Carrots grown in the 1930s had 52% more calcium than they did in the 1980s. So found a study by Dr Anne Mayer, which uncovered declines in minerals and vitamins across 20 fruit and vegetables.
So, imagine a world where a carrot wasn’t just a carrot. And the choice wasn’t just a bag of chanteney or nantes. The choice was about nutrient density.
Which carrot, cabbage, apple or berry has the most micronutrients or phytochemicals? Would you be willing to pay more if you were told one would be more effective in countering inflammation? Or that another would be far superior at aiding your immune system?
Food as medicine
Recent research by Nexus found 68% of people would buy more fresh berries if they knew more about their health benefits. It’s a powerful sell.
Dr Hannah Fraser, a medical professional and farmer, bought together her passion for health and food in an interesting Nuffield research paper earlier this year. Powerfully, she cites Hippocrates from 440BC: “Let food be thy medicine.” It’s a narrative that is often pushed away by leading voices in the food industry. Cries of “it’s a marketing fail” or “it won’t change behaviour” often echo on LinkedIn and in industry forums.
However, perhaps rising obesity rates and increasing chronic illness require different thinking. Different voices. A renewed push to capitalise on the preventative qualities of fruit, vegetables and pulses – even meat, fish and poultry – and deliver clearer health cues that are widely applied to other food and drink products.
The fresh produce aisle
Today, if you wander a supermarket fruit and vegetable section, you’ll likely see large signs that say onions, potatoes, greens or salads. It’s about as far as marketing in the category goes. You might see a flashier end display branded by the legendary Pink Lady apples.
It brings into focus a bigger question: what role do we want food and drink to play in society? As it stands, it largely gives an Oscar-worthy performance for the parts of taste, indulgence and convenience. Very potent characteristics that are equally good at driving a decent profit margin.
And therein lies the challenge: how can we add value to naturally healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and pulses, in the same way as we do to vitamins and supplements? How do you make them profitable across the supply chain and appealing to consumers?
Perhaps the answer lies in Dr Fraser’s paper, ‘Displacing empty calories with nutrient dense foods’. In it, she discussed soil health, farming methods and crop breeding practices. Deep and complex challenges, some of which are already being tackled by brands like Wildfarmed.
But as they say in Musk land – get to the MVP (most viable product) and get it out there. There is a very simple win here, and that is to start communicating which fruit and veg is denser in nutrients.
Simple signage changes backed by some relatively low-cost testing could start to transform how consumers value food, connecting fresh produce as closely with their health and longevity as they do fortified processed foods and drugs.
Harvey Choat, MD at Nexus PR
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