Berries Brighten the Functional Market

Is an eggplant a berry? How about a grape? Setting aside the strict botanical definition with its fancy pericarpal (tissue layers) and ovarian rules—by which, yes, an eggplant is a berry, but a strawberry is not—berries in the functional foods market are defined by their names: strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, bilberries and the like. In addition, grapes are clustered in the berry category.

Beyond their distinctive colors, these ingredients also share numerous nutrients delivering some serious benefits, including antioxidant activities, health protective, disease preventive and other functional properties. Berries contain numerous healthy micronutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium and folic acid, and are loaded with dietary fiber, which has been linked to its own long list of health benefits.

Besides micro and macronutrients, berries are home to countless phenolic compounds, including anthocyanidins, flavanols (proanthocyanidins), flavonols (quercetin), as well as ellagic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). All these phytonutrients scavenge free radicals, in addition to boosting the body’s antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic activities.

Berries are fun finger fruits and have enjoyed a long existence as staple fruit food as well as a flavoring and colorant in all kinds of grocery products, including yogurts and juices.

“Formulators use individual berries or blends of several types of berries to provide wonderful natural flavor profiles to foods and beverages,” said Hartley Pond, vice president (VP) of sales for FutureCeutical/Van Drunen Farms, which supplies a range of freeze-dried berries, including strawberries, boysenberries, blackberries and cranberries. “However, there is an increasing demand to include berries for their potential health benefits, which have been extensively researched at the USDA and major universities. Research on berries has ranged from healthy aging to eye health and cardiovascular health.”

Paul Altaffer, VP business development at RFI Ingredients, said among popular berries, bilberry is used for eye or circulatory health benefits, blueberries and strawberries are often used as benchmarks for ORAC value, and cranberries are enjoying renewed popularity. “It is almost unfair to point to one over the other, because most berries are enjoying star status,” he quipped.

Exotic berries that are new to the market—but have histories of traditional use—are also splashing taste and color on the functional segment. Jim Saunders, president of Açaí Zone, said açaí, goji and other exotic berries are being used for flavor, color and nutritional benefits. “They are being targeted primarily for their functional properties or health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and cholesterol lowering properties, as well as appetite suppression and even cancer destruction.”

Grapes are often used in food and drink products, and not just as ultra sweet grape juice concentrate. Ron Martin, vice president of sales and marketing for Polyphenolics, a division of Constellation Wines, reported his company’s Canandaigua Concentrates sells a large quantity of red and purple grape-based color to the food and beverage industry for color, but these ingredients are also contain substantial amounts of anthocyanins. “We sell some grape seed extract and grape pomace extract for functional beverages,” he noted.

Clearly, berries are beginning to take on more active roles in foods and beverages. “Nutrition research continues to unveil the supreme power of antioxidant-rich berries,” said Charlene Lee, executive vice president and general manager, Cyvex Nutrition. “As consumers understand the value of antioxidants and realize the association between berry consumption and health via a better ability to scavenge harmful free radicals, we see a strong future for the use of berries not only in dietary supplements but in functional foods as well.”

Based on this growing body of research and awareness, berry ingredients are finding homes in an expanding array of functional products. Compared to non-fruit botanicals, berries’ long history as a food has easily transitioned them to functional products such as juices, smoothies and yogurts, in addition to newer applications such as chocolate bars, nutrition bars, energy drinks, cereals and cookies.

With such a range of delivery systems, formulators have to match the right type of ingredient to the right matrix. In general, powder forms are more stable and result in greater shelf longevity, according to Jan Hill, president of Artemis International. “However, sometimes berries formulate better or retain more flavor characteristics when in liquid form,” she said, noting the choice comes down to what a formulator is trying to achieve. “Even in the case of powder form, there are some techniques for drying that retain more flavor characteristics than other techniques. Hill further noted there are solubility issues to consider, including whether, for example, a functional beverage is desired with or without sediment, as well as whether the end products should maintain a certain color or if the formulation is dairy or a juice.

Saunders agreed powders are a popular choice, adding there are increasing calls for high quality powders such as freeze dried and Radiant Zone Dried, as these retain antioxidant activity, nutrient content, color and flavor. “We have also seen an increase in the demand for whole berries to include the beneficial compounds found in the berry skins,” he said. “Extracts from berry by-products that result from processing have also gained popularity due to the high nutrient and antioxidant levels found in these products.”

Freeze-dried berry ingredients are definitely the trend in exotics, according to Jeremy Black, vice president of Sambazon, noting the formulation will determine the best açaí ingredient to be used. “Primarily our smoothie bar and juice bar chains are seeking pulp and clarified juice, as are other beverage manufacturers,” he said. “Many food, supplement and personal care manufacturers are seeking the freeze dried powder.”

