Cranberry NPD to flourish following FDA claim ruling, highlights Fruit d’Or

02 Oct 2020 --- Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals is highlighting the opportunities in formulating with whole fruit cranberry following the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s summer ruling.

Supplements with a daily serving of 500 mg of whole fruit cranberry can now use a qualified health claim on their labels and in their marketing materials. Fruit d’Or expects this will trigger even more products and innovations.

“With this ruling, the FDA is raising the bar by recognizing whole fruit powder for both its soluble and insoluble proanthocyanidins (PACs). We’ve done all the heavy lifting in this area, and companies are eager to learn how these soluble and insoluble PACs work together,” says Jean Leclerc, director of Sales and Business Development for Fruit d’Or.

The FDA’s ruling could also open the door for companies that want to create cranberry capsules with no fillers or lubricating agents. “So far, Fruit d’Or is the only company that can provide this level of seed-to-table purity.”

Leclerc adds that the FDA’s qualified health claim is confirmation that not all cranberries are the same. It does not pertain to the components of the fruit or just the juice – it looks at the whole fruit, he notes. 

“A sprinkle of cranberry does not constitute efficacy. All companies will need to revise their formulations and decide if they want to participate in this claim.”

Fruit d’Or prides itself on its cultivation and handling processes. It also developed a fingerprinting system to ensure that formulas contain actual cranberries. Fruit d’Or is focusing on educating consumers about how to identify real, whole fruit cranberry supplements with demonstrated efficacy.

“Fighting the battle”
Leclerc flags that it is possible to use the qualified health claim without demonstrating efficacy. “We still have to fight that battle. Clearly, those who want to differentiate themselves will also want to promote their cranberries’ anti-adhesion activity, standardization, purity, potency and quantify the amount of soluble and insoluble PACs.”

He points to anti-adhesion assays that have shown that cranberry PACs may inhibit pathogenic E. coli’s ability to adhere to epithelial cells in the urinary tract. 

Additionally, work conducted by Complete Phytochemical Solutions captured electron microscopic images of Fruit d’Or Cran Naturelle’s specific PACs bound to pathogenic E. coli that showed how the anti-adhesion works. 

Fruit d’Or is now focusing on educating consumers about how to identify supplements made with real, whole fruit cranberry with demonstrated efficacies. 

“In addition to teaching them to look for a minimum of 500 mg on the labels of their cranberry capsules, tablets or softgels, we will reinforce the truth that a cranberry supplement should have the same color and taste as the fruit,” says Fruit d’Or business manager and lead consultant Stephen Lukawski.

The FDA ruling
In July, the FDA announced that it does not intend to object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming cranberry products and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy women. 

This was the result of a health claim petition submitted by Ocean Spray Cranberries. The company requested the US FDA to authorize the health claim regarding the link. 

In addition to the labeling option detailed above, supplement manufacturers may use either of these qualified health statements: 

1. “Consuming 500 mg each day of cranberry dietary supplement may help reduce the risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy women. FDA has concluded that there is limited scientific evidence supporting this claim.” 
2. “Consuming 500 mg [X capsules/tablets/soft gels] each day of [this identified cranberry dietary supplement] may help reduce the risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy women. FDA has concluded that there is limited scientific evidence supporting this claim.”

Edited by Katherine Durrell