The Boom of Superfood and How the Media Coverage Helped Escalate the Product - Essay Example

number The boom of super food and how the media coverage helped escalate the product Introduction of superfoods There have been various alterations in the way individuals are concerned about their dietary intake. Most people today are more focused about the health benefits associated with the foods and products that they take as opposed to the fulfilling and satisfying role that was considered in the past. This is also in addition to the taste values that influenced the choice of food that most people made and even ordered from restaurants. One of the major sources of this shift is the introduction of superfoods. Super foods is a term that implies to a wide range of foods that usually have numerous health benefits. It refers to those products that provide high nutritious elements in the sense that they are free from chemicals since they contain high levels of antioxidants. They are vibrant foods that are dense in a nutritional way to offer potential in diet and health needs (Vitamin World par. 1-5). Additionally, they are believed to be wonder foods that actually work wonders for most people. One of the main benefits associated with these superfoods include the elimination of some of the health problems that are related to sugar levels, in addition to dairy or wheat products. As a result of this, most people attest to the fact that they are living a healthy life thanks to the consumption of natural and organic foods. In this sense, the wheat and dairy products that are free from gluten act as suitable alternatives for any individual who is seeking to be healthy. There has been a tremendous and rapid awareness of the positive health effects associated with consumption of superfoods. In the past little was known about these positive aspects. However, with the awareness and their increased production into the market, more and more sources have made attempts to spread the word and make it known all over the world. This is also related to most of the technological advancements that have made it easier to spread the information about the positive health benefits of superfoods. Thus besides the social media, various kinds of media coverage have also played an essential role in the escalation of product knowledge as well as product sales (Vitamin World par. 1-5). There are several nutritious component found in different recipes that provide a guarantee to the consumer that they will receive all that nature is bound to offer. They include coconut oil, flaxseed, sprouted seeds, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and raw honey among other products. The importance of superfoods With the advent of superfoods in the market, there has been the increased awareness and hence an increase in their purchase and usage. In this relation, most people have broadened the functions and areas upon which the use of superfoods can be applied. For instance, most of the food producers have ensured that all of their foods contain superfoods that benefit the health of both human beings and animals. The boom of superfoods According to Bratcher (par. 3), the boom of superfoods was a project that was dedicated towards the provision of 100% of super green nutrition, which is all natural and mean to act as a fighter for each person. It included the sourcing of whole foods that were only among the finest and the rarest of kinds. This was done throughout the world in the effort to make known the flagship product which was food fight. In this, it was ensured that there were no food fillers, fluff or allergens. In particular, it was comprehensive and only contained full spectrum of nutrition composed of green superfoods that contain a lot of advantages for every cell in the body. Owing to this, the foods that are mostly labeled as super foods have witnessed a sharp increase in sales owing to the high level of awareness that has been raised to the public through a number of sources and media items. This thus suggests a kind of commercial incentive for this type of labeling (Benny-Morrison par. 1-5). Most of the consumers of superfoods currently want to get fit, with numerous people of older age wanting to live healthier lifestyle and families that want to provide their children with more organic food products (Wolfe 2). One of the organizations that have been increasing steadily in the popularity of its products is the Australian organic food and health movement. Owing to a high demand, there has been a tremendous push of the products onto the isles of supermarkets (Benny-Morrison par. 3). Because of this, there has been a massive shift according to various advocates of eating organic. This is subsequent to the making of a conventional switch from foods that are grown conventionally for a number of years now. Majority of them offer their testimonies on the wonder activities of the superfoods, which as they indicate have been the key element in their change of diet. They not only help them to cure their lingering health problems but also help them in weight reduction. Food chart Food Superfoods Medicinal herbs Role of media coverage in escalating the purchase of superfoods Lots of concern has been raised in relation to the rising influence of