Superfruit

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Superfruit, a marketing term first used in the food and beverage industry in 2005, refers to a fruit which combines exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidant quality with appealing taste that can stimulate and retain loyalty for consumer products. "Superfruit" has no official U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) endorsement.[1] Some popular fruits like bananas, pineapples, strawberries or oranges are not commonly mentioned as superfruits despite excellent nutritional properties, apparently because they have not been marketed specifically as superfruits.

Resulting from a deliberate business strategy of a manufacturer to bring together marketing, science and potential health value to consumers, a superfruit product is specifically designed in manufacturing and marketing.[2][3]

Keys to marketing a successful superfruit product include the native fruit qualities, scientific evidence supporting a potential health benefit, marketing, protection of intellectual property and developing an appealing strategy to attract consumers.[2] Combined in the right way, these elements may allow a fruit to achieve "critical mass" as a superfruit.

To date, superfruits have been developed mainly as juices, but began in 2007 to appear as single piece products or as ingredients for functional foods, confectioneries and cosmetics. Current industry development includes applications for creating novel consumer products, such as energy drinks, dietary supplements, and flavors with nutrient qualities, e.g. fortified water.

Although used increasingly in new food and beverage products, superfruits have not been defined by scientific criteria that would allow consumers to objectively assess nutrient value and potential for furnishing health benefits. Consequently, the term superfruit is used liberally to include a growing list of fruits having sparse scientific evidence for being "super" other than being relatively unknown to common consumers.

Contents

[edit] Significance

The superfruit category is a relatively new marketing approach for promoting common or rare fruits used as raw materials and ingredients for the global industries of functional foods, beverages and nutraceuticals. The fruits have nutritional significance due to their nutrient richness, antioxidant value or anticipated health benefits. Superfruits have commercial significance associated with their novelty of taste, color, number of food or beverage product formats or potential to stimulate future products with innovative packaging and labeling.

The superfoods category is forecast to become a $10 billion global industry by 2011[4] with several thousand new superfruit products expected to enter the marketplace in 2007–8.[5] According to DataMonitor, superfruit product launches over 2007–8 grew at a rate of 67%.

[edit] Origin and background

In 2004, the term superfoods was popularized by a best-selling book discussing 14 whole foods with extraordinary nutrition.[6] One – the blueberry – became known as a superfruit when its exceptional antioxidant properties were revealed by publication of United States Department of Agriculture assays on antioxidant strength, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC for 100 common foods.[7] Wild blueberries ("lowbush", Vaccinium angustifolium) were at the top of the 2004 rankings for fruit. By refinement of the ORAC assay and new analyses published in 2006-7, other berry fruits such as wolfberry (goji berry),[8][unreliable source?] elderberry[9] and cranberry,[9] have superseded blueberries on the antioxidant rankings, attention possibly caused by growing consumer demand for superfruits.

Indicating industry enthusiasm for novel product development, superfruits have been called "the future of health",[10] "fruits of the future",[11] "superheroes of functionality"[12] and "heroes in the natural food marketplace".[13] More than a dozen industry publications on functional foods and beverages have referred to various exotic or antioxidant species as superfruits with estimates for some 10,000 new product introductions in 2007–8.[5]

However, definition of a superfruit remains obscure with no scientific standards or commercial criteria accepted uniformly in the industry.

[edit] Working definition

As a term, superfruit may have two meanings according to interest – one for commercial success, and another for health properties. Below, these together combine with other criteria to qualify a superfruit.

[edit] Definition by commercial success or promise of health benefits

A superfruit is thought by many consumers to be any fruit offering value beyond basic nutrition.[14] Key criteria for superfruit success appear to include novelty, perceived health benefits, convenience, reliable supply and effective promotion.

Juices and fruit blend beverages are popular for consuming superfruits at present as beverages seem preferred for convenience and product enjoyment. Fruit juice remains one of the only foods consumers still regard as "natural" even when pasteurized and processed.

Additionally, mainstream consumers seem to accept juices of fruits that would not be popular in fresh form, such as noni and pomegranate – two of the largest selling juices.[14] Tahitian Noni began selling noni juice in 1996, and claims $2 billion in sales during their first 10 years of operation.[15] Earlier reports showed pomegranate-based products grew nearly 400 per cent over 2005-7 from new launches, a gain exceeding all the previous six years.[16] Similarly, XanGo, a multiple-fruit juice containing mangosteen juice, grew from $40 million in 2002 sales to over $200 million in 2005,[15] with anticipated total sales for 2006–7 of approximately $400 million.

To begin consideration of commercial characteristics that may apply to defining a superfruit are criteria related to market success or promise for gaining health benefits

  1. Novelty judged by consumers
  2. Appeal to consumers (visual, aromatic, taste, physical, perceived health benefit)
  3. Supply by growers, processors and shipping capabilities
  4. Production by farmers and manufacturers
  5. Convenience of using the raw material
  6. Promotion, marketing and distribution
  7. Creation of a market niche, employing a low-volume, high-value strategy relative to major retail brands[17]
  8. Sales year over year
  9. Growth potential, innovative new products

One 2007 strategy of manufacturers is to use superfruits to enhance flavor of other products, attempting to mask tastes or provide impressions of novelty and health.[18] With some 5,000 new products introduced in 2005 on berries alone[19] and more than 500 new superfruit products launched in 2006,[14] the superfruit category is establishing significant commercial presence. DataMonitor includes the superfruit category as one of the top 10 global trends in consumer products for 2008.[20]

[edit] Commonly mentioned superfruits

Format: common name, botanical name, main country(ies) of origin supplying the commercial market.

