Interview with Javier Valverde, Head of Processed Products at Unica.
What percentage of your production comes from fresh-cut and ready-to-eat lines?
It’s still a relatively new business for us—currently 1.6% of our turnover. We’ve been in the ready-to-eat (V Gama) segment longer, but we only started in fresh-cut (IV Gama) two or three years ago, and we have ambitious goals. Our aim is to reach 10% within five to six years. In general, IV Gama grows at double-digit rates, depending on the category and the year. Sticking to the Mediterranean diet, like our mothers and grandmothers did, takes a lot of time in the kitchen. These products solve several problems: we have less time, we want to eat healthy, and we want to cook quickly in increasingly smaller homes. Eating is becoming very personalised and individual, especially among young people. The ‘everyone eats lentils’ mindset is long gone.
Fresh-cut fruit is growing. Are you planning to enter that segment?
It’s definitely on our radar. We want to take that step soon with fruits we already produce (like watermelon and melon) to enhance their value—perhaps next season, once we consolidate our vegetable lines. Right now, we have many open fronts. We’re very focused on consolidating our 6-vegetable packs for wok, skillet, or air fryer, our different sweet potato formats (sticks, slices, chips), healthy on-the-go snacks… and industrial products—vegetables used as raw materials by manufacturers.
Is it hard to break into that segment? It seems like a pretty closed market…
It’s a tough market. There are only a few processors, mainly located in Valencia, Catalonia, Madrid, and to some extent Murcia, mostly in the preserves industry. Even though we’re suppliers and our goal is to support them, it’s hard to get in and earn their trust. Since they can’t patent their products, they tend to be quite secretive.
Which formats work best for retail and foodservice?
For retail, individual packs of 200–250 grams. We don’t see much demand for maxi formats among consumers. On the other hand, we offer solutions tailored to the needs of foodservice. There’s a shortage of staff, so businesses want to reduce labour. They love anything that helps save storage space and reduce waste. Also, many central kitchens are now requesting larger formats, like 1 kg boxes. We’re seeing significant growth in this channel.
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How is your brand positioned compared to private labels?
We have several lines: ‘The Chef in You’, ‘Ready Veggie Go’, and Surinver in V Gama. We also work for private labels. Shelf space is limited, so we adapt to what they need and respond to cultural shifts. What we see in other European countries is often a preview of what will happen here.
You recently made an international breakthrough with a private label…
Yes, with ready-to-eat roasted peppers in a well-known UK supermarket chain. It’s our first product on the UK market. Entering is not easy—you have to adapt to local preferences and tastes—but the reception has been very positive. We’re evaluating different recipes and tweaks, like adjusting the lemon flavour, changing the cut for fajitas (they want it wider), and offering whole yellow peppers…
Consumers want healthier, more functional products. How do you adapt while keeping things profitable for producers?
We’re a cooperative, and our goal is to maximise value for our producers. We develop recipes using their raw materials. The good thing is that Unica has a huge portfolio to choose from.
To meet consumer expectations, we want to build a broader offering. Our IV Gama products are clean, additive-free, and we try to include superfoods. In V Gama, we have a caramelised line (onion, pepper…) and we’re launching a version with 30% less sugar. For lightly pasteurised products, we’re replacing citric acid with lemon juice. And we’re adding more plant-based protein, plus a salad range with quinoa.
