Public perception of “Superfoods as a traditional medicine” A case study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract The world has never been so concerned with the issues of health and healthy eating. The climate of health risk has seen a concomitant interest in healthy foods and healthy dietary practices. New consumers are concerned about what they eat and their choices are no longer dictated by cost, habit and availability but rather by ethics, identity and belonging. Within this marketplace, the emergence of superfoods has vied for the attention of new health conscious consumers. Yet, superfoods remain a contested category and a neologism in the process of semantic shift. Evidence supporting the health claims made by superfood producers and distributors are not always easily verified. However, these health claims and the promises that they offer are driving an ever-increasing demand. The aim of this research is to provide a specific snapshot in place and time of the ‘foodscape’ of superfoods. From a socio-cultural perspective, the research explores the connections between superfoods and their purported medicinal qualities. Saudi Arabia is a country with a strong indigenous food culture that is embedded in socio-religious traditions and practices. It is also a country that is in the process of dietary transition. The emergence of a superfood discourse has potential implications for the wider debate about good nutrition and dietary practice. This research explores perceptions of superfoods and their medicinal qualities to better understand the basis of current narratives surrounding superfoods and how this is being embedded in the wider discourse of healthy dietary practice in Saudi Arabia.