The Produce Place featured in Tennessean

Barry Burnette and Steve Marshall (pictured above) of The Produce Place (4000 Murphy Road) are featured in a Tennessean story today about nutrition trends for 2007. Burnette discusses a fermentation of sweetened tea known as kombucha that has become popular among his customers.

Barry Burnette, owner of The Produce Place in Sylvan Park, says he has to be careful about chasing trends. "We don't have the space to give six inches to anything that isn't hitting the mark," he says. So what has gotten his attention? "Kombucha. It's huge right now." He has customers who buy the product (made from fermented mushrooms) by the case, which is why it occupies two coveted shelves in his cooler.

"The first time I tried it, I said, 'Man, that stuff's gone hard,' " he says with a laugh. However, many health-food advocates see drinks like kombucha, along with other fermented foods like sauerkraut, Ethiopian injera bread and Korean kimchi, as a growing trend in everything from cancer control to keeping HIV in check. "My customers glow when they talk about it," Burnette says.

[Image: The Tennessean]