Saunders noted in terms of beverages, liquids are always easier. “For beverage manufacturers, clarified liquids and concentrates would be the easiest form to work with for beverage machinery and packaging machinery due to the absence of any solids or floating lipid particles that are difficult to stabilize,” he explained, adding a similar advantage would be true for a dry ingredient/raw material going into a dry finished product.

Arun Hiranandani, senior manager of worldwide marketing for Ocean Spray, said in addition to concentrates, purees are also popular with beverage formulators, especially in Europe and in smoothie production. On the other hand, he noted dried cranberries are the common choice for cereal, bars and bakery goods, although the bakery segment often uses frozen cranberry. Cranberry extract powder, standardized to PACs, seems to be the preference in the nutraceutical/supplement segment.

All formats considered, Pond said FutureCeuticals is seeing requests for extracts, whole powders and blends being dictated by the product and the end consumer: “However, there is a growing tendency to go with whole berry powders that are freeze- dried and 100-percent natural, containing all of the nutrients nature intended.” Pond conceded the available space in tablet and capsule applications often leads formulators to use extracts in order to maximize potency per milligram. “In complex formulations such as multi-vitamin mineral products, there is often not much room for new ingredients,” he said.

One of the advantages of an extract is its focus on a specific aspect of the berry’s phytochemical content. Hill said extracts are appealing when a specific class of compounds with a desired effect has been identified. “With cranberries, for example, there is strong research showing a certain ring-type structure found in some, but not all, the proanthocyanidins (PACs) causes the anti-adhesion factor,” she explained. “That said, it is still unclear if you isolate those PACs, there’s still not some effect in the remaining matrix.” She noted in some cases researchers don’t know the active compounds. Still, she said developing technology has shown within standardized extracts a broader matrix of the berry can be maintained, depending upon the standardization process. In the case of cranberries, you can keep the matrix, but standardize within that matrix.

In the end, Leslie Gallo, marketing manager at Artemis, revealed if she had to choose one form to give her family, a standardized extract would win for its quality control. “Whole fruit is very susceptible to wind, rain and sun—you don’t know what you’re getting time to time,” she argued.

Extracts are big sellers in the grape segment of the berry ingredients market. According to Martin, grape seed extract, grape pomace extract and grape juice extract is primarily sold into the functional beverage arena, while grape seed extract is sold into the functional cereal market—usually for the implied heart health benefit or for the equivalency to a glass of wine for beverages. “The biggest obstacle preventing a significant amount of grape seed extract from going into functional beverages and foods is there is not an approved health claim or qualified health claim,” he said. “We are exploring what we need to do to obtain a qualified health claim for our MegaNatural-BP grape seed extract.”

While standardization usually implies single berry, both powders and extracts can be comprised of one or more berries. For instance, Lee stated Cyvex’s CranVida™ extract contains only cranberries and delivers anthocyanidins and oligomeric PACs in a natural matrix that is valuable for urinary tract and bladder health. On the other hand, its BerryVin™ ingredient combines strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cranberries, plus grape and pomegranate extracts, containing phenolic compounds such as ellagic and gallic acids and catechins, as well as anthocyanidins and flavanoids, for a broad spectrum of antioxidant activity.

Pond agreed the single- vs. multi-berry question is answered based on end goal. He explained products such as bilberry, which has a strong association with eye health, or cranberry, which is associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs), are often formulated as single entity products. “We also see many products being formulated around the idea of providing the flavor and nutrition of a bowl of mixed berries, and that delivering phytonutrients such as PACs, anthocyanidins and a variety of organic acids is appealing,” he noted. “Our VitaBerry™ line of multiple berry ingredients was formulated to deliver the antioxidant nutrition of bowls of mixed berries and uses both whole fruits and extracts.”

Altaffer reported there is demand for all forms of berries, and both freeze-dried multi-berry and single standardized berry extracts seem to be especially popular. “Some products actually combine a freezedried or spray dried powder with an extract to blend flavor and function,” he said.

Lee concluded: “The ultimate finished product to deliver the rich nutrition inherent in berries is rather immaterial. It is the quality of how the product is produced, from the quality of the raw materials through manufacture, so that the product delivers what the label claims it does. Further, the research and development should be sound as well. For example, if science shows 5 mg/d of mixed berries provides effective free radical scavenging action, then the product should have that 5 mg dose, not 5 mcg or 2 mg.”

Hiranandani advised offering formulators information on equivalencies; for example: X amount of dried berries equals 8 oz. of berry juice or other forms associated with researched health benefits.“Formulators decide what percentage of a particular form of berry to use, based on their goals and production parameters,” he said.

Also, while early berry research commonly featured juices and concentrates, other delivery forms are starting to generate similar results. Dean Mosca, president of Proprietary Nutritionals, reported CranMax cranberry extract (standardized to 36 mg PACs) demonstrated significant efficacy in protecting against recurrent UTIs, reducing both the number of patients with recurring episodes of cystitis, and the length of time to onset of the first bout of recurrence.

