The harvest for berries in Europe has been a bad one this year with
shortages expected, according to nutraceutical firm Berry Pharma,
which could impact on an area which has seen clear growth in the
past few years.
Just The Berries hopes its blackcurrant nutraceutical will help the
New Zealand firm break into the European market, which it says is
currently dominated by blueberry and bilberry.
Not all fruit antioxidants behave the same according to a recent
study conducted by USDA researchers, information that reinforces
the need for further research into how antioxidants perform in
supplements.
Strawberries with alcohol may lead to an increase in antioxidant
capacity, says new research from Thailand and the US that suggests
a daiquiris could be classed as a health drink.
A new juice containing a host of added value ingredients, including
the latest superfruit, mangosteen, will be launched in Western
Europe this summer to target the growing functional food sector.
A study at the University of Glasgow that evaluated fruit juices
commercially available in the UK according to their antioxidant
content could act as a spur to the category, as consumers seek
dietary ways to remain in rude health.
Polifenoles Naturales (Polinat) is further extending its reach into
the US market with the acquisition of National BioScience Corp. and
the inking of an exclusive distribution agreement for its products
with PL Thomas.
Sustainability is a hot topic for the food industry, and a new
project by Leatherhead Food International aims to uncover new ways
in which companies can use bioactives from waste materials to
enhance human nutrition.
Research groups around the world are working on breeding truly
purple tomatoes, packed full of anthocyanins, and reports suggest
that such a finished fruit may only be a few years away.
A new method for extracting lycopene from watermelons developed by
US scientists could challenge tomatoes' pre-eminence as the source
of the antioxidant for foods and dietary supplements.
HortResearch has developed an antioxidant-rich red-fleshed apple
that promises to lend to a wide variety of applications in
functional beverages, as well as novel marketing potential for
formulators.
XanGo, the maker of a xanthone-rich dietary supplement from
mangosteen, is seeking to build awareness of the 'superfruit' and
is advocating the use of whole fruit claims only where they are
truly merited.
Rising demand for berry fruits in bakery goods has led fruit
ingredient firm J.O. Sims to invest in new research and development
work to improve fruit functionality in these applications.
PLThomas has announced it a strategic alliance with Polifenoles
Naturales (Polinat) of Spain to develop and market new ingredients
- an arrangement that will also help the Spanish company conquer
the US market.
Minimal processing of fruit - cutting, packaging and chilling -
does not affect the nutritional content even after nine days, says
an international study that could promote healthy eating on a
limited time-scale.
UK scientists have drafted in blackcurrant varieties from New
Zealand to prevent warmer winters wiping out one of Britain's
traditional fruits, and destroying the source of the popular Ribena
soft drink.
Ocean Spray ITG is introducing a new variant of dried cranberries
at Vitafoods this week that uses pineapple juice as a sweetener in
place of sucrose syrup, allowing food products to have 'cleaner'
labels.
Raspberries possess about 50 per cent higher antioxidant activity
than strawberries, and storage or processing into jams does not
remove the valuable compounds, as growing consumer awareness of
health benefits drive sales.
Fruit and vegetables waste products offer a cheap and practical
source of potent antioxidants that could be used as functional
ingredients, says a Spanish-German study.
Researchers have developed a method for enhancing the nutritional
value of alpine strawberries - which could prove popular with
consumers anxious to increase their vitamin intake.
An intake of antioxidants from different fruit could be more
efficient at protecting against the effects of oxidative stress
than single fruits, says new research using pigs.
Joint health from sheeps' wool, kiwi fruit crossed with berries and
calcium-boosting bone extract… innovative ingredients from a small
Pacific archipelago are starting to make a disproportionately big
impact in the world of nutrition.
A leading European horticultural research institute has launched a
partnership with a New Zealand science organisation in order to
develop new fruit cultivars.
High fruit and vegetable prices may be linked to childhood obesity,
says the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), although it suggests
that further research is needed in order to confirm the "casual
relationship" identified...
Mangosteen, a little-known fruit from southeast Asia, ranks amongst
the antioxidant-rich 'superfruits' that have attracted increasing
interest from industry and consumers this year, and awareness looks
set to grow in the...
A French investigation into daily consumption of polyphenols, the
antioxidant compounds found in all plant-based foods, will help
advance scientific knowledge on how they influence our health and
could one day lead to polyphenol RDAs.
More than 700 food brands in the UK are using the government's
'5-a-day' logo on packaging or marketing material to promote the
health benefits of their fruit or vegetable-based products.
A New Zealand research institute is aiming to turn fruit from a
traditional health food into one that can help food manufacturers
meet today's consumer's demands for specific health benefits,
writes Dominique Patton.
New research on the cholesterol-lowering effects of limonin
glucoside derived from citrus fruits could lead to new developments
in fortified fruit drinks, reports Jess Halliday.
Exalted of late for their antioxidant health benefits, fruit
berries continue to show growth in a range of food applications.
Fruit ingredients stalwart J.O. Sims has launched a new Canadian
produced berry onto the market marking...
Canandaigua subsidiary Polyphenolics has expanded the GRAS
affirmation for its MegaNatural Gold grape seed extract and
MegaNatural Gold pomace extract to include food items,
significantly expanding its use in functional foods.
An insidious fuzzy grey mould that often coats refrigerated
strawberries and many other plants during growing and storage could
be prevented by a gene identified at Purdue university in the US.
Labelling issues have come to the fore for US jam maker JM Smucker
with a Californian woman suing the company over 'Simply 100 Per
Cent Fruit' that might actually be less than 50 per cent fruit.
Just eating one or two servings of fruit or vegetables can reduce
the risk of heart attack, researchers said yesterday, although
those that eat more can cut the risk of coronary events by as much
as 70 per cent, according to the case...
Flavour ingredients company Treatt will unveil its new selection of
natural vegetable distillates at the IFT exhibition opening this
weekend in Chicago, USA.
Techniques for making healthy and fun-to-eat foods from pears,
tomatoes, carrots and other fruits and vegetables have garnered a
national honour for a pair of Agricultural Research Service
scientists.
Confirming findings of a recent study by Japanese researchers, the
WHO's cancer research agency also reported recently on the strong
evidence that eating fruits and vegetables could lower the risk of
cancer, particularly cancers...
Food ingredients giant Danisco invests further in Mexico, and
pectin, with the announcement this week that is to construct a DKK
40 million production plant for speciality pectin in Tecomán,
Mexico.
US food technologists have developed a snack bar made from pears
that stays fresh without artificial preservatives. The new product
will be made and marketed by Oregon company HR Mtn. Sun.
US fruit juice business Jamba Juice has launched a new smoothie
containing blueberries, raspberries and strawberries - a mix the
company claims offers a range of health benefits.
Many common Chinese vegetables contain useful amounts of
antioxidants with potential health benefits, researchers reported
this week. Most previous studies have looked at vegetables common
in the Western diet.
Researchers from the USDA's Agricultural Research Centre and Purdue
University have created a tomato which has nearly three-and-a-half
times the usual amount of the carotenoid as a happy side effect of
a GM process.