public relations with regard to the news coverage on scientific processes. In addition, the potential role of institutional sources in the shaping of the news reports has been realized. In this relation, there has been a great influence in public relations activities that involve newspaper coverage on superfoods and especially the transparency with which the reporting sources operate. Therefore, a sample of news reporting articles has identified superfoods with the considerable connection with a revealed influence in media releases that have been shown to shape the content of the reports. From most of the qualitative research, it has also been shown that there is a major role of the press releases in elevating research. This has been the case with superfoods where the media coverage has not only increased the level with which consumers are made aware of the products, but has also increased the curiosity of both individuals and groups They have become more interested in these products hence the improvement in research methods and procedures conducted on the foods to find out their additional health benefits on individuals (Wolfe 2). Media and media coverage have played a significant role in relation to the popularity that has resulted from the boom of superfoods. What is commonly heard today is the desire of most individuals to consume super foods. Questions as to whether individuals can take green, smoothies that are dairy free with an included dose of chia seeds, with a sprinkle of flaxseeds, a drop of coconut oil or the topping up with bee pollen are frequently emerging. As such people are more oriented towards living a healthy lifestyle than it was the case in the past. It is in this sense that what would have been considered to be an order that could only be overheard in a vegetarian café that was hippy laden in the past is currently becoming a request that is commonly heard in most cafes (Wolfe 5). Some of the media platforms that have been included in this project include social media such as Instagram and Facebooks. These among other sources have acted as platforms through which actions such as sharing about healthy foods and online organic retailers have been growing and multiplying. In a similar sense, in most of the newspapers in the UK, there has also been an extensive coverage on the superfoods (Weitkamp & Eidsvaag par 6). These nuts, grains and foods are no longer considered to be suitable for intolerances and only contained to the bulk food shelves within the food stores. Because of this factor most managers that deal with superfoods products attest to the fact that the rate of growth in customer numbers has been unbelievable since a number of supermarkets were opened to supply and stock these superfoods in April 2011 (Wolfe 3). As a result of extensive media coverage, more and more people have become eager to learn how they can benefit themselves by eating well through engaging in healthier foods. Escalation of the products More and more superfoods are being processed and produced in the current world. This is as a result of the massive level of awareness. An increased amount of nuts are being crushed, ground and blended into a variety of forms that include the creation of wheat and flours, pastries and breads that are free of bloat. It is because of this that according to a report released by the Australian Organic Market in 2012, there was a 300% increase in the farm-gate value of the domestic organic nut industry between the years 2010 and 2012 (Weitkamp & Eidsvaag par. 1-8). Timeline on The boom of super food and how the media coverage helped escalate the product Before the awareness of the benefits of superfoods, most of them such as coconut oil were shunned owing to the belief that they were fat saturated. Currently, it is on high demand for its anti-fungal properties and high heat on point features. Superfoods have gained their own size of respectability Increased popularity of super foods in eateries and grocery stores. In the year 2012, Australia experienced $1,627 worth in their organic industry with three quarters of the purchase of organic products being made out of the major supermarket shelves. It is predicted that the organic food industry will grow by 10-15% in the coming years (Wolfe p. 7). The recent media coverage has placed more emphasis on the generic ingredients (Vitamin World 2014, p. 5). As indicated by Wolfe (7), in the recent past, superfoods have become widely available. Works Cited Benny-Morrison, Avy. Superfoods boom in popularity. The Queensland Times, 14 July, 2013. Bratcher, Jack. PRO MMA Product Review: Boom Superfoods – FoodFight. Prommanow, July 14 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2014 from http://prommanow.com/2009/07/14/pro mmaproduct-review-boom-superfoods-foodfight/ Vitamin World. Superfoods.2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014 from http://www.vitaminworld.com/diet-lifestyle/super-food/?scid=25842 Weitkamp, Emma, & Eidsvaag, Torill. Agenda Building In Media Coverage of Food Research: Superfoods coverage in UK national newspapers. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2014 Wolfe, David. Superfoods: The food and medicine of the future. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2010. Read More