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Blueberry
boom in Britain driven by health benefits
Sales of blueberries in the UK have
rocketed over the last year as consumers seek the health benefits
recently linked to the fruit.
The country's leading retailer Tesco
says that blueberry sales have risen by 185 per cent since
last September and are growing month by month.
Other retailers have confirmed similar growth - Waitrose
says sales are up 150 per cent - making the fruit the UK?s
fastest growing. Sales grew by ¡ê14.7 million in the last year
to reach ¡ê26.2 million, according to information from retail
analysts Taylor Nelson Sofres.
The huge boom in popularity follows recent publicity from
dieticians and scientists, who have hailed the fruit as one
of natures superfoods.
Last summer scientists from the US Agricultural Research
Service revealed that a compound found in blueberries called
pterostilbene, similar to resveratrol, could be as effective
as a widely used synthetic drug in reducing cholesterol.
Another study on rats has shown that when fed blueberries,
they experienced less brain cell loss and improved recovery
of movement following a stroke. The fruit has also been shown
to protect against memory loss and have cancer-fighting properties.
All of these studies have however only been done in animals,
but the success of the fruit in the UK demonstrates the British
consumers hunger for functional foods and the trend for healthy
eating.
Our sales have nearly quadrupled since a run of newspaper
and magazine articles hailed blueberries as one of natures
wonder foods capable of helping protect the body against a
wide range of ailments,said Tesco blueberry buyer Andrew Gaunt.
Other 'superfoods', which are credited as having properties
over and above those normally found in fresh fruit and vegetables,
include garlic, broccoli and oily fish.
Blueberries also feature highly in
the popular GI Diet that was launched across the UK in January.
The regime recommends foods with slower sugar release.
source:http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com
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