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The Diet Phenomenon of SuperfoodsRemarketing Common Foods and Introducing New Miracle Foods
The recent trend of superfoods has changed the way food is marketed. Both common and exotic foods are benefiting in sales and popularity from the superfood label.
A recent catchword in nutritionist and diet circles is 'superfoods'. The term has no legal or scientific definition; it generally refers to a food which is high in phytonutrients, with related healthgiving properties. Most superfoods are fruits, vegetables or berries; however, some animal-derived products are also often categorized as superfoods. Superfoods tend to fall into two categories: common foods whose nutritional and health benefits have recently been discovered to be superb, and rare or exotic foods. Common Foods Rebranded as SuperfoodsNo longer does nutritionist jargon advise the health-conscious to eat greens 'because they're good for you'. Defining a product as 'high in dietary fibre' or 'rich in nutrients' is passe—the new trend is to label excellent sources of nutrition superfoods. Edibles as familiar as blueberries, spinach and the humble tomato are given a little lustre by the 'superfood' title. Garden crops are not the only food to bear the title—wild salmon, honey, yoghurt and kefir are also commonly considered superfoods. Often, the 'superfood' or 'superfruit' label is enough to boost the popularity of a once-commonplace food. The pomegranate, a fruit that has been relatively unnoticed since Biblical times, is suddenly surging in popularity due to its recent promotion to the status of superfruit. Using jargon more reminiscent of big business than cuisine, Michael Hughes notes “Right now, pomegranate is the hot ingredient, but is likely to be superseded given that new ingredients are being continuously touted. Monitoring these developments will be vital if industry players are going to fully capitalize on the superfoods movement.” Exotic and Rare SuperfoodsTwenty years ago, few people had heard of Goji or açaí berries, Noni juice or nori. Now the virtues of these superfoods are extolled from garish websites and sold Tupperware-style in pyramid schemes. NaturalNews.com, which does not sell superfoods, claims of superfood supplements “I know I will never have cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental depression, osteoporosis or any other popular chronic disease because I take these superfoods daily.” Superfood websites are, if anything, even more glowing, often featuring references to the ancient use of their respective superfoods and testimonials from doctors and scientists. Datamonitor expects the sale of superfoods to double from 2007 to 2011, largely as a result of aggressive marketing. Nutritionist Response to the Superfood PhenomenonIn general, nutritionists are positive about the rise of superfoods. Because superfoods are usually whole foods as opposed to supplements, overdosing is not considered to be a risk. However, as dietician Jacquie Lowdon puts it, “A serving of one berry is not going to turn your life around. That requires a combination of things: overall weight, attention to fat intake and types of fats, fibre intake, vitamins and hydration. It's an overall package.”
The copyright of the article The Diet Phenomenon of Superfoods in Diet Food Trends is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish The Diet Phenomenon of Superfoods in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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