Acai raises bar in good-for-you drinks

The juice category has a bright future, in part because kids today are raised on boxes of it. New beverage segments powered by exotic fruits and smoothie and juice bars make the category one that should provide a broader range of opportunity in the years ahead for retailers who can identify emerging trends.

New juice brands have been benefiting from the growth of specialty retailers such as Whole Foods and specialized natural/gourmet food operations such as those launched by Supervalu and HEB, because the smaller-scale concepts can generate the freshest ideas with less risk and gauge emerging consumer demand. If initially successful, retailers and vendors can build them into mainstream offerings.

Sambazon is among the vendors taking advantage of new opportunities. The company’s focus is on bringing Brazilian products to North America, and it has been among the pioneers in introducing acai, which is becoming more widely recognized both as a consumable product and as an ingredient. Acai has an extremely high iron content and so has a natural appeal to women, particularly.

Whole Foods was among the first retailers to stock Sambazon smoothies, which is the form in which Brazilians typically consume the fruit, but last year it also introduced acai juice, which helped to bring it more retail attention. Now, Sambazon products also are stocked by Wild Oats, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Giant Eagle and SuperTarget, said Jeremy Black, Sambazon global brand manager.

“People [are] looking for ingredients and products that have a higher level of nutrition, and…hopefully [the organic trend] will continue to grow at a pace like it has grown, and even faster,” said Black.

The successful growth of acai in product categories that target younger consumers demonstrates that they are both interested in the characteristic effects—including the energy boosting qualities—and new flavor experiences.

At the recent SIAL Montreal show, many exhibitors attended to familiarize North American retailers with innovative products from around the globe. Among the more unique introductions was a juice line from Saveurs D’Afrique Moriba. Among the juices offered are Baobab, Bissap, Soursop and Litchi nectars; Tamarind and Ginger drinks; and Mango and Papaya nectars.

All of the various fruits and herbs are grown in Africa and processed in France. Most are unique in their flavor profiles, but are surprisingly tasty, even to a North American palate. The baobab is particularly refreshing, with the added benefit of high vitamin C and vitamin B content. All of the juices are 100% natural with no coloring or preservatives.

Not every producer of new and unique juice products hails from continents far away. Moozoo started out as a Montreal juice bar—still operating in the city—but now also retails iced teas, juices and smoothies. Ian Xenopoulos, a Moozoo representative, said consumers are looking at better-for-you product characteristics as value-added elements. That’s why Moozoo’s products have no artificial ingredients, no added sugar and no preservatives.