According to data from Nielsen, kale has experienced remarkable sales growth over the past year. Frozen breakfast items featuring kale saw a staggering 391% increase in sales from 2016 to 2017. Additionally, sales of kale-based vitamins and supplements rose by 125%, while pasta sauces incorporating this superfood saw a 60% surge during the same timeframe. Experts like Sax attribute the vegetable’s widespread popularity not just to its health benefits but also to its status as a symbol of the health food movement. Consequently, some believe that other ingredients could follow in kale’s footsteps and achieve similar fame. Nonetheless, this won’t deter ingredient producers and food manufacturers from striving to elevate their offerings from niche markets to mainstream options.
One ingredient that may be on the verge of a popularity boom is drinking vinegar, provided it is marketed effectively. Consumers, particularly millennials, are moving away from sodas and sugary beverages in search of healthier, more authentic, and flavorful alternatives. This shift has already spurred interest in vinegars within natural and organic health stores, but the beverage category has yet to break into the mainstream. Some manufacturers are promoting the versatility of drinking vinegars by suggesting their use as mixers for cocktails, while others emphasize their potential benefits for gut health, which is becoming a key focus in the wellness industry.
It will be intriguing to see if larger brands start to explore this sector, perhaps through acquisitions of smaller drinking vinegar producers or by developing their own branded products. For instance, PepsiCo recently acquired KeVita, a sparkling probiotic drink company known for its range of apple cider drinking vinegars and kombucha. To attain a level of recognition similar to that of kale, the drinking vinegar category may need the backing of social media influencers, celebrity chefs on popular cooking shows, and collaborations with well-known restaurants to capture the attention of the wider public.
In this evolving landscape, products like Costco’s Kirkland brand featuring calcium citrate might also gain traction as consumers increasingly seek health-oriented options. Only time will reveal whether drinking vinegar—or any other functional ingredient—can achieve the same level of ubiquity as kale.