28 May 2016 UK: New butter-marge substitute – avocado spread!
Avocado is very on-trend, a favourite food among wellness bloggers and a must-have ingredient in healthy recipes. It’s not surprising that giant UK retailer, Tesco, has the party again with a new spread using avocados as a substitute for butter and margarine, reportedly a first in Britain.
Tesco said the new dairy-free avocado spread costs £1.20 for a 250g pack and will be available in 400 outlets across the UK.
The product, based on ripe frozen avocados, contains less saturated fat, calories and salt when compared to butter. The spread contains 533 calories per 100g.
Tesco’s own-brand reduced fat spread, Butter Me Up, is much cheaper at 89p for 500g and has a typical value of 414 calories per 100g.
Tesco’s avocado spread, suitable for vegan and vegetarians, does appear to have more nutrients ingredients such as avocado oil, vitamin A and D, Omega 3 and less than 1 per cent of salt. However, it also contains rapeseed oil and palm oil.
Britain’s appetite for avocados has been growing over the recent years. High demand from health-conscious consumers has led Peru to triple its avocado exports since 2010, with exports to the UK up 58 per cent over the past year.
According to The Grocer, avocado sales in the UK are up by as much as 25 per cent this year. Meanwhile, demand for avocados at Tesco has grown by 40 per cent making it one of the UK’s fastest growing established fruit varieties.
‘Avocados – a trend so popular that they’re outselling oranges’
A desire to eat more healthily, which is thought to be one of the reasons behind a significant boom in sales of avocados in the UK, is likely to lead to new product development that could be used to effect category growth.
John Nevens, joint MD of retail analysts, Bridgethorne, says stats show avocado sales reached a record £128m in the 12 months to March 2016, up 39% on the previous year: “Avocado has become so popular that it overtook sales of oranges in December” he adds.
“Celebrity endorsement and a growing appreciation of the health benefits of avocados has helped propel sales. There is no evidence to suggest that this approach to healthy eating going to slow down any time soon but, interestingly, there is a sense that suppliers and retailers could exploit this trend through the development of new formats and products.
“But to take advantage of the trend suppliers must be able to demonstrate they understand and are able to meet both the shopper demand and the retailer’s expectations. This means suppliers developing optimal ranging solutions in order to stay relevant and present.”
Source: www.independent.co.uk
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