Through Continente Food Lab, available in 10 stores from the North to the South of Portugal, our Customers became more acquainted with emerging trends in the food sector, using an experimental and dynamic approach. In 2022, the Continente Food Lab tested product portfolio included:

• Petit Papão, a range of organic frozen soups and meals for babies carefully developed by nutritionists to meet the needs of each stage of baby development;
• True Gum, a 100% natural, biodegradable chewing gum that doesn't contain additives derived from petrochemicals. Made from the sap of the tropical fruit chicle tree Manilkara Zapota, the sugar-free gum is sweetened with xylitol and stevia and is available in various flavours;
• Simply Green, a range of powdered mixes used for burgers and falafel, adding variety and convenience to the plant-based alternatives.

Launched in March 2022, "A minha horta" (My vegetable garden) is an initiative which brought the countryside into Continente stores. These vegetable patches can be found in our Colombo, Matosinhos and Gaia stores and offer customers varieties of lettuce and aromatic herb options, which are cultivated and preserved using a hydroponic system, thus ensuring greater freshness.

Combining sustainability, innovation and quality, in 2022, we introduced organic seabass, widening the range made available to our Customers. Produced in salt marshes in the Ria de Aveiro, this fish has a more intense flavour and meaty consistency. It hails from an integrated cultivation system, where the nutrients in the water (resulting from the fish farming activity) are also used to cultivate algae without using fertilisers or additives.