Anuga is where you find out if your instincts about the market are right. This year, ours were. We went to Cologne with one main goal: introduce our Coconut Dried Mango to European buyers and see if the response matched what we'd been hearing from our existing clients.
A Different Approach to Tropical Snacking
Gome Farm’s Coconut Dried Mango isn't coconut flavoring or chocolate-dipped mango. It's actual dried mango with real shredded coconut. The combination gives you two textures in one bite, chewy mango, crisp coconut. The pairing isn't new, what's new is bringing it to scale with consistent quality and food safety standards that work for European retail. That's what we spent the last year figuring out.
The Texture Factor
The most consistent feedback we heard at the booth centered on texture. Multiple buyers told us their customers are tired of one-dimensional snacks and want something that creates a more dynamic eating experience. The coconut crunch delivered exactly that. One Scandinavian distributor put it simply: "This actually does something in your mouth." It's a small shift in product design, but it resonated throughout our conversations on the floor.
The visual differentiation also came up repeatedly. Dried fruit aisles look remarkably similar across markets, and buyers are actively seeking products that break that monotony without crossing into full confectionery territory. The shredded coconut coating provides that shelf distinction while keeping the product anchored in the fruit category.
Beyond Contract Manufacturing
We've always handled high volumes, as that's our foundation and it's not changing. But we're not interested in operating purely as an OEM waiting for specifications to arrive. When we identify a gap in the market, we'd rather develop the product internally and bring it to buyers as a tested concept. Coconut Mango represents the first major example of that approach reaching the European market. Based on the response in Cologne and the commercial discussions that followed, it won't be the last.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by Hall 1.2 and took the time to taste, ask questions, and share their thoughts. Those conversations are what make Anuga worth the trip.
