SNIJPUNT, THE LARGEST PROCESSOR OF FRESH PEPPERS IN NORTHERN EUROPE

Interview with Mr. Marco Romein, Director of Snijpunt

"We can reach practically every corner of Europe on a daily basis"

As the trend towards convenience gathers momentum and consumers increasingly look to save on cooking time while eating healthily, Snijpunt, the largest processor of fresh peppers in Northern Europe, continues to expand its customer base.

Mr. Marco Romein, Director of Snijpunt, talks to Syngenta PeppersToday about the new plant recently opened in Westland and the future prospects of the company, which supplies customers great and small with day fresh semi-prepared peppers.

Q. Since it was founded in 1998, Snijpunt has developed into the largest processor of fresh peppers in Northern Europe. Can you tell us a little about how your company has evolved over the last 11 years?

A. Snijpunt was established in 1998 as part of our pepper nursery, with the aim of creating added value for the growing operation. In 2001, sales started to show strong growth after we began to export to the UK. The acquisition of new customers combined with general market growth in the fresh cut industry led to double digit year-on-year growth.
In 2003, the pepper nursery was sold in order to focus on Snijpunt's activities.
That same year, we founded our sister company 4-Process Trading, which specialises in sourcing the whole range of fresh produce from Holland, Spain, Israel, Egypt and Morocco for food processors in Northern Europe.
In February 2009, we moved to a new purpose-built 2000m2 plant with a view to further growth. Today, we supply food processors throughout Northern Europe with various semi-prepared products and a whole range of unprepared vegetables to customer specification.

"Our Westland location, close to our suppliers, gives us great flexibility and maximises the freshness of our vegetables"

Q. What has been the principal objective in opening this new site based in Westland?

A. The opening of the new plant has increased the production capacity of Snijpunt. Our Westland location, close to our suppliers, gives us great flexibility and maximises the freshness of our vegetables.
Short lead times are critical to success, and we can take full advantage of the transport centre just across the motorway. We can reach practically every corner of Europe on a daily basis. By way of example, UK and German customers can order up until 12 o'clock midday for delivery early the next morning.

Q. What range of pepper products does Snijpunt offer?

A. Snijpunt specialises in supplying semi-prepared peppers for food processors, so our main line is halved or quartered de-cored peppers. Another important line in the summer is 30mm diced pepper specifically intended for the barbecue.

"Our customer base is still growing!"

Q. How have pepper sales fared in 2009 compared with recent years?

A. Although the crisis has not had such a dramatic impact on the food business, in general we have observed that customers are ordering smaller volumes, particularly those that operate in the food service market. This said, our customer base is still growing!

Q. Which are the main export countries for Snijpunt's peppers?

A. Traditionally, the UK was a very important market for us. However, the devaluation of the pound has led to a significant drop in sales. Fortunately, at the same time we began to explore the German market, which has developed extremely well over the last two years, compensating for the loss of sales in the UK market.
The Dutch and Belgian markets have also shown steady growth in recent years.

Q. Your company is extremely committed to food safety. Snijpunt has held British Retail Consortium certification since 2002 and all its suppliers are Global GAP certified as a minimum. How do you think food safety has influenced the pepper sector as a whole in recent years?

A. In the past few years, we have seen that growers are more aware of food safety and they have a better understanding of the food safety and hygiene requirements of food processors. While no more than 5 years ago our particular hygiene requirements were considered excessive (e.g. no smoking in glasshouses and packing stations, pre-harvest hand washing), Global GAP now covers almost all our specific hygiene requirements.

Q. Snijpunt guarantees a long shelf life thanks to quick delivery. How do you succeed in competing on a level with peppers prepared at home?

A. Our product is used as an ingredient in salads, ready prepared meals, etc. We are benefiting from the growing demand for healthy and convenient food. If we take the example of stir fry mixed vegetables, which contain between 6 and 8 different vegetables, it is obvious that this product is not only more convenient to buy ready cut, washed and mixed, but probably cheaper than buying the various vegetables individually.

Q. What projects and goals does Snijpunt have for this year?

A. At the new plant, we have implemented various technical improvements which will prolong shelf life and increase overall quality. We also aim to increase our sales volume from the plant with a special focus on the German market.

Q. How do you foresee the future of processed fresh peppers?

A. Since the pepper is one of the healthiest vegetables, and today there is an increasing number of small households, we believe that convenience will continue to grow as a general trend, with the pepper as one of the main ingredients. For various reasons, the demand for convenience in Germany is still very limited, but we can see strong potential growth in the next couple of years.

Syngenta Peppers Today Newsletter 16 - July 2009