Most Successful Superfruits: Which Superfruits Had Greatest Market Share in 2015? Baobab, Cherry, Maqui, and Blueberry

The term superfruit originated from the minds of clever marketers about 10 years ago and is generally applied by manufacturers to fruits containing high concentrations of phytochemicals and phytonutrients. Many fruits marketed as superfruits are also rich in other ingredients associated with good health, such as fiber and the letter vitamins.
The superfruits market has been ever-present from 2005, with “new” (to North American consumers) superfruits being introduced fairly steadily, and historically popular North American staple fruits being rebranded as “super” based on favorable published studies.
SPINS (Schaumburg, IL) market researcher Kimberly Kawa has found that the relatively new superfruits category evolves rapidly and is subject to “industry hype” and endorsements by both celebrities (Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Mehmet Oz) and popular integrative and alternative medicine professionals. Consequently, a given superfruit may spike in popularity one year and crash and burn the next; however, a review of superfruits’ media coverage and commercial availability indicates that once a fruit is labeled “super,” it doesn’t seem to ever vanish completely from the market or from popular media’s memory.
In 2015, the superfruits with the greatest market share, and those displaying the most explosive growth during the previous 12 months, comprise an interesting mix of well-known, native-grown standbys, such as cherries and blueberries; fruits for whom some solid science has been expertly exploited, such as pomegranates; and lesser-known imported fruits, such as baobab, maqui, and golden berry.
The following are a handful of today’s “hottest” superfruits based on current sales data and growth over the past year (provided by SPINS), as well as each fruit’s nutritional highlights and uses in functional foods (e.g., snack bars and functional beverages) and supplements.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/Anna Quaglia