasingly
at the moment, but demand is already outstripping
aware of the importance of vegetables in a healthy
supply. That also makes it easier to launch new
diet, resulting in a rise in vegetable and in particular
products.”
lettuce consumption. In Indonesia, lettuce has traditionally been grown outside, in soil, which has
Crunchy varieties
not always produced the best quality. However, it
The new products are a good fit with the latest
has now been proven that alternative methods are
way of preparing lettuce: stir-frying. In Malaysia,
possible. When ultra-clean heads of hydroponically
50% of all lettuce consumed is stir-fried. Extra-
grown lettuce from neighbouring countries became
crunchy varieties are needed to ensure that the
available on the market, Excelindo brought NFT to
leafy vegetable remains crispy after removal from
Indonesia.
the wok, which is why Excelindo is cultivating
Clean lettuce
The Excelindo team expects NFT lettuce production to really take off here.
Rincon RZ, a medium-sized romaine, among other varieties in his demo greenhouse. Excelindo is also
Excelindo now expects lettuce production to really
conducting trials with Crunchy cos, a type which is
take off. “Thailand already has 200 hectares of NFT
better suited to warm climates than regular iceberg
production, Malaysia has over 150 hectares and
lettuce. To stimulate consumer interest, Excelindo
Australia tops the list with 250 hectares. Consumers
prefers not to call his vegetables ‘lettuce’ but
really love the product: there’s no dirt on it, no
rather ‘crispy veggies’. According to the company
browning on the leaves and hardly any pesticide is
the choice for Rijk Zwaan was only logical: “The varieties are slow to bolt, stress-resistant and they look fantastic...perfect for local conditions.”
Living lettuce NFT entails a shallow layer of water mixed with nutrients continually flowing through narrow cultivation gutters. The gutters are inclined at 2% with the nutrient solution being fed in at one end and collected at the other. “The Rijk Zwaan advisors helped us to set up this system. We had some teething problems in the first few months. For example, the water temperature was too high, which caused the lettuce roots to turn brown. We worked together to get the situation under control. Now, we even sell ‘living lettuce’: a lettuce in its pot. People love it! The lettuces look great and last for 3 to 4 weeks. Consumers can pick a few leaves every day. A concept like that turns lettuce into a premium product.”
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Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
From Australia to France
Rijk Zwaan connects with the foodservice sector Chefs are today’s food experts and their students are tomorrow’s – and hence they are key partners for Rijk Zwaan. As a developer of new vegetable varieties and concepts we actively seek contact with this group.
We inform them about existing
vegetable for every dish. Visitors also
products and advise them on potential
gave us tips and ideas which our R&D
partnerships. And it’s a win-win
department will incorporate into future
situation: the foodservice sector tells us
developments.
about its needs and expectations.
Flavour is the added value of many Rijk Zwaan products, and the best way to assess that is by tasting them.
A month later, the Semaine du Goût In September 2014, Fine Food Australia
(‘Week of Taste’) was held in Paris. During
celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over
the 3ème Rencontre des Chefs de Demain
27,000 people attended the anual trade
(‘Third meeting of the chefs of tomorrow’)
event in Melbourne, and Rijk Zwaan was
our chef provided six workshops, and the
among them. Our employees were on
cooking sessions at the renowned Jean
hand to explain all about out our wide
Drouant hotel were attended by a total of
range of vegetable varieties including
150 students from different hotel schools
favourites such as Angela RZ, Ricura
from all over France. Salanova® and the
RZ and Salanova® lettuce that were all
opportunities offered by the Love my
donated by our generous growers. The
Salad online platform received particular
message was clear: we have the perfect
attention.
Christophe Guiet, product development specialist at Rijk Zwaan France:
“Cooking with Salanova®” “It was great that the participants in the cooking workshops were so enthusiastic about Salanova®.
