Snack cucumber moves into the offer of Bayer´s Minigustos

Consumers seeking healthful alternatives in the lucrative snack market may soon see a new option in the produce department. Minigustos, snack-size packages of cucumbers from the vegetable seeds division of Bayer, are the first product to be released in the new line. The move follows the international trend toward healthful eating. Bayer’s market research focused on generation X and millennials, according to a press release announcing the product launch. But market analysts such as the NPD Group have been tracking this lifestyle choice across many age groups who continue to seek good price points, portion control and portability. But how will a cucumber or any other vegetable compete in a category that includes candy, crackers and cookies? Bayer contends fresh vegetables have already broken into the top tier of that category. Market forecasts from SNAC, the international trade association of the snack food industry representing snack manufacturers and suppliers, backs that up — especially in the dried fruit category. The Minigustos snack cucumbers are the result of years of research and cultivation by skilled breeders and growers, according to the Bayer release. “Our trial growers and category managers of different retailers around the world tell us they have never tasted such a crunchy snack cucumber,” says Anne Jancic, Marketing Specialist for Cucumbers at Bayer. Spanish cucumbers make up the Minigustos currently being offered to premium supermarkets in Northern Europe. Bayer has received market requests from Canada, Australia and China. Rainbow-hued carrots and sweet cosberg lettuce are in the works to be the next offerings in the Minigusto line.