Snacks are ready-made snacks that have taken a prominent place in the diet of a modern person. And if earlier nutritionists were categorically against such innovations, now they simply have no arguments! After all, snacks have appeared on the shelves of Ukrainian stores that will satisfy the requirements of the most demanding experts in healthy nutrition. And at the same time, such products are also tasty! Snacks help Ukrainians a lot in the current conditions, when there is no possibility to cook.
Quick and healthy snacks
Although it must be said that this culture is only gaining momentum in our country. So, in 2020, according to statistics, we consumed about 0.5 kg of snacks per year, while the total level of consumption in Europe is 3.6 kg, in North America - about 11 kg.
Also, global trends indicate that the market of snack products is moving in the direction of "healthiness" and "naturalization", and the number of supporters of fast, but at the same time healthy food is steadily growing. Global trends in the development of the snack market indicate that high-calorie and non-nutritious snacks are increasingly being displaced from the market by "natural" ones.
Therefore, Ukrainian organic snacks quickly find buyers both within the country and abroad. Of course, the competition is high, so, let's say, only the best were able to break into the international market. And among them, of course, are "organic" producers. Because the standards of organic production are the highest standards in everything.
So it is interesting to look at the history of those brands that were the first in Ukraine to start producing organic snacks and plan to bring their products to the shelves of foreign stores in the near future.
All of them were presented at the largest international trade exhibition Biofach 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany, which took place on February 14-17, and some of them already have agreements to export their products.
Danube farmer
З кавунів, дині та слив компанія виробляє фруктові чіпси. Їх можна знайти в торгових мережах під ТМ «DUNA CHIPS». Це корисний, смачний і дуже незвичний продукт. В них немає ні цукру, ні консервантів, а виготовляються вони методом сублімації. Свіжі ягоди, фрукти або овочі, коли вони максимально корисні заморожують при температурі мінус 40°С.
And then the frozen products are moderately heated in a vacuum. Ice crystals do not turn into liquid, but immediately into water vapor, preserving the cellular structure and maximum benefit. The product is concentrated, which is why it is so important that the raw materials are completely natural.
The company often releases various interesting novelties. For example, pastille is made from sweet potato, nectarine, peach, plum, apple, melon, raspberry, honeysuckle, nectarine and apple, and even watermelon. In addition, goodies are made from dried watermelon, melon, plum, peach, nectarine, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, etc.
Certified organic snacks from 2021. Now the company brings this group of products to the international market. And although they face many difficulties due to military operations: for example, very complicated logistics, broken contacts, but the company still maintains high standards of organic production.
Ecorod
TM belongs to the company "Organic Original", which was founded in 2011 and is one of the pioneers of the Ukrainian market of organic products. It has a European organic certificate and is marked with the official logo of organic production of the European Union - "Eurolist".
Since 2019, they have been producing corn sticks with freeze-dried berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), with coconut, sunflower seeds, and olive oils. The company is proud to have managed to create a cool, modern and useful product. It took almost three years: the recipe and packaging design were carefully developed so that such a seemingly simple and familiar product would surprise even those who are very picky about food.
The company's forces are located in the Kyiv region, in the area hostilities were conducted. They had to stop production for some time. Then there was the complex restoration of all production processes and supply chains. There are also production issues due to power outages.
In addition, the demand for products in the domestic market decreased, because a huge number of people who were the main consumers of organic snacks left Ukraine. However, demand abroad is growing: sticks have already been exported to Vietnam and Sweden, the company is preparing to enter the markets of other countries.
Brancho
Brancho sweets are carefully processed to preserve vitamins and nutrients as much as possible. No sugar, colors, preservatives, gelatin, thickeners, etc. They work with local farmers, carefully selecting the best seasonal fruits and berries. There are more than 35 items in the assortment.
Brancho fruit and vegetable chips are an alternative to classic "harmful" snacks. Raw materials are processed very carefully, even blanching is avoided, no preservatives are used. In this way, it is possible to make the product as useful as possible.
Also in the assortment - fruit and berry edible teas. This is a new snack format, namely a combination of a natural hot drink and a fruit and berry mixture, which after rehydration becomes a tasty and healthy snack. There are such mixtures: "apple-currant-pear", "apple-pear-raspberry-cranberry", "apple-currant-pear-cranberry-strawberry".
The company has been exporting products since 2021, this year they plan to bring organic rolls to the international market.
Ahimsa
The brand belongs to Dvipa LLC. The company has existed since 2005 and has proven itself very well on the wholesale market of Ukraine and other European countries. Since 2015, they have completely switched to organic cultivation and processing of their own products. Grains, vegetables, and berries are grown on 150 hectares of certified organic land located in a nature reserve: strawberries, raspberries, and currants. The farm is located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, located in a nature reserve.
Most of the finished products are sold on the domestic market. And since 2021, freeze-dried berries will be sold in the USA on Amazon.
The company is experiencing certain difficulties: there are interruptions in the supply of electricity, there is a lack of working capital, due to the war, the conditions of cooperation with customers and partners have broken off or worsened, and a large part of both old and potential customers have gone abroad. And the purchasing power within the country has decreased. Therefore, special attention is now being paid to exports.
Panfruit
Organic products under this brand are produced by Dykanski Yagody LLC. The farm was created in 2020 and hit the shelves of retail chains in the same year. Sublimated fruits, vegetables and greens are produced. Assortment of snacks: freeze-dried raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, watermelon, melon, cherry, pumpkin, pepper, pear, plum, peach, nectarine, zucchini, pepper, tomato, cauliflower, kohlrabi, garden strawberry, eggplant, apple, red currant, etc.
Sublimates are made using the latest technologies. This helps preserve 97% of the useful and tasty qualities of the product.
30 minutes after picking, the berries are sent for shock cooling to 0 °. They stay in a shock freezing chamber for several hours at a temperature of minus 30 °. Then they go to the sublimation chamber, where all the ice crystals evaporate. The entire technological process lasts 24-40 hours.
With the beginning of the war, the company faced many difficulties. For example, logistics services have become more expensive and delivery times have increased. There are significant interruptions in the power supply and, accordingly, an increase in the cost of working with a generator. It is difficult to guarantee the fulfillment of contractual obligations to foreign partners. However, the company is still actively developing exports. The first batch was sent to Germany in the summer of 2022, now they are entering the US market. They export freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and melons.