ON THE PODIUM
Wholesale Market Hamburg wins Innovation award of the World Union of Wholesale Markets

On the 1st of October 2008, the Wholesale Market Hamburg Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers has received the WUWM Award 2008 in the category „Market Innovation“ in Copenhagen. For the first time this prize was awarded within the Congress of the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM).

Hamburg’s fresh centre was able to convince the jury with three innovative facilities: With the „German Food Additive Museum“ which opened up in spring 2008, the student laboratory „SCOLAB“ and the „Pesticides Laboratory“ which was established in June 2007.

The WUWM awards the prize „Market Innovations“ for innovations in different segments: among others, for actions regarding marketing and promotion of the market and improvement of the competitiveness. Especially in this points, the Wholesale Market Hamburg impressed with its three modern concepts.

„We are very proud, that we have received this award. With those three, still young facilities we want to add a significant contribution to consumer protection and want to inform him in detail“, tells Torsten Berens, General Manager of the Wholesale Market Hamburg, who is glad about the top-class award.

Informing consumers: „German Food Additive Museum“, „SCOLAB“ and „Pesticides Laboratory“  

In March 2008, the „German Food Additive Museum“ opened its doors on the Wholesale Market Hamburg premises. Visitors will be presented the spectrum of flavours, enzymes, dyestuffs and flavour enhancers, which are used by producing miscellaneous foods. Right next door, there is the student laboratory „SCOLAB“: Students and pupils learn a lot of interesting things about the ingredients of fruits and vegetables as well as about general phytochemistry. They also can carry out experiments under guidance.

Vis à vis of those two facilities, fruits and vegetables are put to the acid test: In the „Pesticides Laboratory“ of the GBA Fruit Analytic GmbH, modern technology allows a comprehensive analysis regarding pesticide residue. Right on the spot, the quality of apples and others is assured – before the goods will be on the market. The „Pesticide Laboratory“ accomplishes an important contribution concerning consumer protection.

With such ground-breaking projects and actions, the Wholesale Market Hamburg ensures transparency. And as a authentic and credible communication platform it gains more and more importance for the region – especially regarding the topics „healthy food“, „informing consumers“ and „treat“.

Remarkable for its strongly innovative character

SCOLAB and the Additives Museum were both aimed at teaching schoolchildren and consumers about various aspects of food chemistry - from the natural, nutritious ingredients found in fruit and vegetables, to the arguments for and against food additives. The pesticides laboratory was established for the purpose of analysing foodstuffs for market traders, and by extension their customers, ensuring fresh produce of good quality and delivering pesticide testing results more rapidly and comprehensively than previously possible.

Taken together, the three facilities form a unique complex situated on the Hamburg Market for food safety, consumer protection and education.

The Hamburg Government was fully supportive of each of these projects, with the three facilities operating from a solid foundation of state-of-the-art science. As explained by Torsten Berens the Hamburg Market Managing Director: “They stimulate and enhance the wholesale market - benefiting market traders and improving the mix of firms – and they send signals to consumers that they can trust fresh produce that comes from the wholesale market. In this sense, they represent a highly effective infrastructure measure to secure the wholesale market’s future.”

Each of the three concepts was deemed by the WUWM judging panel to be remarkable for its strongly innovative character. WUWM award judge Dr John Mann, the former Superintendent of Smithfield Market in London, described the project as “…wide ranging in its remit. I know of no other market so intimately linked to the facilities described here”.

About WUWM

WUWM is a non-profit association which promotes the international exchange of information on wholesale and retail markets with a view to improving their construction, organisation and management.