Cranberries Associated with a Wide Range of Health Benefits

05/09/07 With continuing research into the health benefits of the cranberry and the approval of the first ever health claim for the fruit, the future of the little red berry seems to be assured.

Functional foods – foods with specific health benefits beyond their basic nutritional value – are a huge growth market. Already worth an estimated US$1,674 million, the sector is expected to represent five percent of the total global food market by 2010.

As consumers become increasingly discerning about what they eat, a growing number of manufacturers are looking for innovative ingredients to add value to their products. The North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) has long been associated with a wide range of health benefits. Since 1984, several studies have indicated that specific compounds in the cranberry have an “anti-adhesion” effect on certain bacteria.

This claim has been officially recognised by the French government's food safety authority, AFSSA (Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments), which confirmed that the powder, concentrate and juice of North American cranberries “help reduce the adhesion of certain E. coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls”.

Capitalising On Consumer Demand
Further scientific research has suggested that the cranberry’s anti-adhesion mechanism may work beyond the bladder to fight certain bacteria in both the oral cavity and the stomach, inhibiting dental plaque and stomach ulcers respectively.

The latest clinical trials carried out in Canada and the UK also suggest that the cranberry boosts ‘good’ cholesterol, aiding heart health and improving circulation. Such findings, combined with the cranberry’s well-known antioxidant properties and high fibre and vitamin C content, have continued to raise the fruit’s profile among food and beverage manufacturers looking to capitalise on consumer demand for functional foods.

‘Better-For-You’ Product
One of the largest markets for functional foods is breakfast cereals, where functional varieties account for an estimated 38.1 percent value share of the total market.  In recent years, consumer interest in digestive and heart health has led to increased availability of cereal products fortified with fibre, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fruit ingredients are now proving a highly popular addition.

However, the use of fruits in low moisture applications such as cereals poses problems for manufacturers, since they generally do not retain their texture and moisture in this type of product. When the moisture content of a fruit piece is not controlled by glyceration or infusion, consumers are faced with unappealing, soggy cereals.

To address this problem, Ocean Spray Ingredient Technology Group (ITG) offers a range of infused, sweetened dried cranberries and flavoured fruit pieces, which are particularly suited to this application.
 
Its sweetened dried cranberry (SDC) is a sugar-infused, dehydrated fruit that can be sliced to various dimensions and the texture and moisture content modified according to manufacturers’ needs. Glycerated SDCs, for example, are ideal for low moisture applications, as they control moisture migration.