Superfruits could be having an adverse effect on fresh produce consumption, as false assumptions about their nutritional value may prevent consumers from fulfilling their 5 A DAY target.
A report from independent market analyst Datamonitor has revealed that consumers in the UK are eating more fresh fruits and vegetables to meet their 5 A DAY target, with annual consumption increasing from 93kg per person in 2002 to 113kg in 2007, and expected to hit 123kg in 2012.
However, the research shows that the advent of products incorporating superfruits such as acai and goji berries, famed for their high levels of nutrients and antioxidants, has affected consumption of other fruits.
Consumers are now looking to quickly ‘dose’ themselves, much like the ingestion of a daily medicine. Mark Whalley, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor and author of the report, said: “This dosing allows consumers to feel satisfied that they are boosting their health without being inconvenienced by spending large amounts of time planning and preparing nutritious meals.
“Consumers have responded enthusiastically to the idea that these [super] fruits provide them with an enormous health boost, to the extent that the consumption of other fruits and vegetables is suffering.”
Though the popularity of superfruits and growing numbers of innovative products which feature them as ingredients gives consumers extra options in making their fruit and vegetable quota, people must be aware that they are not a “quick-fix” solution to a worldwide epidemic of under-consumption, said Datamonitor.
“Overlooking more traditional, ‘ordinary’ alternatives like apples purely in favour of superfruits will prove detrimental to overall consumption, and ironically begin to undo the positive effects that fruit and vegetable targets have had in the UK,” the organisation added.
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