Consumers who are adopting healthier eating habits are actively seeking nutrient-rich food and drink, leading to increased sales of so-called “superfoods”, a new study has found.
The trend towards “positive nutrition”, which has seen shoppers looking to make healthier choices, has been uncovered by independent market analyst Datamonitor.
A total of 5,413 European and US consumers were surveyed and 65 per cent said they were no longer concerned solely with reducing food intake or moderating consumption, but in foods offering specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
This has seen “superfoods” such as acai and goju berries enjoy a sudden surge in demand.
The number of products using pomegranate as an ingredient have increased by 500 per cent, compared to the 1999-2004 period.
Datamonitor estimates that, by 2011, the functional food and drink market in Europe and the US will be almost double that of 2001.
Michael Hughes, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor, said; “The popularisation of superfoods means that many food and drinks now have a ‘healthy-halo’, which significantly influences consumer preferences.”
Newly popular ingredients are continually being touted, allowing industry players to capitalise on the changeable superfoods movement. “Rich pickings can be had from those players who correctly identify the next hot ingredient or flavour,” said Hughes.
But analysts are still cautious over the future of the superfood movement. “It is important not to promote nutrient-rich (superfoods) as a magic bullet/quick-fix solution,” Hughes added.
No comments yet