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Interview
Trend of Healthy Snack in Asia by Greenday Global Co.,Ltd. (Thailand)

 

Talking about the Healthy Food industry in Thailand, today we have the special interview with healthy snack producer in Thailand who is the special guest from Greenday Global Company. VNU Asia Pacific team together with the journalist get the permission to do the exclusive interview and tour the real production manufacturer. CEO will share insight information and tour the food production line. Let’s find out!

 

Mr. Chairat Kongsuphamanon is the CEO of Greenday Global Company who has 10 years experiences on healthy snack business and the feedback is going better and better every year. Greenday Global bring the best technology to processed our snacks and certified by global standard such as BRC, ISO22000, GMP, HACCP and proud that Thai fruit and vegetable are well known by people from every corner of the world as we are exporting to more than 20 countries and also plan to expand their products to Europe, USA and China.

 

Also watch the video of the interview (Free From Food Asia 2021: Industry Leader Exclusive Interview with Greenday) via this link.

 

What is the target customer of Greenday Global, in Thailand or around Asia?

At this moment, around 30-40%, we sell our products in the domestic market and for another 60%, we export. In Thailand, we sell through all of the mainstream. And actually, many tourists that come to Thailand are ones of those who buy our products. So, now with the COVID situation, the sales decline a little bit.

 

As your business is related to the healthy food, what do you think, in the next 5 years, is the development of this industry?

I think every year the trend of consuming healthy snack and healthy food is growing. As you know that people want healthy snack and healthy food but they don’t want to compensate it with the taste and the high price. So, they think healthy snack and healthy food are expensive and are not so tasty. I think that’s our challenge: to have a healthy snack that is not too expensive but is still tasty. I think if we can overcome this challenge, we will be able to expand the market. But of course, with all the situations, people want to take care of themselves more. So, I think healthy snack and healthy food are growing a lot every year. But it depends on the categories too, right? There are many kinds of snack and food. Even food—there’re plant-based and protein-plant-based. But people think protein-plant-based foods are also processed—too many ingredients. So, people are looking for something more natural, having less ingredients. You have to define which groups of the customers are your target and you have to ask them what they need. Not just offering plant-based products and you say your products are healthy, but maybe they’re looking for something from you that can serve their demand. For example, plant-based products but have to have simple ingredients, Gluten-free, non-GMO, something like that. So, the trend is growing a lot.

 

In your products, do you also use the ingredients that are natural?

Yes. Mostly we use fruits and vegetables. 100% we produce by using fruits and vegetables; we don’t use any meat. And we use the technology called “vacuum frying,” “vacuum freeze drying” and “vacuum air drying.” For all the technologies, we don’t need many ingredients. So, there’re only fruits and vegetables and some rice bran oil for vacuum frying. With the vacuum air drying and the freeze drying, we use no oil at all. So, some products are 100% from fruit—1 ingredient. But some products are composed of 2 ingredients-- with the rice bran oil. They have very simple ingredients and they are very natural. We don’t use any preservatives or additives. Even in some products, which we put seasoning in, we have pumpkin with sour cream and barbecue flavors, we try not to add MSGs. We try to use natural seasoning ingredients.

 

How many products do you have and which flavor that people think is the best one?

We have around 50 SKUs now. The best SKUs, the best item, are the veggie-range ones. Because if you look at 10 years ago, Thailand was famous for tropical fruits, like pineapple, mango, durian, and Jackfruit. But I think now the trend everywhere is people want to consume less sugar. So, in fruits, maybe they have natural sugar that people still try to avoid. So, we have more enquiries for vegetables. For examples, okra is our best-selling item. Broccoli, cauliflower, purple sweet potato-- those are the best-selling items. For fruits, we are doing well with strawberry and banana. 

 

Do you plan to export your products to other countries?

We are exporting to around 20 countries. The best one is the USA. For South East Asian countries, we have Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. But we plan to expand more to the countries in Europe, like UK. And in China. We’re trying to sell more in China.

 

Could you share the insight about the consumer behaviors in this industry?

I think the consumers now, they are looking at the trend. Now there are the Keto trend and many other trends because now social media is everywhere. They can have much information, so they want to try or they want some healthy snacks or even foods that are trendy, like Keto and plant-based. And I think now people are caring more for their health and also the planet. So, they also want to buy the products that are good for the planet and environment. I think there’s a macro trend, like plant-based products and something that is good for the environment. I think this trend will last forever. No doctor or no one says eating fruit and eating vegetable is not good for you. They’re really good for you, right? This is the macro trend—like Keto. Sometimes, people in USA consume a lot of kales because they think they are super food. So, macro trend can shift or can happen and go very fast. So, I think if you stick with the macro trend, plant-based, something healthy, make it tasty, make it affordable price, and then if we can capture the trend, for example, we do coconut chip and we make it like Keto-- formula for our OEM customers, the feedback is pretty good. I think the consumers, as I say, will be looking for healthy snack but should have affordable price and be tastier. I think that’s what they’re looking for.

 

What do you think about FREE FROM FOOD ASIA?

I think it’s very very good because in Thailand we have some exhibitions which are very big but for the mass market. But I think people are looking for some natural products, right? Like Gluten-free, no preservatives, simple ingredients. Consumers want it, so buyers and retailers, also they want to expand their healthy items portfolio. I think they’re looking for some healthy snacks, some healthy products, some free from additives and preservatives products. I think we don’t have this kind of exhibition. This can be a good start and we can get together, not even just manufacturers and buyers, but even manufacturers themselves, they can exchange ideas. We can understand more about consumers, or even customers. So, I think it should be a very good start,

 

See you at Free From Food Asia!

 

 

Special thank for Mr.Chairat Kongsuphamanon, CEO of Greenday Global Co.,Ltd.


VNU Asia Pacific Co,.Ltd. , Mrs.Saengtip Techapatiphandee, Marketing & Communications

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