Social media activity around avocado, almonds and quinoa far outstrips that of activated charcoal, collagen or pea protein, according to an analysis by New Nutrition Business.
The research and consultancy company says the findings of its report, 20 Key Health Ingredients: What Consumers Say on Social Media, suggest that consumers are more interested in foods that are easy to understand and naturally healthy.
New Nutrition Business analysed social media mentions of 20 selected health food ingredients on Instagram – the most popular social media platform for food-related subjects – between 2017 and 2018.
The ingredients were ranked according to popularity, from those well-established and well-known to consumers to growing and emerging ingredients.
Topping the list with more than 100,000 mentions per month each, were avocado, almonds, blueberries, quinoa, kale, matcha and chia, and Instagram mentions for these six were up between 14 per cent and 75 per cent over the previous year.
One of the fastest-growing health ingredients on social media is collagen - a skincare ingredient sometimes used in beverages, which had 110 per cent more mentions on Instagram in 2018 than 2017.
At the bottom, among those least-mentioned on Instagram were birch water, pea protein and charcoal.
The 20 ingredients selected gained a total of over 850,000 mentions on Instagram in one month alone - July 2018. According to New Nutrition Business, the internet has become the primary and most-trusted source of nutrition advice for most consumers – with 34 per cent relying more on blogs and online platforms than dietitians or nutritionists.
“Knowing how health ingredients are discussed on the internet and in social media is important for everyone, from product developers trying to select new ingredients to ingredient suppliers trying to figure out commercialisation strategy,” New Nutrition Business director Julian Mellentin says.
“When it comes to increasing consumer awareness about health foods, it helps if your ingredient is uncomplicated and is perceived to be naturally healthy.
“Even health ingredients that were once unfamiliar to most people – such as chia and quinoa – can be embraced quickly if they follow this formula,” Mellentin says.
