Some examples of nutrition/health marketing on mushroom packaging.
the Mushrooms and Health website (www.
mushroomsandhealth.com), and the Bulletin, a quarterly newsletter that features ways different countries communicate the benefits of mushrooms in a variety of venues and to a variety of targeted audiences.
Although the Initiative does not directly fund mushroom nutrition research, it helps com- municate the research funded by mushroom industry organizations. The first Mushrooms and Health Global Summit held in Washington D.C., September 2013 was a tangible outcome of the Initiative and industry’s strategic posi- tioning to help increase the consumption of mushrooms. Organized by the U.S. Mushroom Council with input from a Steering Committee having international reach and influence, 150 individuals representing 90 organizations attended the Summit. The Summit featured presentations from 25 international mush- room, economic, botanic, culinary, dietary and health experts which are archived at www.
mushroomhealthsummit.com. Proceedings were published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2014.
Results – And Into the Future But long before this Summit and continuing today…the nutrition research the Mushroom Council and others invest in has redefined the mushroom in the minds of these important consumers. Indeed if you visit mushroominfo. com or many other mushroom marketing websites around the globe, you will likely find an abundance of information that is the result of the mushroom nutrition research initiative begun by the Council in 2001; particularly as it relates to agaricus bisporus. Although many mushrooms have a long history of medicinal
use in different cultures, it was important to discover attributes of the most commonly consumed mushroom in the US (if not the world) and thus add to our knowledge about all mushrooms in general.
And indeed two major new products launched in the US over the last 5 years, The Blend and Vitamin D-rich mushrooms are a direct result of a focus on nutrition marketing, underpinned by credible, peer-reviewed research, with thanks to mushroom growers in the US, Aus- tralia and the UK, with the vision and patience to pave the way to greater demand for all. US mushroom shipments have grown nearly 150 million pounds over the last 5 years, roughly 25%, and show no signs of slowing. I submit that the investment in quality nutrition research, globally, and the advent of the internet, taking messages from anywhere in the world to your locale, in your native tongue, has contributed greatly to this increase in demand.
Footnote
Health based marketing of mushrooms is occurring in several markets around the world. Australia, South Africa, Canada, Spain, and the UK have all utilized the outputs of the ISMS Mushrooms and Health Global Initiative to successfully promote increased mushroom consumption in their markets.
However there is much more that can be done if the Initiative had more active participation and funding from grower organizations in other countries and marketing companies all over the world. If you want to get involved and directly experience the benefits of the Initiative in your market, contact Greg Seymour seymour@amga.
asn.au to discuss how to make it happen.
Nutrition research has redefined the mushroom in the minds of
consumers.
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