Frozen fruit is a real growth market
We still have a world to gain!
After years of experience in the fresh fruit and vegetable trade, on the 1st of May 2012, Hennie van Es started the company Com-Freeze which specialises in the import and export of frozen fruit.
"It was perfect timing," Hennie now says. "The market for frozen exotics is developing rapidly and we are seeing it more and more in the printed press. We're really in a growth market. In 2010 the volumes for frozen fruit in Europe increased by 41%, while prices have also increased by 10%. This is unique in the fruit sector and you only see it in the frozen fruit segment. Frozen vegetables are a bit more established already."
"IQF fruit has many advantages. It is easy to use, nutritious and can be efficiently transported. Due to the fact that it is cleaned and compactly packed, it is sometimes possible to transport as much fruit in a freezer container as you can in four containers of fresh fruit. This has a positive effect on the price, but it is also much more environmentally friendly," says Hennie.
The trader was tipped off by former suppliers to enter the frozen food trade and Com-Freeze currently has a broad mix of old and new frozen fruit suppliers. Experience in the fresh market makes Com-Freeze an extra strong player in the frozen food sector. "We have colleagues with experience in both the frozen and fresh trade. We expanded our team last week with Manja de Groot, a real frozen food specialist. Our product knowledge is really appreciated by the customer. We can inform customers about product features and flavours, which are different for every application. For example, we advise different products for fruit salads then we would for a yoghurt manufacturer. We can specify exactly which variety or assortment is most suitable. Customers also like the fact that we were already IFS certified within six months."
The most important products for Com-Freeze are frozen exotics and red fruit. "We have plenty of mangos, but we can easily supply special fruits such as physalis or pomegranate. Furthermore, red fruit is very important to the freezer trade," Hennie says. He is surprised about the large volumes handled by the freezer industry. It takes a while to get your documentation and specifications in order before you can supply and that takes some getting used to for someone from the fruit and vegetable trade, but once you're there, the volumes are huge. I couldn't believe my ears when I received my first order for 10 containers of frozen strawberries."
Industrial producers are still by far the biggest customer for frozen fruit. "Juice factories, ice cream factories, as well as catering and food service increasingly know where to find us," the trader says. "We are involved in nice innovative projects, and are busy expanding our product range. We recently sponsored a primary school with exotic IQF fruit, so pupils could create their own mixture with vanilla ice cream and a blender. You can't get a better taste panel than that."
Com-Freeze is located on the premises of Speksnijder Bergschenhoek; they also take care of logistics and they supply the Netherlands and Belgium with fifteen freezer combinations on a daily basis. Com-Freeze focusses mainly on Europe: "Germany, Spain, and Austria are important destinations. There are also still many possibilities for our products in the Netherlands. Adding frozen exotics to juices for instance is not just flavour enhancing, it also adds health and nutritional value. We still have a world to gain!"
For more information:
Hennie van Es
Com-Freeze
Hoekeindseweg 141
2661 DP Bergschenhoek
Tel: 010-5223449
Mob: 06-52661213
hvanes@com-freeze.com
www.com-freeze.com
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