While few consumers knew about microgreens, the miniscule greens typically used by high-end chefs to garnish dishes, several years ago, their prominence has risen as the palate of the American consumer has become more wide-ranging. But the higher profile and wider availability of the greens have also changed the pricing and quality of them.“There is more awareness of microgreens among consumers now than a few years ago,” said David Sasuga, founder of Fresh Origins. “But it's difficult to know if the market is growing or not.” That's because microgreens are niche products typically used in high-end restaurants that are little understood outside of that setting. Sasuga noted that consumers are often confused about how to use the greens, thinking that microgreens can be used as a salad. Perhaps contributing to this confusion, new growers, trying to capitalize on the rising popularity of the greens, put out sub-optimal product that gives consumers trying them for the first time a bad impression of the product.
“There seems to be an influx of growers who often lack understanding of the primary quality elements of microgreens,” said Sasuga. “Often, they are producing soft, stretched stringy product with tiny leaves and a lack of color, flavor and shelf life.” Some of those new growers find the going tough and decide not to continue, added Sasuga. But the inconsistent quality that inexperienced growers bring to the market has contributed to a softening of prices in the last few years. Prices reached their peak about three years ago, according to Sasuga, and prices have gone down. He noted that what's happened with Mesclun lettuce could also happen to microgreens.
“As more production of Mesclun lettuce and spring mix occurred, the quality and price came down,” explained Sasuga. “Now those are available everywhere, in every store, even in fast food drive-through restaurants, and it is a very different product than what was originally produced. It is now a low-margin commodity item.”
For more information:
David Sasuga
Fresh Origins
+1 760 822 6171