How a weight loss craze pushed up organic vinegar price

Faria, a university student, brought some apples and brown sugar to make organic apple cider vinegar at home, and drink it to get slim quickly. 

She decided to make it herself after she had given up searching for that vinegar in super shops and departmental stores in the capital.  

Most shops ran out of the product while the rest were asking for a very high price. 

She had to spend less than 20 percent of the current vinegar price for making the same quantity of the item on her own. 

Like Faria, a lot of people suddenly went crazy since November last year to buy organic apple cider vinegar. They scrambled for the product all over the city, empting the racks of super shops and the stocks of e-commerce sites just in weeks. 

Later, many of them opted for making the product at home.

Even days before, people did not know one can lose weight quickly by drinking organic apple cider vinegar.

Before November, it had a very limited use in the country: women used the product to make prickles, girls used it to wash their hair and a few restaurants used it in some food items. 

What triggered the craze? 

In November last year, lifestyle expert Dr Jahangir Kabir in his Facebook page and YouTube channel posted a video where he suggested drinking apple cider vinegar as part of a diet chart to lose weight. 

He got a big fan base for his social media activities, posting lifestyle modifying videos and giving speeches about how to lead a healthy life. 

His social media followers made the video viral, pushing up the demand for vinegar overnight, which ultimately pushed the price of the product up.

Current scenario

The craze had increased the price of the product by up to 175 percent, when a bottle of 946 ml was selling for around Tk2,050. 

However, the market has eased recently. At present, such a bottle is selling for Tk1,400. 

Until November last year, a bottle of that quantity used to be sold for Tk750.  

Visiting the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) market in Gulshan recently, it was seen that some shops got a few bottles of apple cider vinegar but the price was quite high. 

The shopkeepers said importers raised the price.

They said the product reaches them after changing four to five hands, thus triggering the price.

Most shopkeepers said apple cider vinegar was not selling in large quantities four months back. 

"The product has become popular for the last few months. Firstly, we did not understand the point what made everyone crazy about the product. But later we got to know that a doctor's suggestion made everyone buy it," said Md Johir Uddin, manager of Faruk Traders at the DNCC market.

"Around 15-20 people every day come to my shop in search of the product," he said.

However, the price and availability of other types of vinegar are normal. 

What the doctor thinks about the craze 

Dr Jahangir Kabir said it is a good thing that people are becoming more aware of their lifestyle, and that is why they are showing interest in organic apple cider vinegar.

He expressed his resentment over the sudden jump in prices, and urged the government and the importers to make the product available at fair prices as soon as possible.

"I want to let people know that vinegar can be made at home too. It will cost much less and will be organic as well," he told The Business Standard.