A study by German online magazine Web.De has suggested that superfood products are fast replacing reduced sugar or fat items, as a trend.
Research carried out by the magazine discovered that supermarkets and discounters in Germany saw a sharp rise in the sales of ‘superfoods’, such as chia seed, amaranth and quinoa grain and matcha (green tea) powder over 2016.
Quoting a recent market research survey by Düsseldorf-based marketing firm IRI, the article stated that the overall turnover of superfoods nearly doubled in the last year, from €25 million to €46 million.
Whereas the quantity of chia seed sold in Germany increased by more than 150%, green matcha tea and coconut and almond flour did even better, percentage-wise, although they were sold in smaller quantities; the sales of amaranth grain doubled in the same period.
Superfoods are alleged to have health benefits, although quality tests have found traces of mineral oil, mosquito repellent and mould in some batches, according to Web.De's research.
The article warned that the counterfeiting or diluting of the trendy superfoods is very hard to detect, and more likely to occur once the demand starts to overtake the availability of the products.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
