Food Fads
Food Fads
A food fad is a surge in demand for one ingredient or product driven by social contagion rather than by new evidence of need. Fads are old (Georgian pineapples, 1960s fondue), but social media now spreads them worldwide in weeks, while the farms and factories behind them scale in years. The gap shows up as price spikes, shortages and middlemen.
The 2024–26 wave
| Fad | Signal | Supply response |
|---|---|---|
| Protein (gym shakes, "bulking") | Whey protein concentrate price 5× in three years to June 2026 (Vesper); cottage cheese in shortage | Whey is a cheese by-product; dairies did not add cheese capacity |
| Matcha | Tencha leaf price nearly tripled 2024–25; wholesalers imposed purchase limits | Tea bushes take years to mature |
| Dubai chocolate | 2023 TikTok video >100m views | Global pistachio supply strained |
| Ube, $19 Japanese strawberries, protein coffees | Photogenic, cheap enough to try once | — |
Why food in particular: it photographs well, costs little to sample, and its heaviest social-media users (young buyers) lean to novelty. Companies respond by tracking trends in real time to lock in suppliers early (Starbucks' green-tea lattes in 2006, popping pearls in 2024, protein coffees now), by collaborating with trendy brands, and by dropping fads that fail (Starbucks' olive-oil coffees, pulled within a year).
Health reading
- Fads are demand phenomena, not evidence: none of the sources above claims the faddish food improves health. The protein craze in particular is influencer-led; whether specific protein powders differ in effect is a separate evidence question (Economist Well Informed, 2026-10-31, "Pure whey is the way to go" — not yet paged).
- Direct-to-consumer wellness products ride the same wave: microbiome stool tests (Gut Microbiome) and electrolyte drinks (Electrolytes You Probably Don't Need (Economist)) sell personalisation and performance beyond what their evidence supports.
- Fads cut against the population-health policy direction in Dietary Nudging: governments are trying to make unhealthy defaults harder to reach while social media makes new consumption spikes faster to trigger.
Related
- From Protein to Matcha Food Fads Spread Faster Than Ever (Economist)
- State of the Consumer 2026 (McKinsey) — "health revolution" wellness spend; maximalist optimisers ~25% of wellness consumers but >40% of spend.
Research notes, not medical advice. Findings are reported with the population, dose and duration they were measured in; whether they transfer to you is a question for a clinician.