WADDINXVEEN, Netherlands — Major European organic produce importer-marketer Eosta has revealed the imminent launch of two innovative initiatives – a refocused, expanded Dr GoodFood campaign and a new range of plant-based packaging – as part of its participation in leading global trade exhibition Fruit Logistica 2020, which takes place in Berlin, Germany from 5-8 February.
Originally introduced to increase consumer awareness of the links between health and farming, Eosta’s groundbreaking Dr GoodFood initiative will be expanded during the course of 2020 into a physical presence that will feature the participation of dieticians and medical professionals in selected health food outlets.
Initially to be rolled out in The Netherlands¹with further retailer participation expected in Germany, France and the Scandinavia region, the renewed campaign will give trusted experts the opportunity to promote the health benefits of produce directly to consumers.
During its initial launch, Dr GoodFood focused on linking produce to proactive health care and emphasising its potential to replace some unnecessary, expensive pharmaceutical products, according to Eosta CEO Volkert Engelsman. The initial campaign included product packaging which put a satirical spin on the pharmaceutical industry, such as turmeric in blister packs with humorous ‘side effects’ – an example being ‘this turmeric may result in yellow fingers’ – included on the side of the box.
Engelsman said: “We will now be introducing dieticians and health professionals into health food stores where we will have various ‘food fix mixes’, backed up with a Dr GoodFood website². We will also feature food fixes on YouTube where doctors in their own surgeries will focus on presenting healthy eating recipes rather than prescribing medicines.”
The relaunched campaign will also feature a different theme each month to tie in with the seasons and work-life calendar, such as detox, resilience and holidays, focusing on the components of healthy food recommend during each stage of the year. “We will be cooperating with doctors and dieticians who be running around in the shops helping customers to buy more fruits and vegetables,” continued Engelsman.
Plant-based packaging
Responding to increasing concerns about plastic wrapping and the need to provide more sustainable alternatives, Eosta will also be using the occasion of Fruit Logistica 2020 to launch a new range of plant fibre-based, biodegradable packaging.
“At Eosta, we believe the best packaging is no packaging, so our main effort will always be that none is used at all,” said Eosta Packaging Manager Paul Hendriks. “Eosta has been very successful in implementing Natural Branding³ and more and more partners are using this technology to avoid packaging all together. Eosta and our partners have eliminated millions of euros worth of unnecessary plastic packaging altogether using this technique.
“But realistically some products will still need to be packed. In the past, most packaging comprised plastic tray and film with a label, but last year Eosta moved into plant based trays made from agricultural waste, and now all our trays are made from this material.
“This left the film used to flow-wrap the packs. For 2020, Eosta has set the goal of also eliminating plastic film with sleeves or Bandatrays. More difficult products like mushrooms and berries will be packed in sustainable trays made from agricultural waste.”
About Eosta
Eosta – with Nature & More as a consumer brand – was established in 1990 and over the past 29 years has developed into a leading European distributor of organic fruit and vegetables. The company is known for its sustainability campaigns such as The True Cost of Food, Natural Branding, Dr. Goodfood, and Save Our Soils. In 2018, the company won the King Willem I Plaquette for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and the European Business Award for the Environment. See www.eosta.com and www.natureandmore.com.
Eosta will be exhibiting at Fruit Logistica 2020 in Hall 3.2, Stand A-08 in the Messe Berlin Exhibition Centre, Berlin, Germany from 5-7 February, 2020.
