PARIS, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- French food company Andros Group has been working closely with Chinese agri-food industry chain, with the hope that the Chinese food market will continue to develop steadily as always, and that the Sino-French cooperation in the agri-food sector will be further promoted, said Maxence Zeng, general manager of Andros China in a recent interview with Xinhua.
Zeng noted that this year marks Andros' fifth participation in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), and many products displayed by Andros are making their debut with Chinese consumers, looking forward to having fresh feedback.
It is learned that Andros' products showcased at the exhibition mainly include those of its jam brand Bonne Maman, confectionery brand Pierrot Gourmand and sports food brand Andros Sport.
Among them, Bonne Maman's reduced-sugar jam is a key product. According to Zeng, the Bonne Maman brand is one of Andros Group's most cherished brands and is available in more than 120 countries worldwide. In a report on the most popular brands in France for the year 2022 published by French organization Union des Marques, Bonne Maman ranked 10th among all brands in the category. "The reduced-sugar jams on display are in line with consumers' pursuit of health, providing taste satisfaction while focusing on health," said Zeng.
Some of the displayed products also reflect the principles of environmental protection and sustainability. Since this year, Pierrot Gourmand, a candy brand under Andros, has replaced plastic lollipop sticks with recyclable wooden sticks, and the factory of Andros China has upgraded the packaging of this product line to fully recyclable paper, achieving 100 percent recyclability in packaging materials, introduced Zeng.
Andros Group officially entered the Chinese market in 1998 through a joint venture, Beijing Andros Fruit Foods Co., Ltd., established with Beijing Capital Agribusiness & Foods Group, said Zeng. He added that China is the fourth country where Andros sets up an independent legal entity, highlighting the strategic importance Andros places on the Chinese market.
Zeng pointed out that China not only has a considerable terminal market, but also a rich raw material market for fruits. In addition, China offers a range of favorable factors in terms of social, market, and investment environments, such as social stability, a large market potential, proactive investment policies, a relatively complete industry chain, skilled professionals, and a range of incentives for foreign-invested enterprises. These factors are key reasons why Andros chose to deeply cooperate with China.
According to Zeng, Andros China has established a comprehensive agri-food processing chain in China, covering everything from raw fruit cultivation to the sales terminal. This is made possible by Andros China's fruit primary and deep processing facilities in Beijing and Shandong, as well as sales teams in key cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Andros China's products are now sold directly in 179 cities across the country and are also exported to some Asian and European countries.
In terms of production and sales strategies, Andros has adapted to the Chinese market. "Unlike in other countries where retail channels are dominant, Andros primarily uses catering channels in China, with a significant focus on fruit ingredient products. These products are widely used in everyday consumer foods like bread, cakes, beverages, and coffee milk tea. This approach aligns with Chinese consumers' typical usage and consumption patterns for fruit products," Zeng stated.
Zeng expressed the hope that the Chinese food market will continue to develop steadily and will always be interested in high-quality and healthy food. He also stated that as a French food enterprise, Andros hopes to continue promoting further cooperation and development between China and France in the agri-food sector through concrete actions.
"In the future, we hope to use project platforms to introduce advanced European cultivation and processing technology to China and cultivate more skilled fruit farming professionals," Zeng said.
As Andors is a multinational enterprise, Zeng also shared his insights about the development of all enterprises of this kind. "No enterprise is an isolated island. Enterprise development requires the synergy of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain and the foundation of a broad market as support. A fair and transparent broad economic environment with good liquidity will undoubtedly contribute to the development of enterprises, and as a healthy and active economy entity, an enterprise will also contribute to a better quality of the economic environment, thus forming a virtuous circle."
(Contributed by Li Wenxin, edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
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