Fresh Up Your Life, support the promotion of high-quality, nutritious and healthy fresh products in the United Arab Emirates until 2025.
In the first half of 2022, the UAE recorded an import rate of over 41,000 tonnes of food per day. The figure is forecasted to grow due to a number of factors, including population growth, the strong demand for imported products by foreigners living in the country and the significant expansion of the tourism sector with a high number of new hotels and resorts opened in recent years.
Consumers in the UAE have begun to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. The government’s commitment to addressing the alarming rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease among the population and the recent pandemic, have changed the local consumption scenarios; according to research commissioned by the Irish Food Board, 50 per cent of the consumers from the UAE declared that they increasingly choose foods that help strengthen their immune system; 52 per cent agree with the importance of the traceability factor in the products they consume and 56 per cent think that quality standards are even more critical today.
Fresh Up Your Life, the CSO Italy project funded by the European Union, support the promotion of high-quality, nutritious and healthy new products in the United Arab Emirates until 2025, highlighting the themes of sustainability, clarity and traceability of the supply chain. Apofruit Italia, Cico-Mazzoni, Conserve Italia, Lagnasco Group, Oranfrizer, Origine, and Unacoa also participate in the programme. Kiwis, apples, pears, blood oranges, and pureed tomatoes are the products on which the project will focus.
“The increasing demand for genuine products and the healthy lifestyle trend, represent an important driving force for the growth of Italian fruit and vegetable which are recognised and appreciated by the local consumers for their high quality,” said Paolo Bruni, President of CSO Italy.
