+33 680 38 14 46
5th tomato conference: "Taste gives quality to life"
Netherlands
Thursday 29 May 2008
The Tomato Conference 2008 - hosted by Syngenta Seeds Vegetables held at the NH Conference Centre in Noordwijkerhout, Holland, on 19-21 May - attracted 350 producers, traders and retailers from over 23 Countries. The event staged discussions around tomato production. Attendees shared innovative views on market trends in the production and consumption of tomatoes, discussed challenges in the tomato retail supply chain and highlighted the benefits that tomatoes bring to consumers´ health and quality of life.
Major market trends were highlighted at the two-day event, such as the impact consumer demand for organic is having on the market. Another major market shift is towards “on-the-go food” consumption in Europe, with a 9% rise expected by Datamonitor by 2011. New and innovative tomato varieties were showcased at the conference, including the Kumato and the Dunne. The conference featured several keynote speeches by leading industry experts. After a greeting and overview by Onno Franse, Programme Director, Healthy Living at Royal Ahold, Anneke Ammerlaan from Ammerlaan Taste & Trends explained consumers’ changing attitudes to food. Prof. Donald Mottram from Reading University discussed the topical issue of tomato taste and the role of the fifth taste - Umami. From the Illinois Institute of Technology, Britt Burton-Freeman presented a complete study on the clinical evidence for bioactivity and Syngenta’s own Produce Quality Scientist Charles Baxter discussed Syngenta’s high Flavonoid breeding approach and its vindication - particularly in the health benefits that are seen in flavonoids within tomatoes. A presentation on Taste, Health & Nutrition in the Japanese market was given by Taizo Sano of Kagome. Elena Ozeritskaya, Consumer Offer Manager EMEA at Syngenta Seeds Vegetables, gave a presentation on the varying developments and attitudes towards tomatoes, whilst Dr. Ian Puddephat, Syngenta’s Head of Produce Quality presented on the link between the tastes of different tomato varieties and their specific marketplace. Mart van Grinsven (pictured) and Ton Teerling of Syngenta moderated the discussions.
Major market trends were highlighted at the two-day event, such as the impact consumer demand for organic is having on the market. Another major market shift is towards “on-the-go food” consumption in Europe, with a 9% rise expected by Datamonitor by 2011. New and innovative tomato varieties were showcased at the conference, including the Kumato and the Dunne. The conference featured several keynote speeches by leading industry experts. After a greeting and overview by Onno Franse, Programme Director, Healthy Living at Royal Ahold, Anneke Ammerlaan from Ammerlaan Taste & Trends explained consumers’ changing attitudes to food. Prof. Donald Mottram from Reading University discussed the topical issue of tomato taste and the role of the fifth taste - Umami. From the Illinois Institute of Technology, Britt Burton-Freeman presented a complete study on the clinical evidence for bioactivity and Syngenta’s own Produce Quality Scientist Charles Baxter discussed Syngenta’s high Flavonoid breeding approach and its vindication - particularly in the health benefits that are seen in flavonoids within tomatoes. A presentation on Taste, Health & Nutrition in the Japanese market was given by Taizo Sano of Kagome. Elena Ozeritskaya, Consumer Offer Manager EMEA at Syngenta Seeds Vegetables, gave a presentation on the varying developments and attitudes towards tomatoes, whilst Dr. Ian Puddephat, Syngenta’s Head of Produce Quality presented on the link between the tastes of different tomato varieties and their specific marketplace. Mart van Grinsven (pictured) and Ton Teerling of Syngenta moderated the discussions.
