Superfruit marketing

By my definition, superfruits should be all about sustaining regular healthy intake of nutrients from wholefoods, not processed, blended, and diluted juices—a definition that maybe surprising to you. Did you know that most of the juices that stimulated the concept of superfruits are highly processed so that there is little left in them except color and taste They are marketed on myths of ancient uses for unproved health benefits, not on the nutrient value of the natural fruit that this book emphasizes. 

My message is that superfruits should be your constant reminder and daily source of nutrients. Contrary to the way superfruits are marketed currently—as antioxidant-rich juices—this book is about whole fruits... 

So, what is it that sets superfruits apart from regular fruits or currently marketed superfruit juices I believe it s an optimal mix of natural fruit compounds—nutrients and phytochemicals—that should be in everyone s diet. 

You may have encountered the word superfruit in various places in the media, but scientists don t apply the word in any research report. This is a marketing term used by manufacturers to attract attention to their products, but it s been accepted by the fruit processing industry and by consumers, so it has become a convenient way to refer to fruits with special qualities. I want to emphasize wholefood superfruits as important to have regularly in your diet, hopefully to make a positive difference to your current health and lower your risk of diseases. This means we have to pay attention to how research is identifying health criteria and benefits from eating superfruits. 

We must be cautious about what conclusions we draw from new research on polyphenols in relation to superfruits. The polyphenol class as a whole is a highly productive research topic in food and medical science. While scientists are continually adding to what we know about the possible impact of these plant compounds on human health, we need to be wary about the use of unconfirmed results for marketing by manufacturers eager to have a competitive edge in selling superfruit products. This practice unfortunately leads to false claims of effectiveness and to their acceptance by consumers as fact when actually the research is too premature to warrant conclusions about health benefits. 

A public icon of health in recent years, blueberries, once grown only in Canada and the United States, have ratcheted up in popularity so extensively that global competition for the fresh market now includes such countries as Peru, Argentina, Mexico, and China. The increased supply from the southern hemisphere also means we can enjoy this fruit fresh or frozen year-round, making it an easy superfruit choice for adding to your shopping cart and freezer. After all, how many pure blue foods can you select from nature s palette of fruit colors None as true blue as this one ... 

As a convenience, many manufacturers and distributors are packaging superfruits as frozen whole fruit or cut pieces. Analyses of nutritional contents show that frozen fruits preserve nutrients closely to those of fresh or dried fruits, so this is an acceptable format that may be more suitable to some people, especially those with limited access to fresh markets or out-of-season produce. 

Both marketers of manufactured superfruit products and the public media have exaggerated the potential antioxidant importance of fruit compounds such as polyphenol pigments (anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, catechins, xanthones, and many others). These compounds have antioxidant activity in controlled laboratory conditions, but there is no scientifically confirmed evidence that they have antioxidant roles in the human body. 

Since the media buzz on superfruits began, some forty to fifty fruits have been called super by the media, food industry analysts, or manufacturers and marketers of fruit products. Everyone, it seems, wants on the bandwagon of popularity for the word superfruit, which stimulates curiosity, rapid translation into sales, and long-term devotion among consumers. Whereas the top twenty superfruits discussed in Part II are established in mainstream global markets, at least ten other fruits are beginning to attract attention and research interest due to their nutrient richness or phytochemical content—these are potential superfruit candidates for the future. 

Deciphering Superfruits and Their Future Market Impact. SupplySide East, Secaucus, N.J., April 28, 2008. Speaker. 

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