Stories - 15-03-2022
Colours of SN!BS inspire consumers to share food experiences
Khoo Peng Keat, Director of Food Forest Farm, loves everything that Rijk Zwaan’s snack brand SN!BS represents: the concept, the range, the colours and the diversity. It’s a good fit with the Malaysian family-owned company, which is focused on sustainable production methods and grows flavoursome, distinctive, top-quality produce. SN!BS is part of Rijk Zwaan’s Colourful Life palette.
Premium varieties
“In our 40-hectare integrated township development, we have a team of over a hundred people growing crops on seven hectares of agricultural land. Tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce are the most important ones – they are grown in high tunnels, partly in soil and partly in cocopeat or using the nutrient film technique (NFT). The past two years have been challenging due to COVID-19, because we’ve had to adapt fast, increase flexibility and respond rapidly in everything we do. We have set up independent business units in Malaysia and Singapore. We have also specialised in more premium varieties, colours and taste options. All of this helps us to meet the increased demand for healthier food”, says Khoo Peng Keat, Director of Food Forest Farm.
Colourful and flavoursome
“Choosing to start with SN!BS has given us the opportunity to grow a very premium range selected with careful attention in order to address consumer wants and needs. The snack vegetables in the SN!BS range are colourful and flavoursome, usually small and delicate, and offer a variety of tastes as well as textures. We love absolutely everything that SN!Bs represents: its concept, range and diversity. The snack category in Malaysia and Singapore is a fairly new category, but it is fast becoming very popular as more consumers are beginning to choose healthier snacking options.”
Red, orange, yellow and green
“We are currently growing and supplying SN!BS snack tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuces, and we will introduce an exciting celery variety in the near future. In addition to the choice of colours – red, orange, yellow and green – each of the varieties selected has a different shape, size or other characteristics. This experience has been very enjoyable and exciting as well as meaningful for us. The SN!BS range is full of surprises and it has been really fun for us to grow, distribute and sell SN!BS snack vegetables.”
Colours matter in today’s digital, online sharing age
“Our customers really love the colours as well as the versatile nature of the range. They find SN!BS easy to consume as they can be eaten raw, grilled or used in salad mixes. Some customers even use them as fresh, edible decorations. Many are asking us what we will grow next and we shall continue to surprise them with more selections. Colours are very important in inspiring consumers. We are surrounded by colours in today’s digital age, when live experiences are being shared constantly. Food presentation has also become very important and the trend of taking photos of our food before eating it is here to stay.”
Colours can impact moods and emotions
“For me, colours can impact moods and emotions and inspire creation, which is so important in food preparation. Colourful vegetables are beautiful and cheerful. Colours in vegetables are natural, rather than being mixed from a Pantone chart using software. I believe this is why everyone is so drawn to the beauty of naturally colourful vegetables. Additionally, colours in vegetables are associated with being a source of nutrients and antioxidants which are great for health. Therefore, I believe that there will always be a keen interest in colourful snacks, which will continue to drive market growth.”
Creativity, sincerity and authenticity
“Working with Rijk Zwaan on the development and market launch of SN!BS gave a great sense of purpose to our work as a grower and supplier of fresh vegetables. Innovative, positive, open and full of trust – that’s how I would describe our current partnership with Rijk Zwaan. Both parties value creativity, speed to market, and sincere and authentic work. In the future I expect our partnership to become even deeper, with more possibilities opening up for creative engagement. That will bring more choice in the range and variation of fresh produce to Malaysia and Singapore quickly and efficiently.”
About Rijk Zwaan’s Colourful Life palette
To stimulate retailers, traders and other chain partners all over the world to add more colour in the fresh produce category, Rijk Zwaan will showcase its colourful palette of bright, healthy and inspiring vegetables at a series of international events, including Fruit Logistica from 5-7 April in Berlin. Come and talk to us, either in person or online via live studio meetings!
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My dream is to see SN!BS in every corner of India
Rijk Zwaan’s colourful range of snack vegetables made its debut on the Indian market just last year. Today, SN!BS are already sold through six grocery retail chains in India and demand is outstripping supply. Vinod Kumar M., Head of Sourcing Fruit & Vegetables at online grocery retailer Bigbasket, comments: “These beautiful-looking snack items increase our offering to our consumers.” Rijk Zwaan will be presenting these bright, healthy and inspiring eye-catchers at Asia Fruit Logistica.
Colour is essential when selling healthy snacks in vending machines
Vending machines selling healthy snacks are an increasingly common sight, not only in farm shops but also in hospitals, canteens and at railway stations. In the growing market of snack vegetables, vending machines offer consumers healthy and convenient options round the clock. During Fruit Logistica (5-7 April 2022), Rijk Zwaan presented a colourful palette of snack vegetables in a vending machine at its Retail Centre in Berlin. Colour is essential, according to Wim Verhoeven from Vendolution and Lisa Zapf from Zalat-o-mat.