- Title: Tunisian entrepreneur eyes emerging market for snail products
- Date: 2nd January 2020
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (DECEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SNAILS AT FARM SNAIL FARM OWNER, HOUDA BEN ROMTHAN, PICKING UP SNAILS VARIOUS OF BEN ROMTHAN INSPECTING SNAIL FARM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SNAIL FARM OWNER, HOUDA BEN ROMTHAN, SAYING: "I studied electronics engineering and I worked at a private communication company for 12 years, in administration. Then I decided to open my own business, but in agriculture instead of administration. I chose snail breeding in 2014, but faced a lot of difficulties, but I tried to overcome them over the years and improve the business. I started with extracting the mucus from the snails, a product that drew a lot of interest from clients. After extracting the mucus, the snails are used for cooking." VARIOUS OF BEN ROMTHAN CHECKING SNAILS SNAILS AT INDOOR FARM BEN ROMTHAN PICKING UP BOX VARIOUS OF BEN ROMTHAN PICKING UP SNAIL EGGS FROM BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SNAIL FARM OWNER, HOUDA BEN ROMTHAN, SAYING: "This is the snails' mating room, we choose the ones that are ready for mating and can lay eggs. They stay in here for three months from September to December. We provide them with water, in a 20-degree Celsius temperature and the food. We give them an atmosphere similar to spring, so they can mate and most of them do lay eggs." VARIOUS OF SNAILS SNAIL FARM TUNIS, TUNISIA (DECEMBER 26, 2019) (REUTERS) FOUNDER OF COSMETICS COMPANY "LE NATUREL", NABIL KRIAA, WALKING INTO LAB VARIOUS OF KRIAA WITH ASSISTANT PREPARING MIXTURE OF SNAIL MUCUS EXTRACT (SOUNDBITE) (French) FOUNDER OF COSMETICS COMPANY "LE NATUREL", NABIL KRIAA, SAYING: "After studying snail mucus for four years due to its richness in hyaluronic acid and collagen, we have decided to produce a lotion that includes other vegetable oils. We made the lotion and found that it was very effective in moisturising and brightening the face as well as fighting wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. It has been very successful among customers." VARIOUS OF KRIAA PREPARING SNAIL PRODUCT AT LAB VARIOUS OF CUSTOMER CHECKING SNAIL SKIN CARE PRODUCTS AT PHARMACY TUNIS, TUNISIA (DECEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) CHEF AT MOKITO RESTAURANT KITCHEN VARIOUS OF CHEF COOKING SNAILS VARIOUS OF CHEF PREPARING SANDWICH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF MOKITO RESTAURANT, MOHAMMED AZIZ SMAOUI, SAYING: "We are a Tunisian restaurant and we want to support Tunisian products. We have introduced snail to our menu and it has been very successful. (We introduced it) through our 'bread ball sandwich', which includes snail and herbal sauce, and customers really love it and many of them come to order it." SMAOUI PICKING UP TRAY AND SERVING SANDWICH TO CUSTOMER SNAIL SANDWICH
- Embargoed: 16th January 2020 12:52
- Keywords: Snail production in Tunisia Snail skin care products Snails Tunis Tunisia
- Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- City: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Society/Social Issues,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001BUHB61H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Electronics engineering graduate Houda Ben Romthan quit a job in administration after 12 years in order to pursue her passion in snail breeding, eying an emerging market for the molluscs in Tunisia.
While many may find breeding snails somewhat icky, Romthan has no problem touching the little creatures that have become her source of income.
She says her $10,000-project does not require heavy manpower.
Their mucus can be used to produce beauty products while their meat could make a delicious meal.
The mucus is extracted by placing the snail in a bowl of salt and vinegar mixture for 10 minutes before being sold to clients who use it in skin care products.
Ben Romthan says she sources the snails from the Ministry of Agriculture, which supports her and tens of other local producers as part of an initiative aimed at helping local Tunisian producers breed, market, sell and export snails.
While Ben Romthan only sells her products locally, others export their produce to European markets, mostly to Italy.
Nabil Kriaa, a founder of cosmetics company "Le Naturel" in Tunis, figured out after four years of careful studying the benefits of snail mucus which is rich in hyaluronic acid, collagen and Vitamin E. The price of an average snail beauty product ranges between 15$ to $25.
After selling the mucus extract to clients like Kriaa, ben Romthan cleans the snails' meat to be ready for cooking. She sells a box of 10 snails for $3.5.
Restaurant owner Mohammed Aziz Smaoui says his signature snail recipe mixed with herbs and served in a special bread ball sandwich is becoming one of his customers' favourite.
Snail meat is said to be nutritious - it is low in cholesterol and rich in proteins, making it a popular delicacy in various cultures.
(Production: Jihed Abdellaoui) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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