Frances Tolson, chain manager at Rijk Zwaan Australia:
The chef showed them how easy this lettuce is to prepare, and how
“Striped aubergine attracted attention”
multifunctional it is too. Other
“One of the products in the spotlight on our stand was Angela RZ, a striped
sweet pepper and aubergine. All
aubergine from our Sensational Flavour range. It attracted tremendous attention
the products had been provided by
and was even nominated as ‘best new product’. Although it didn’t actually win
French and Dutch growers, and the
the award, it still won over a lot of hearts in Melbourne. The big advantage of
students could taste them to their
this aubergine is the fact that the flesh absorbs less oil during frying, making it
heart’s content. That’s so important!
ideal as part of a healthier lifestyle – and that’s important to many Australians.
After all, they are tomorrow’s experts
Moreover, with its gorgeous shine Angela is simply beautiful. Its natural glossiness
who will be using the unique flavours
sparked interest among many visitors who even asked me if it was real.”
in future creations.”
February | 2015
ingredients included cherry tomatoes,
9
Stark Alimentos Ltda. seeks human dimension in collaborative model Walter Ebsen has been instrumental in the steady rise of Brazilian leafy vegetable company Stark. Nowadays the company, which primarily produces and sells Salanova®, supplies the tasty ‘convenience lettuce’ to numerous food professionals and retailers in the southern state of Santa Caterina. At every stage of Stark’s evolution, the focus was on employees rather than the growth target itself, and the company found that same commitment to the human dimension in its partner, Rijk Zwaan.
Salanova®, which was truly ground-breaking for Brazil, accounts for at least 80% of Stark’s production. Ebsen: “Right from the start we noticed that, although this convenience product was relatively unknown, it was definitely desired. The first heads went mainly to restaurants and other foodservice companies. The feedback was enthusiastic. The ‘one cut, ready’ lettuce enabled chefs to serve their customers an attractive product, and kitchen staff liked the practical convenience and lack of waste.”
For Walter Ebsen (second from the right) the company’s people are just as important.
Respect and trust Stark gradually expanded its business over a
product. It currently cultivates Desirade RZ, Seurat
two-year period. The sales market grew steadily
RZ, Sartre RZ, Excite RZ and Dagama RZ. In addition
and various supermarkets, large and small, also
to Salanova®, the company also produces smaller
listed Salanova® – which is of a consistently high
volumes of green onions, parsley, watercress
quality and always grown with love. “For us, the
and rocket. “And we meet with Rijk Zwaan every
person involved in the product is just as unique
two months to taste new Salanovas®. I like being
as the product itself. We don’t want to choose
involved in the development of these innovations.
between professionalism and character – both are
We share the same goal: to provide Brazilian
important and both play a role in our company
consumers with appealing and healthy food.”
structure. We experience that same personal approach at Rijk Zwaan. Their vision of doing
The collaboration is continuing to evolve. Stark is
business sustainably matches ours. Rather than
considering the addition of gourmet vegetables to
bigger and faster, our focus is on respect for one
its portfolio, such as Rijk Zwaan’s mini cucumbers
another and the environment. Rijk Zwaan helps us
and snack peppers.
to produce and market Salanova®, among other things. For instance, an advisor suggested we used a slightly deeper tray and those few millimetres made all the difference! The yield and quality of our lettuces is now even better.”
Healthy food “Rijk Zwaan also helps us with packaging issues. We now pack each box in an insulate film, even if the lettuce will be consumed the same day. For all customers, every box holds six heads and is prepared on the morning of delivery. We process around 40 orders a day.” Stark germinates the seeds itself, nurses the seedlings and grows the end 10
Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
Sweet Palermo©: surprisingly unique It took many years of breeding, but the result was worth waiting for: in 2012, the Sweet Palermo© was
The Sweet Palermo© pointed pepper puts all other peppers in the shade,
voted the ‘Best Dutch Pepper’ both by expert judges
and it’s now within everyone’s reach. We have developed a complete
and by the public. Culinary journalist Felix Wilbrink
packaging concept for all market segments, and certified growers
(De Telegraaf) could not conceal his enthusiasm:
guarantee a consistent quality and availability. Currently in red and
“We immediately wanted another piece!”
yellow, and soon to be launched in orange.