Apples (Malus domestica), oranges (Citrus sinensis), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) and common berries, such as strawberries (Fragaria vesca), red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and blackberries (Rubus ursinus) used for a large number of consumer products, achieve many of the criteria to be superfruits. They are, however, commonly known in the public and have not attracted interest as novelty ingredients, so are not usually included in industry reports as superfruits.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Brown, Amy (2010). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation. p. 331. ISBN 978-0538734981. 
  2. ^ a b Crawford, Karl; Julian Mellentin (2008). Successful Superfruit Strategy: How To Build a Superfruit Business. Cambridge, England: Woodhead Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84569-540-8. [page needed]
  3. ^ Starling, Shane (14 May 2008). "Superfruit success not grown on trees, say authors". Decision News Media. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Superfruit-success-not-grown-on-trees-say-authors. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  4. ^ McNally, Alex (10 August 2007). "Superfoods market set to double by 2011". Decision News Media. http://www.nutraingredients.com/Consumer-Trends/Superfoods-market-set-to-double-by-2011. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  5. ^ a b Facenda, Vanessa L. (8 October 2007). "Minute Maid, Tropicana, A-B Juiced About Superfruits". Brandweek. http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003655025&imw=Y. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [dead link]
  6. ^ Pratt, Steven G.; Kathy Matthews and Michel Stroot (2004). Superfoods Rx. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 978-0-06-053567-4. [page needed]
  7. ^ Wu X, Beecher GR, Holden JM, Haytowitz DB, Gebhardt SE, Prior RL (June 2004). "Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52 (12): 4026–37. doi:10.1021/jf049696w. PMID 15186133. 
  8. ^ Young, Gary; Marc Schreuder and Ronald Lawrence (2006). Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood. Orem, Utah: Essential Science Publishing. ISBN 978-0-943685-44-1. OCLC 70255662. [page needed]
  9. ^ a b Agricultural Research Service (November 2007). "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods – 2007". http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=15866. Retrieved 22 June 2009. 
  10. ^ "'Superfruits' the future of health" (Press release). HortResearch. 24 October 2006. http://www.hortresearch.co.nz/index/news/493. Retrieved 22 June 2009. 
  11. ^ Bradley, Kyle (12 March 2007). "Fruits of the Future?". Natural Products Insider (Virgo Publishing). http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/articles/07mar12feat3.html. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  12. ^ Starling, Shane (1 April 2007). "Superfruits — superheroes of functionality". Functional Ingredients (Penton Media). http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Business-Strategies/superfruits-8212-superheroes-of-functionality.aspx. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  13. ^ Cannon, Rebecca (11 January 2008). "Superfoods to the Rescue!". Natural Products Marketplace (Virgo Publishing). http://www.naturalproductsmarketplace.com/articles/superfoods-to-the-rescue.html. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  14. ^ a b c "Wellness Foods Trends 2007". Food Processing. Putnam Media. http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/250.html. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  15. ^ a b Schardt, David (November 2006). "Super Fruit: Squeezing cold cash out of three 'hot' juices". Nutrition Action Healthletter (Center for Science in the Public Interest): 9–11. http://www.cspinet.org/nah/11_06/juice.pdf. Retrieved 23 June 2009. 
  16. ^ Runestad, Todd (1 October 2007). "Functional ingredients market overview". Functional Ingredients (Penton Media). http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Business-Strategies/-em-functional-ingredients-em-market-overview.aspx. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  17. ^ "Focus - Soft drinks makers reap superfruit dividend" (Press release). Soft Drinks International. 8 February 2008. http://www.just-drinks.com/article.aspx?id=92940. Retrieved 22 June 2009. 
  18. ^ Halliday, Jess (23 October 2007). "Superfruit flavours get ever more exotic". Decision News Media. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Superfruit-flavours-get-ever-more-exotic. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  19. ^ Fletcher, Anthony (31 March 2006). "Super fruits set to dominate flavour market". Decision News Media. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Super-fruits-set-to-dominate-flavour-market. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  20. ^ "Fresh, super and organic top trends for 2008". Decision News Media. 28 November 2007. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Fresh-super-and-organic-top-trends-for-2008. Retrieved 22 June 2009. [unreliable source?]
  21. ^ Valente, Mike (2010). "Public Responsibility and Private Enterprise in Developing Countries". California Management Review 52 (3). doi:10.1525/cmr.2010.52.3.52. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/cmr.2010.52.3.52?&Search=yes&searchText=superfruit&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dsuperfruit%26acc%3Doff%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=1&ttl=1&returnArticleService=showFullText. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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