Jamie Lunam, GM, Jenkins Freshpac Systems
The digital future of shopping poses a fascinating question to our fresh produce world. While we see increasing movement towards online ordering, click and collect and other forms of grocery purchasing we are seeing a slow uptake in the produce space and it is not surprising. One of the biggest quandaries that plays on my mind is how the consumer views the purchase of fresh produce online. There are tangible elements such as "who is touching my fruit and veg before I put it in my mouth’" through to the less tangible elements around "I like to choose the pieces of produce I want based on the specific intended purpose" e.g. eat immediately, eat in a special dinner or standard issue produce for the week's family meals.
Now, when we add into the mix that consumers want less packaging, it becomes more complicated. Most certainly a world with less of the unsustainable packaging types would be a good thing, the issue is that they provide layers of confidence around food safety, data around best before dates or supply chain detail and even more when it comes to smart packaging.
The first five minutes of the 25 minute YouTube clip below from the BBC shows an insight into where things have come from and are heading. We need to get our heads around how we ensure produce is a part of the discussion along with the more durable FMCG products. This is one of my favourite topics currently, I welcome any feedback or invitations for personal or group dialogue on the topic. @ Jamie Lunam, GM