Beyond decisions on which type of ingredient to use, functional formulators face a few sensory challenges when using a berry ingredient. Any stroll through a good produce market will be brightened by the rich blues, reds, purples and oranges of blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, black currants and raspberries. It is nearly impossible to avoid these powerful pigments in formulation. The trick is in controlling the color. Gallo stated color is the biggest hurdle to overcome when considering the effects of berry characteristics on a food or beverage. “Waters are popular, and berries darken water, which can mess up a clear product,” she said. “We are looking at ways to control color in such applications.”

As a popular ingredient in various beverages, sorbets and even cosmetics, açaí berries are a particular coloring concern. “Even though they are the same size and look like blueberries, açaí berries are 95-percent hard pit, and only the purple skin of the berry is used to make the pulp puree and powders,” Black explained. He added açaí berries are highly perishable and need to be consumed or pasteurized quickly, as they dramatically lose taste and nutritional value.

However, Saunders noted these exotic fruit ingredients/raw materials are only as influential as the finished product manufacturer chooses. “There are various forms and countless formulations created every day,” he said. “Only the finished product manufacturer chooses which and what qualities they want to focus on in regards to each ingredient.”

On the other hand, Gallo claimed from a taste standpoint, berries are easy to formulate. “Even with standardized extracts, which are usually high in tannins and phenolics—high tannin-y taste notes would not taste good—the extract gives beverage formulations a body that is associated with whole fruit,” she said.

Still, Pond cautioned in some formulations, the tartness of a berry may be too much for a particular application. “In such cases, we have often paired berries with sweeter fruits such as banana, mango or sweet cherry, and this can provide unique wellbalanced flavors.”

While handling taste and color from berries is generally not an issue in baked goods, heat is a concern. Here, cranberries shine. “Cranberries, unlike soft fruits/berries, can tolerate heat processing well,” Hiranandani said, noting product developers also choose cranberries because they blend well with other fruits. “Cranberries have a low aroma, which allows them to blend well without overpowering.”

Gallo noted cranberry PACs can withstand the rigors of the baking process, but anthocyanidins can be highly instable in long baking times; they also have pH issues. “Using these ingredients in baked goods is not impossible, but not as easy where heat isn’t factor,” she said “Baked goods are a hot market, and there are ways to mitigate heat issue. You have to think outside the box, like introducing the berry later in baking process, when temperatures are lower.”

Palatable Choices

From taste and color to various health benefits, each berry is bursting with strong positive characteristics to influence a functional product. Choosing which berry to use is artistry with a scientific twist. Blueberries and cranberries are popular choices, not just for taste and color, but for the former, antioxidant and anti-aging benefits, and the latter, UTIs and antibiotic resistance (anti-adhesion).

According to Hiranandani, while cranberries have been a popular fruit at grocery for decades, cranberry ingredients in supplements and related products have really taken off only in the past 10 years. He reported the ingredient side of Ocean Spray has seen double-digit growth for the past three years, with growing demand in North America, Europe and Asia.

These berries have strong marketing support, including exhaustive work by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, the North American Blueberry Council, the Cranberry Institute and various cranberry growers associations. “These berries are big domestic crops, so they benefit from growers’ monies from the USDA,” Hill said, adding some effective marketing includes a seal manufacturers can put on their finished functional products.

Still, she said other, lesser-known berries are generating some buzz. “We are seeing more powerful data on black currant and vision, showing the potential to surpass bilberry in this area,” she said. “There are some studies being done on black currant and VDT (visual terminal display) problems—so many of us these days are in front of computers—and black currants seem very beneficial for tired eye syndrome, as in nighttime driving, which is not necessarily bilberry’s stronger suit.”

Chokeberries are also poised to stand up and be noticed for a growing body of health benefits, according to Hill. “If I had to give my kids one thing, it would be chokeberries,” she said. “Chokeberries are more efficacious than other berries in most assays, including antioxidant activities, tumor suppression, cardiovascular health/ brachial arterial fluctuation mediation, anti-carcinogenic properties and impact on cytokines/immune function.”

As in other areas of the market, exotics are in. Pond reported: “Açaí, acerola, coffee-berries and goji berries are also extremely popular and provide consumers with the excitement of trying something new— discovering the story of berries from far off regions and gaining access to nutritional properties not found on the average grocery store shelf.”

Berries have a rosy future as functional ingredients. “The scientific evidence [on berries] is clear and strong as to their value as potent antioxidants,” Lee said. “And, consumers generally like berries, they are very familiar with berries as foods and thus more inclined to try new exotic berries.”

Suppliers of berry ingredients report growing demand across the board. “There does not seem to be a peak in sight, only a growing movement toward these types of products,” Saunders quipped. “They have already been expanding to cosmetics, supplements and even over the counter drugs, not to mention the medical industry as well. So as you can imagine, the potential for these ingredients is only limited to one’s imagination.”