What's the Benefit of Berries in Bloom?

Continued from Yesterday

The U.S. Highbush Council tracks the use of blueberries in a variety of product types. Payne said, “This year, food product developers are taking advantage of the quasi-mythical power of blueberries-as-imprimatur and are using blueberries to rev-up interest in offerings from beauty-from-within foods to health-halo desserts and snacks.” On foods, he reported calcium enrichment from babies to Baby Boomers are inspiring blueberry-laced dairy concoctions. “Cheese-and-blueberries is an au courant item, such as the blueberry bries from Alexis de Portneuf,” he said. “In Graeter’s Elena’s Blueberry Pie ice cream, blueberries signify doing good for yourself, as well as for a good cause. According to the manufacturer, for every purchase, Graeters donates a portion of the proceeds to finding a cure for pediatric brain cancer.” Some of the other delectables featuring blueberries of late include sorbet, ice bars, salad dressing, syrup and a cobbler for dogs.

Berries are also still a sought-after dietary supplement ingredient. Mosca said Cran-Max is suitable for tablets and capsules, in addition to certain beverage forms. “It comes down to what the specific goal of that formula is, and the matrix used (beverage, powder supplement, capsule, nutrition bar, etc.),” he explained. “Each berry has a specific ORAC value, and many also pull double-duty, meaning its phytochemical composition may also have specific actions for support and nourishment of a system and/or organ.” He also reminded, the research and development (R&D) department will need to do its due diligence to ensure the berry ingredient, when combined with other nutraceuticals and inert materials, will still perform unmolested and uninhibited in the final formula. “What may work in theory and on paper, may not work in the final reality,” he warned.

Fortunately for formulators and manufacturers, berries are not typically the problem children of the formulation. “The characteristics of berry ingredients are normally easy to work with,” Dijkstra assured, noting OptiBerry, for example, is generally stable during food and beverage heat-processing conditions. He did note berries shouldn’t be exposed to UV light, which can destroy the anthocyanins. Also, for OptiBerry and similar whole-berry ingredients, the seeds may sink to the bottom of a beverage, making these type of ingredients better suited for yogurt drinks and smoothies. As for taste, the berry flavor and rich color can be blended into the overall finished-product profile. Dijkstra added the berry combination will not add calories or sugar to a finished product, which makes it attractive to manufacturers and consumers alike.

Another parameter to consider is the quality control (QC) of a berry ingredient. Phillips noted Cyvex tests all incoming raw materials, including third-party certification by independent labs for active ingredients, microbiology, heavy metals and pesticide solvent residue when applicable. Much of this quality assurance (QA) is now mandated by food or supplement GMPs (good manufacturing practices), although personal care does not have its own set of GMPs. Despite regulations, good manufacturers and formulators double-check that such QA measures are in place before using any of a supplier’s ingredients.

Research, taste, flavor and a longtime love affair with berries is fueling the continued inclusion of berry ingredients into all sorts of products. Weighing the specific health benefits, flavor profile and application type desired, as well as learning all the different berry types and ingredients on the market will go a long way to ensuring your berry-containing finished product is among the cluster of successful launches.

References

"Berries in Bloom" References

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