Raw delicacy Whereas the regular blocky pepper has a maximum brix value of 7, the Sweet Palermo© achieves a 9: the perfect treat for on the go. With thinner skin than a regular pointed or blocky pepper, it has a softer bite, plus there are hardly any seeds inside. Needless to say, consumers can enjoy Sweet
New product experience
Palermo© in many different ways; as well as a snack
With its unique packaging concept,
vegetable for eating raw, it is also ideal for roasting,
Sweet Palermo© offers consumers
steaming or frying.
a whole new product experience. Packaging lines have been developed
Super food
for three distinct market segments: standard,
The pepper’s richness in nutrients makes it
premium and ‘local for local’ specifically for locally
more of a ‘super food’ than a ‘fast food’. Regular
grown Sweet Palermo©. It is in the interests of
peppers are a valuable source of vitamins, but the
growers, retailers and consumers alike to use the
Sweet Palermo goes a step further – it contains
right packaging for the right target group – and
no less than 150mg of vitamin C, which is more
the pepper’s unique characteristics do the rest.
than twice the amount in an orange (60mg).
Following on from the success of the red Sweet
Furthermore, the Sweet Palermo© contains
Palermo©, Rijk Zwaan is now working to develop
lots of vitamin E, a healthy dose of folic acid
it in other colours. A yellow version is already
and magnesium, as well as beta-carotene and
available, and an orange version will be
potassium.
introduced in the near future.
©
See, feel and taste the difference Different to look at: it is a very smooth and also very straight pointed pepper with a deep red colour. Different when cutting or biting into it: it has a softer skin and very few seeds inside. A different taste: the Sweet Palermo© has a deliciously subtle sweetness with a characteristically fruity aroma.
February | 2015
11
Venezuelan cuisine embraces Rijk Zwaan specialities Rijk Zwaan specialities are used in countless ways all over the world. For example, top chef Francisco Abenante from the La Casa Bistro restaurant in Caracas, Venezuela, is very enthusiastic about crunchy cos – it is perfect for his ‘Ensalada Cesar’. Francisco is continually on the lookout for the latest, best and healthiest products to serve to his customers, and he sees that same passion in Rijk Zwaan’s approach.
It’s a funny sight: a greenhouse on the
products. The short communication
roof of a pencil factory in Venezuela’s
lines enable all the chain partners
bustling capital city, where grower
to exchange information about the
Gustavo Salazar from Cocina Emocional
products and their uses in dishes very
cultivates his vegetables. The first crops
efficiently.”
were planted in 2011, originally intended for factory employees. Such was the
Creating demand
success that the greenhouse was later
This project in Venezuela benefits the
extended from 160m² to 850m². “The
entire chain: consumers, restaurant,
link between Cocina Emocional and La Casa Bistro is Valentina Semtei.
grower, distributor and Rijk Zwaan. “The world has so many tasty and unusual products to offer. We simply need to showcase them,” states Francisco enthusiastically. To that end, the chef
She forms
organises workshops for chain partners
the basis
in collaboration with Cocina Emocional
for the
and Marianne Martinez. “We invite
special
students, chefs and growers along to
partner
discuss Rijk Zwaan’s varieties, and of
ship
course to taste them too. That helps
between grower and The rooftop greenhouse restaurant,” in Caracas also serves as a demo says Gustavo company. Salazar.
