Acai boom puts the purple berry out of reach for those closest to it in Brazil - International Herald Tribune
Belem, Brazil- Acai prices have gone through the roof for the locals in the norther Brazilian city of Belem.
Coca Cola has reached a distribution agreement with California acai juice company Bossa Nova. Acai company, Sambazon (Acai.com), says, the demand has reached a level that naturally increases acai prices.
In the United States, annual acai sales have skyrocketed from $2.7 million two years ago to $14 million (Spins, Inc. research). The price in Belem, Brazil has gone from 52 cents(U.S.) per litre to $2.60 (U.S.). Belem's 1.3 million residents consume 200,000 litres of acai per day as a cultural beverage.
Acai juice and acai products have become an extremely popular health trend with huge international demand. Many different acai products have been launched in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan. Here are some of the products- acai juice, frozen acai pulp, smoothies, acai granola, acai energy bars, acai vodka, acai preserves, acai shampoo (Proctor & Gamble's Herbal Essence), acai energy drinks (Anheuser-Busch's 180 Blue, StonyField Farm's Shift Energy Drink), acai berry sorbet (Haagen-Dazs), acai teas and much more.
Acai flew under the radar screen even in Brazil until the 1990's, when it finally was distributed out of the northern region of Belem to the south by freezing the acai. Acai juice bars in Rio and Sao Paulo are extremely popular. It began with the surfers and became cultural among health enthusiasts, who become addicted to the taste as well as the energy and health benefits. The acai berry has now reached global status as one of the top superfoods in the world.
Hopefully, there can be a solution down the road to get the local prices back to a more affordable level in Belem. The Belem population has relied on acai for hundreds of years as as a ritual and a staple to their daily lives.
By Steve Granville-Smith, AcaiJuice.com
(Source: International Herald Tribune, http://iht.com/)
Belem, Brazil- Acai prices have gone through the roof for the locals in the norther Brazilian city of Belem.
Coca Cola has reached a distribution agreement with California acai juice company Bossa Nova. Acai company, Sambazon (Acai.com), says, the demand has reached a level that naturally increases acai prices.
In the United States, annual acai sales have skyrocketed from $2.7 million two years ago to $14 million (Spins, Inc. research). The price in Belem, Brazil has gone from 52 cents(U.S.) per litre to $2.60 (U.S.). Belem's 1.3 million residents consume 200,000 litres of acai per day as a cultural beverage.
Acai juice and acai products have become an extremely popular health trend with huge international demand. Many different acai products have been launched in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan. Here are some of the products- acai juice, frozen acai pulp, smoothies, acai granola, acai energy bars, acai vodka, acai preserves, acai shampoo (Proctor & Gamble's Herbal Essence), acai energy drinks (Anheuser-Busch's 180 Blue, StonyField Farm's Shift Energy Drink), acai berry sorbet (Haagen-Dazs), acai teas and much more.
Acai flew under the radar screen even in Brazil until the 1990's, when it finally was distributed out of the northern region of Belem to the south by freezing the acai. Acai juice bars in Rio and Sao Paulo are extremely popular. It began with the surfers and became cultural among health enthusiasts, who become addicted to the taste as well as the energy and health benefits. The acai berry has now reached global status as one of the top superfoods in the world.
Hopefully, there can be a solution down the road to get the local prices back to a more affordable level in Belem. The Belem population has relied on acai for hundreds of years as as a ritual and a staple to their daily lives.
By Steve Granville-Smith, AcaiJuice.com
(Source: International Herald Tribune, http://iht.com/)
