'Every time I see a hearse pass by I think 'there goes another tomato consumer,' said professor David Hughes.
He told delegates that there will be 10 per cent more 55-64 year-olds in Europe by 2006, alongside seven per cent less 25-34 year-olds.
'The tomato is a friend of the family-it is an intrinsically healthy product and should do well,' said Hughes. 'As consumers get older they become more health conscious and less price conscious – the good news for us [the tomato sector] is that it gives us the opportunity to make a difference.' Consumers need to be offered choice, he said, but that choice must not become a confusion. 'I went into my local Sainsbury's and there were 24 different fresh tomato lines on offer. Consumers are not all the same, so choice is imperative, but with 24 lines to select from, shoppers need an advanced degree from a recognised University to make any sort of choice,' said Hughes.
Such a breadth of range 'bears no relation to what the consumer actually wants,' he added. 'This industry must develop products that meet genuine consumer needs.' Waitrose central buyer of fruit and vegetables, Richard Hind agreed: 'If the consumer is standing in front a vegetable or salad fixture and confusion reigns because there are too many varieties on display, we are doing the cause a disservice.
'The consumer needs to know what they are buying into.At retail level, it is necessary to harness the energy between the supermarket, grower and supplier and figure out how we can really bring clarity to the range.'
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