The first vegetable to be released under the Minigustos label is a snack cucumber that are now available for purchase.

The company says that chocolate, chips and cookies were top sellers in the snack industry for many years. Today, fresh vegetables have reached the Top 3.

In Europe, the vegetable snack market has grown from €30 million in 2012 to €70 million in 2015 whereas the sales of existing vegetables remained stable. Consumers and retailers are more willing to spend money on healthy and tasty ready-to-go fresh produce.

Minigustos is a new premium brand for tasty, attractive snack vegetables, the perfect ‘mini gustos’ (tasty minis). Bayer is using it to focuse on Generation X and Millennials.

It says that these generations are known to exercise more, eat smarter and smoke less compared to previous generations. They use apps to track training data and go online to find the healthiest foods, and they are willing to spend money on compelling food brands.

First Minigustos vegetable: snack cucumbers

Retailers and consumers in Northern Europe, Canada and the US have been asking for a tasty and crunchy snack cucumber with a longer shelf life. Premium supermarkets haven’t been able to meet their customers’ demand for superior snack cucumbers. To fill that void Bayer has been developing very crunchy snack cucumber, Minigustos.

The snack cucumber is the result of years of research and cultivation by skilled breeders and growers. “Our trial growers and category managers of different retailers around the world tell us they have never tasted such a crunchy snack cucumber. Consumer panels confirm the good taste of our snack cucumbers: 71% of the consumers preferred our variety compared to those of competitors, 76% liked Minigustos appearance and 70% preferred its sweetness,” says Anne Jancic, Bayer’s Marketing Specialist Cucumbers.

Currently, Bayer’s Spanish partners are harvesting the first Minigustos snack cucumbers and they are offered to premium supermarkets in Northern Europe. In addition, the variety is going intercontinental. The company reports that it has already received market requests from customers in Canada, Australia, and China. The first trials have been initiated and contacts to potentials partners are being set up.

In addition, Bayer says it is exploring to expand the Minigustos brand to include other vegetables. The first steps have been made for coloured snack carrots and cosberg snack lettuce. A test with the carrots amongst Dutch consumers showed they found them to be very attractive and exciting.

For more information, visit: www.nunhemsusa.com