The European Flavors’ program, a three-year European Union project for worldwide promotion of the quality and tastiness of fresh and processed European fruit and vegetable products, got its start in 2008.

The program enjoyed such great success during its first three-year period that at its end it was renewed for another three years, during which time it was launched in Canada. It met with mutual success in that country.

Today, at the start of another three-year program period, it has been rebranded and renamed, and is now called “Freshness from Europe.”

JC Barros, marketing director, North America, for “Freshness from Europe” told The Produce News that the new name was created in an effort to better associate products with consumers.

“The program is now focused primarily on consumers,” said Barros. “The funding it provides enables us to work with retailers on demos and other in-store promotions, and it supports us in exhibiting at venues such as the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s Annual Convention & Trade Show.”

“Freshness from Europe” will be exhibiting at booth No. 457 at the event, being held in Calgary on April 12-14. Barros will be on hand to greet and meet with visitors to the expo.

“We are promoting Italian kiwifruit, pears, plums and grapes,” explained Barros. “Since we began in Canada, the program has helped in increasing volumes of these fruits tremendously.

“Our Canadian distributor, Agri-Mondo, has had great success at increasing the presence of these items in stores such as Sobeys in the Quebec area,” Barros continued. “In collaboration with Agri-Mondo, ‘Freshness from Europe’ is helping to support in-store demonstrations and advertising in-store flyers. The strongest focus is on kiwifruit, which is the primary commodity coming out of Italy.”

He added that talks are also underway to develop other promotions with Canadian retailers during the coming summer.

“Freshness from Europe” is financed by the European Union, the Italian government and Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli, or CSO, to promote and increase public awareness of quality European fruit and vegetables.

Thanks to its privileged location and a climate that favors agriculture, Mediterranean countries are the world’s main producers of fruit and vegetables.

“Freshness from Europe” proposes a range of initiatives targeting the trade and consumers worldwide in an effort to raise awareness on the origins and the path followed by these products, which are always synonymous of quality and freshness.