Jan F Omvlee (l) – Product Development Specialist at Rijk Zwaan, Marianne Martinez – Sales Manager Agrotecnología El Horticultor, and Gustavo Salazar – Grower from Cocina Emecional.
to create demand and automatically
‘Showcase’ Caracas
results in a niche market for those
Venezuela has approximately 29
wonderful varieties.”
million inhabitants, and the per capita consumption of fruit and vegetables is among the highest in South America. However, the
Efficient chain
currency crisis in Venezuela means
“In addition to the standard growing
that basic products such as seeds
activities, our rooftop greenhouse is
can only be imported on a very
a good place to trial new Rijk Zwaan
small scale, so fruit and vegetable
varieties and concepts. We obtain seeds
production is currently way
from Marianne Martinez at Agrotecnolgía
below capacity. Nevertheless, the
El Horticultor, and the crops go straight
country has a fairly high level of
to Francisco Abenante’s restaurant. All
technical knowledge and numerous
Salanova® types, crunchy cos, tomatoes,
opportunities. Therefore, Rijk Zwaan
snack cucumbers, aubergines – we grow
considers it very important to provide
the whole Rijk Zwaan assortment here!
companies with suitable varieties
Our experiences help local growers to select suitable varieties, and top chef Francisco receives the very best 12
Grower Salazar and chef Abenante want to help everyone discover as many wonderful vegetables as possible.
which meet the continuing high demand for top-quality products.
Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
Big market for dried vegetables from Poland Although freshness is hot right now, there has been an entire sector revolving around dried vegetables for decades, ranging from soups to herb mixes for all kinds of applications. The Polish company Suszarnia Warzyw Jaworski dries vegetables especially for that industry. Rijk Zwaan helps the firm to select the best varieties to ensure high-quality end products.
One of Jaworski’s long-standing successful
The selected varieties are suitable for the
varieties is Karotan RZ – a carrot which retains its
dehydration process. At Jaworski, vegetables
beautiful orange colour even after being stored
are air-dried (without chemicals). The moisture
for long periods, processed and dried. In addition,
evaporates and the resulting product has a very
Karotan has high levels of dry-matter content
long shelf life. Did you know that dried vegetables
and beta-carotene. The product helps the owners
contain almost the same levels of mineral salts
of the Polish family business to keep customers
and vitamins as fresh ones? The retention rate is at
happy time and again. The entire process – from
least 80%. At the request of customers, Jaworski
cultivation to dehydration – is focused on the
can also pasteurise the dehydrated vegetables.
quality of the end product, and that includes working with optimum base materials. Therefore, it is only logical that Jaworski also has a solid relationship with a breeding company.
Monty RZ beetroot Supported by Rijk Zwaan, Jaworski has been monitoring the key variety trends and developments for over 20 years. Managing director Daniel Jaworski says: “We evaluate and test newcomers together with Rijk Zwaan. They are good listeners and, because we’ve been partners for so long, we both know exactly what kind of products we’re looking for. We closely analyse the health aspects and
This Polish family company was founded in
compounds together. Rijk Zwaan actively suggest varieties which have a high dry-matter content, for example, and they provide training to enable our growers to
Suszarnia Warzyw Jaworski
1984 close to Blonie and relocated to a larger production facility in Dobre Miasto in 2001. Jaworski currently employs approximately 250 people and produces 6,000 tons of dried vegetables a year, with
optimise such traits.” In addition to Karotan, the leek variety Goliath
a focus on carrot, celery, leek, beetroot, cabbage and herbs such as parsley and dill. The company
RZ and the Monty RZ beetroot are other good examples of the successful partnership. Goliath offers an exceptional yield and newcomer Monty is particularly
supplies dehydrated vegetables to all major multinationals, at home and abroad, for use in meat, dairy, soup and bakery products among others.
popular because of its high betanin content. February | 2015
13
Responding to consumer needs Early pointed cabbage with sweet flavour The Sonsma RZ pointed cabbage has
autumn, but I particularly recommend
been performing well in Northwest
it for the early harvest. This pointed
Europe for years, and its production
cabbage weighs 1 to 2kg and can be
area continues to expand steadily. Crop
prepared in various ways. Needless to
Coordinator Christian Spangenberg
say, steamed and boiled cabbage is
is supervising various local cabbage
delicious, but Sonsma’s mild sweetness
projects, including in Italy, Turkey,
also means that it is often eaten raw:
North America and Brazil, where there
a real all-rounder.”
