For American eaters who long to take control of their health, nothing offers the perception of power quite like “superfoods.” These discussion always start with kale but stretch far beyond, into an almost religious reverence for produce with a nutrient-rich reputation. Not only do three-fourths of consumers believe they can manage their health through nutrition, according to a Nielsen (NLSN) survey, nearly one-third believe food can replace medicine.
America’s faith in food is strong indeed. ”People like to think they can control their health and that biochemistry is the secret to a healthy lifestyle,” says Lynn Kahle, professor of marketing at the University of Oregon. “One of the challenges in marketing is getting credibility. If there are voices in the scientific and medical communities saying superfoods are good for you, and marketers attach to that, it makes sense.”
Sure enough, an increase in sales of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables has followed. The biggest problem with trying to understand the superfood boom, however, is trying to pin down just what counts as a superfood. In an analysis for Bloomberg Businessweek, Nielsen found that retail sales of kale increased at a compound annual rate of 56.6 percent from 2009 to 2013. Moreover, 2,500 farms harvested kale in 2012, up from fewer than 1,000 in 2007.
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