Consumers Hungry for the Health Benefits of the so called Superfruit

august

13th

Consumers Hungry for the Health Benefits of the so called Superfruit

Anyone that has visited a grocery store or recently browsed through the food and drink supplement of any newspaper or health magazine would be familiar with the fashionable term ‘superfruit’. Referring to a rapidly growing range of fruit and veg, the valuable superfruit promise is found on a wide selection of beverage and food product labels.

As the list of superfruits include anything from UK-grown blackcurrants to the Caribbean acerola-cherry, it may seem that the valuable superfruit indication label can be attached to any fruit or berry based item in order to boost sales. However, scientists who support the term say that in order for the fruit or vegetable to be entitled ’superfruit’ it needs to have exceptionally high health promoting compounds; rigorous scientific evidence must be available on the health benefits to be gained from including the fruit in one’s diet.

Despite these attempts to define a clear-cut description, there is no satisfactory ultimate definition of what a fruit or berry need to fulfil to be called ’superfruit’. Some people suggest that the term is merely the result of the convergence of science and marketing in order to create a new, value-added niche in the nutrition market; superfruits are made not born; they are the product of a strategy, not produce you find growing on a tree.

And as the interest in this new health boosting wonder range is growing as steadily as a mango on a branch, there is no doubt to whether the marketing strategy has proved successful: the Superfruit is now an established phenomenon. The idea of superfruit is no short-term trend that will die away - it is a fundamental shift in strategy in beverages, fresh fruit and fruit ingredients. By comparison to the overall static fruit market, the superfruit market is growing at a rate of 40%-100% per annum and offers a large price premium over standard products. The leading pomegranate, mangosteen and goji brands in Europe and the US have grown from zero to combined sales of over $600 million (€401 million) in the space of five years.

It seems the “high in antioxidants” message of superfruit food items is increasingly attractive to consumers in a market where more and more people make active choices in bid for healthier lifestyles.