October has seen the launch of Dutch vegetable breeder Rijk Zwaan's Sensational Flavours range in Italy, a line of vegetable varieties that the group says distinguish themselves by giving consumers a special taste experience.
The official launch of the product line in Italy follows the range's introduction in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and China, and is seen by the group as the 'next logical step' for the flourishing Sensational Flavours segment.
'Italy is world famous for its tasty dishes. Especially for the Italian market, we selected 10 varieties which perfectly suit the local cuisine,' said Bauke van Lenteren, flavour manager at Rijk Zwaan. 'As well as from supermarkets, we are also expecting a lot of interest from foodservice companies and restaurants. For them, Sensational Flavours is a good opportunity to appeal to Italian consumers' refined sense of taste.'
To celebrate the official Italian launch, the group organised a special event in Milan on 19 October for its Italian chain partners, with top chef Sergio Ferrarini preparing an extensive lunch using the varieties of Sensational Flavours.
Ms van Lenteren said that the event had helped demonstrate why the products had made it into the premium range, and that it had also helped to introduce new Sensational vegetables such as the Sabelle RZ violet aubergine and the tomato Rugantino RZ.
And the international market is already showing a lot of interest in the range, she noted: 'The higher segment, in particular, is searching for products with which they can distinguish themselves. With Sensational Flavours, we make differentiation a lot easier for our customers.
'We will therefore continue to extend this product line by adding more new varieties, as well as launching it in new markets,' Ms van Lenteren added. 'Our next focus will be North America.'