is rising interest in locally grown, organic vegetables. “Sonsma works well within growers’ production plans and gives customers the level of quality they expect. This cabbage variety is ready exceptionally early and, thanks
Sonsma RZ
to its subtly sweet taste, fine structure and nice yellow internal colour, it is suitable for both the fresh market and processors. Sonsma has 60 production days and can be grown from spring until Christian Spangenberg, Crop Coordinator Brassica
A baby Crunchy cos is born Good news for everyone who loves
has been developed for the fresh market
crispy lettuce: Rijk Zwaan is launching
and offers endless possibilities: perhaps
the first baby Crunchy cos. The
in a nice double or triple pack, or in
41-342 RZ is currently only available
combination with the red baby cos,
as trial seed but, based on the initial
Rosaine RZ. The production results
responses, growers and consumers are
are good too. Our newest cos variety
unanimous in their enthusiasm. Bauke
exhibits uniform growth and is strong
van Lenteren, Specialist Convenience
against bolting and tip burn.”
& Leafies, comments: “41-342 RZ is the same size as other baby cos varieties. The name ‘Crunchy’ suits its characteristically crispy bite and sweetness. In test tastes, this product emerges head and shoulders above
41-342 RZ
all other lettuce varieties. I predict a rosy future for 41-342 RZ, particularly in countries where baby cos and little gem are already popular. This variety Bauke van Lenteren, Specialist Convenience & Leafies
14
Rijk Zwaan | Chainmagazine
around the world Italy is the ultimate fennel country
Fennel was revered by the Romans for
the variety in central and southern Italy,
its health benefits and, even today,
including Sicily and Sardinia. The results
Italy continues to be the ultimate
are very interesting. Notable strengths
fennel country. Italians love it: the
are the high yield and robustness of the
average annual fennel consumption is
plants. The shape and weight of the bulb
7kg per person (in comparison, Dutch
– 500-600 grams – ensure an attractive
consumers eat 100g each a year). The
appearance, plus the flavour is just as
vegetable is an important ingredient
local consumers like it: mild with an
in many traditional recipes, and the
aroma of anise.”
Italians show no signs of tiring of their traditions. They use the leaves as a herb, the bulb as a vegetable and the seeds to produce essential oils. Especially for the Italian market, Rijk Zwaan is introducing
58-301 RZ
the first fennel hybrid, 58-301 RZ. Salvatore Rivieccio, Crop Specialist, comments: “We have already trialled
Rivieccio Salvatore, Crop Specialist
More aubergines for Turkey Rijk Zwaan has been a major supplier
favourite for stir-fries since it absorbs
of aubergines in Turkey for several
hardly any oil and hence fits well into a
decades. This is illustrated by main
low-calorie diet. Meanwhile, the white
varieties such as Nilo RZ, Anatolia RZ
Aretussa RZ is best for grilling, and the
and Brigitte RZ in the long cylindrical
round, flamed Sabelle RZ is tastiest
segment, and new rising stars are
when roasted. There’s tremendous
being added all the time. Bilge Sezer,
diversity in terms of colours, flavours,
Chain Manager Turkey, envisages a
shapes and uses!”
great future for Hayal RZ for instance: “We’ve had good experiences with this new winter aubergine variety. Unlike its competitors, it’s highly productive and produces good-quality fruits – and at Rijk Zwaan it’s quality that matters. Consumers expect that from us too; they want to be able to choose the best products for a wide variety of dishes. The oval, striped Angela RZ is a Bilge Sezer, Chain Manager February | 2015
15
Celebrating uniqueness once again! Let’s rediscover the value of authenticity.
For an up-to-date list of Rijk Zwaan events, visit www.rijkzwaan.com/events If you have any questions please contact your local Rijk Zwaan advisor or send an e-mail to chainmanagement@rijkzwaan.nl
Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V. | Burgemeester CrezĂŠelaan 40 | 2678 KX De Lier | The Netherlands | www.rijkzwaan.com