Lettuce leaves that fit exactly on a hamburger bun, broccoli with a thin stem that consumers want to eat instead of thick stems that are thrown away, and cauliflowers that remain white. Because we don’t buy cauliflowers that have turned yellow on the assumption that they are no longer good.
These are just some innovations that can be seen this week in Grootebroek in Noord-Holland on the Field of Innovation, an event for growers and representatives of, for example, supermarkets. Worldwide, about 30 percent of all harvested fruit and vegetables is wasted. In order to reduce that percentage, the sector is working hard on new vegetables that better meet the wishes of consumers.
Lotfi Bani of Syngenta, a company that grows new varieties: “It takes an average of seven years to develop a new variety. An example of this is the hamburger lettuce. Besides that it fits exactly on a sandwich, the lettuce is also a bit thicker. crispy for longer and therefore less has to be thrown away,” says Bani this morning in the NOS Radio 1 News.
Broccoli with a thin stem
The broccoli we now buy in the supermarket has a thick stump. Bani: “Many consumers don’t want any of that and cut that part off. It’s a real shame, because in addition to the fact that the stem is tasty, it also contains a lot of vitamins.”
But in order to satisfy the consumer, there will soon be a broccoli with a thin stem in the store. “So you don’t have to throw it away anymore.”
Many people have the prejudice about cauliflower that if it is discolored, it is no longer good. That’s a misconception: “What we’ve done is develop a cauliflower that stays white,” said the Syngenta spokesperson. Cauliflowers are also new: “There are still more and more small households. What should they do with a large cauliflower? They throw half of them away. It’s a shame. Hence a variety that is better suited to the wishes of many consumers.”
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