fresh produce
The versatile and healthy cranberry Fresh, frozen, dried, sauce and juice, discover why chefs and mixologists around the world are heralding in the unrivaled versatility and great taste of America’s Original SuperfruitTM. Cranberries are the perfect addition to soups, salads, entrees, baked goods, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages and desserts. Research also shows convincing evidence that the tiny cranberry provides big health benefits. Cranberry History America’s original superfruitTM, Native Americans used the cranberries as a staple as early as 1550. They are cranberries fresh, ground, or mashed with cornmeal and baked it into bread. They also mixed berries with wild game and melted fat to form pemmican, a survival ration for the winter months. Maple sugar or honey was used to sweeten the berry’s tangy flavor. By 1620 early settlers learned how to use cranberries from the Native Americans. There are several theories of how the berry was named. Germany and Dutch settlers named the berry “crane-berry” because it appeared to be the favorite food of cranes or the blossom resembles the head and neck of an English crane. Eventually “craneberry” was shortened to cranberry. Today cranberries are grown across the United States in Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Rhode Island, as well as the leading production states of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington, where cranberries are a predominant crop. U.S. farmers produce more than three quarters of a billion pounds of
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cranberries per year from approximately 40,000 acres of bogs or marshes. The cranberry is now Wisconsin’s state fruit. Health Benefits of cranberries Cranberries, available in many convenient forms including dried cranberries, 100% cranberry juice, and cranberry sauce, are a wonderful way to add an antioxidant-rich fruit to your daily diet. • A serving of fresh cranberries is a good source of vitamin C and fiber; provides antioxidant polyphenols; and is low in sodium. • According to the largest USDA study of the antioxidant content of food, cranberries are among the top five foods with the highest antioxidant content per serving. The study included samples of more than 1,100 commonly consumed foods and beverages. It represents the largest ever systematic screening of antioxidants in food. • Research suggests that antioxidants from food are more beneficial for human health as compared to dietary supplements. • Cranberry products may reduce the incidence of stomach ulcers. The same way cranberries promote urinary tract health and oral health. • Cranberries are also being investigated as a way to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. • Cranberries contain compounds called proanthocyanidins (PACs) that have strong bacterial anti-adhesion properties. PACs interfere with the ability of bacteria to adhere to the cells that line the bladder wall. Instead of sticking to the bladder wall and causing an infection (and the subsequent pain), the bacteria get flushed out in the urine. • Researchers in Canada and Japan have been investigating the effects of cranberry extracts on bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. • Cranberry prevents bacterial adhesion to cells. Cranberry metabolites bind to bacterial hairs and thus block adhesion to cell receptors. • Cranberries provide Cardiovascular Benefits and improves Blood Flow.
AgriBusiness & Food Industry w January 2017
The Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) USA is focused on promoting the use and consumption of cranberries worldwide. The CMC was established as a Federal Marketing Order in 1962 to ensure a stable, orderly supply of good quality product. The Marketing Order has been amended several times since its inception to further the CMC’s ability to expand market development projects in domestic and international markets. Currently, CMC conducts generic promotion activities in the United States, China, India, Mexico, Pan-Europe and South Korea. www.uscranberries.com