Hong Kong consumers are developing a taste for fruits and veggies they previously spurned, as news of their health attributes convince shoppers to give them another go.
Hong Kong fresh produce one-stop-shop for caterers and retailers, Chefs Garden, soon expects to see a significant rise in demand for superfoods, like pomegranate, beets and kale, as more Hong Kong consumers seek out healthy foods.
Increased sales of berries, widely reported to be high in antioxidants, is indicative of this emerging trend, says the company’s Michael Kan.
Although strawberries still top Hong Kong berry imports in volume and value terms, blueberry sales in particular are giving chase, he says. Meanwhile, demand for less well-known, but powerfully healthy raspberries, blackberries and redcurrants is also increasing as more and more juicing bars spring up in the city.
“Berries are one of the many fruit items that people in Hong Kong are eating more of,” Kan tells Fruitnet. “This follows lots of reports showing berries to be high in antioxidants. Blueberries are leading the trend, thanks to their nutritional qualities, but also due to the fact that they are offered at a comparatively low price: they are sometimes promoted in supermarkets at below HK$10 per punnet!
“Among all berries, there is no doubt that strawberries are the largest category. But other less popular berries items like raspberries, blackberries, red currants etc, are getting increasing attention, and we can see consumption boosts. Partly because a lot of local fresh juicing bars have sprung up locally, which has put up the demand significantly.
“Going forward, I expect there will be increasing demand for other health-proved produce items, which were not very popular in the past, like pomegranates, beets, kale, etc,” he said.
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