British supermarkets cater to the trend of unprocessed food, or clean eating, with product innovations in the fresh produce sector. This trend involves having a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and no additives, such as sugar or preservatives.
The clean eating trend contributed to the growing popularity of juicing, squeezing your own juices. According to market researcher IRI, sales of blenders and juicers in supermarkets rose by as much as 49 per cent in 2015. Sales of prepared fruit juices dropped with 4 per cent in that same period. An increasing number of consumers prefers homemade fresh juices over those of supermarkets. Fruit juices from the supermarket often contain more sugars, so excluding those fits well with the clean eating trend.
According to trade journal The Grocer this trend also explains increased sales of soft fruit and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and cabbage. According to IRI, the sales of avocados in supermarkets rose by 31 per cent and those of spinach with 21 per cent in 2015. Suppliers are catering to the clean eating trend with product innovations. British Gilfresh started marketing so-called juicing packs. These offer different combinations of fruits and vegetables combined with a special mix for smoothies or healthy juices.
The third largest supermarket chain in the UK, Asda, recently announced combining the clean eating trend with combating food waste by selling broccoli leafs. Broccoli leafs are called the new food trend because they contain lots of vitamins and are very tasty. Broccoli is 70 per cent leafs, which usually are not used. Supermarkets conveniently cater to the latest food trends that focus on a responsible lifestyle, both for the consumer and the environment. The big four supermarket chains started selling, four example, an assortment of supposed ‘misshapen’ vegetables, for lower prices, that would otherwise not have reached supermarkets. Asda introduced a new family pack of misshapen vegetables, the Wonky Veg Box, and Tesco introduces a new assortment of misshapen vegetables labeled Perfectly Imperfect.
Source: Agro messages International