'Superfruits' the future of health
Fruit lines up for slice of functional foods market
Auckland, NZ - 24 October 2006 - Dairy and wholegrains face a new challenger in the $30 billion functional foods market - fruit.
Always known and accepted as healthy, fruit is now getting a new boost from advances in nutritional science that are exploring and explaining its health properties to a new generation of consumers who are seeking an easy way to feel good.
Add to this the rapid advances in fruit breeding technologies, plus Intellectual Property protection and you have what New Zealand fruit science company, HortResearch says is the perfect formula for the next generation of functional foods.
"The key ingredient in those foods will be what we like to call 'superfruits'", says HortResearch Food Business Leader, Karl Crawford.
"These are fruits that provide consumers with demonstrated health benefits - like other functional foods they offer qualities well beyond basic nutrition."
There are already three major globally recognised 'superfruits' - blueberries, cranberries and pomegranate - plus a number of up-and-comers such as Acai and Mangosteen.
These are fruits which are selling in whole form, in juices, bars and as ingredients in other foods in huge volumes - and more importantly, generating billion-dollar sales revenues.
The big question everyone is now asking is 'What is the next superfruit'?
"I can't tell you what it will be, what colour or shape or taste, but I know it will have five key qualities, says Mr Crawford.
"Superfruit success requires novelty, validated health benefits, convenience, controlled supply and promotion."
Through its integrated fruit and food science programmes HortResearch seeks to influence each of these qualities - essentially 'creating' superfruits.
"Our sensory and consumer science team study how consumers respond to fruits and foods; providing valuable clues as to what consumers like and dislike, what attracts them to a product and what makes them buy it. Our breeding teams can then access our collection of fruit germplasm and breed from these to create fruits that meet consumer demands for novelty, flavour and health.
When HortResearch breeds a new fruit variety, or discovers the specific attributes of a fruit, the company can use various legal mechanisms to protect that Intellectual Property for use by customers. This can involve Plant Variety Rights, patents or trade secrets. If a customer has this control, they can effectively brand their superfruit product and invest the necessary funds to ensure its success, safe in the knowledge that they will not face direct competition from other producers.
"We can also help discover and prove health claims associated with certain fruits," says Mr Crawford.
"We do this using hi-tech tools and techniques including; assays to discover antioxidant function, anti-inflammatory properties, neurotransmitter effects etc; and human clinical trials - basically discovering and validating the health properties of fruit in humans."
HortResearch science teams are currently studying how fruit and fruit compounds affect human mood and physical performance, as well as gut health and immunity.
"We have already determined that fruit compounds can bind to estrogen receptor beta, and are now testing the effects of fruit on serotonin and GABA. This suggests great opportunities for using fruit to mitigate stress and anxiety. Likewise physical performance studies have given a clear indication that food compounds can have a positive influence on the levels of hormones such as cortisol. We are following that lead and investigating how fruit can be used to encourage tissue growth and enhance athletic development and recovery programmes."
Mr Crawford says HortResearch has also chosen gut health and immunity as a particular focus for research because of emerging evidence that fruit can have multiple positive effects on gastro-intestinal wellbeing and immune defences.
"Our own research has shown us a number of examples where fruit demonstrates real anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial potential. For example, polyphenols present in fruit have been shown to greatly inhibit salmonella attachment to gut cell models. That reduces the chances of a person contracting bacterial diseases. In effect, the fruit is forming a shield."
Another HortResearch study has shown that certain apple extracts have the ability to inhibit TNF Alpha production in cell systems. TNF Alpha is a marker for inflammation. Inhibiting its production indicates these extracts may have anti-inflammatory properties. Fruit is also a good source of prebiotic fibre, which encourages probiotic bacterial growths; something strongly linked to enhanced gut immune status.
In addition, HortResearch is looking back at the gene-based pathway that links gut inflammation response with the initial environmental insult. HortResearch scientists have shown that food can positively influence this pathway - opening new opportunities for fruit based foods which help manage inflammation.
"These benefits are particularly encouraging for manufacturers seeking to develop the next generation of probiotic health drinks. Traditionally these drinks have been dairy based, with the diary acting mainly as a carrier for probiotic bacteria. We believe that adding fruit to these drinks will radically enhance their functionality."
"Fruit is no longer a raw ingredient - it is an active ingredient. The bar has been raised - it is not enough just to have fruit in your product, it needs to be a specific fruit, offering a specific benefit - a Superfruit."
Mr Crawford will outline further his ideas on the future of superfruit and functional foods when he addresses the 2006 Health Foods European Summit. His presentation: 'Superfruits: Super functional foods and the importance of breeding new fruits for the future' will begin at 9.45am on Wednesday November 1st.
2006 Healthy Foods European Summit
Innovation and Regulation, Consumer Communications, Health Trends, Policy and the Future for the Food and Beverage Industry. London, UK
31st October to 1st November 2006
www.healthyfoodssummit.com
ABOUT HORTRESEARCH
HortResearch is a New Zealand-based science company, acknowledged as a world leader in integrated fruit research, using unique resources in fruit, plants and sustainable production systems to provide novel technologies, innovative fruit and food products with high consumer appeal.
Home to the world's largest fruit compound database, as well as leading-edge scientific capability in plant breeding, tree, vine and fruit physiology, HortResearch has earned considerable acclaim as the name behind development of ZESPRI™ GOLD kiwifruit, ENZA JAZZ™ apples and a range of other successful cultivars including blueberries, peaches and pears
The company also enjoys further praise as the research team behind the development of the world's first intelligent fruit labelling system, ripeSense™ marketed by RIPESENSE Limited.
HortResearch is now broadening its commercial science capability, utilising knowledge in phytochemicals, food chemistry, sensory, biochemistry, and plant molecular biology to find new ways to improve human health, wellbeing and performance.
The company is developing breakthrough science and technology to meet emerging markets for functional foods and naturally produced flavours and fragrances.
Key food research areas include: Foods for Health, Human Health and Performance, Nutrigenomics, Formulation and Delivery, Bioproduction and Sensory and Consumer Science.
Working closely with industry, HortResearch seeks to identify the intrinsic benefits found within foods, and determine how these can be enhanced or extracted and delivered to consumers in a safe, tasty and convenient way.
Integrating fruit and food research with consumer insight and market knowledge, HortResearch produces new concepts and prototypes that meet consumer demand for healthy, novel and convenient fruit and fruit-based foods and beverages.
Media Contact:
Roger Bourne
Senior Communications Advisor
HortResearch
Private Bag 92 169
Mt Albert, Auckland
New Zealand
Ph +64 9 815 4200 ext 7057
Mob +64 27 207 1712
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