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Fruit d’Or currently offers the widest selection of cranberry and wild blueberry products around and is the largest grower and processor of organic cranberries in the world. Already a firm favorite in the food industry, Fruit d’Or expanded into the nutraceuticals market to make the most of the feel-good health benefits that its berries provide. Vice President of Business Development Sylvain Dufour explained what this means for the company, during an in-depth interview. Report by Imogen Ward.
Each year, Fruit d’Or supplies more than 100 million pounds of dried and frozen cranberries to the global market.
“We dedicated a lot of time over the years to expand our capacity,” explained Vice President of Business Development Sylvain Dufour. “When we first entered the market, dried cranberries were a very new concept, one that took the industry by storm and answered an increasing demand from multiple sectors. It was the perfect time for us to join the market, and it has continued to pay off ever since.”
Established 25 years ago, Fruit d’Or began life with the goal of offering certified organic cranberries to the world.
“Initially, we had to overcome several hurdles on our path to certified organic,” said Mr. Dufour. “A major one was being told that if we produced organic, our cranberries would instead be treated as conventional stock.
This didn’t sit right with us, so we turned to the market to decipher whether there was an actual need for organic and took matters into our own hands.”
From that point on, Fruit d’Or began marketing its own fresh organic cranberries, and before long, it added frozen, sweet, dried, dehydrated cranberries to its portfolio.
Fruit d’Or later expanded into conventional cranberries too after seeing the viability of the market.
“We went from initially producing around 300,000 pounds of cranberries to a projection of several hundred million pounds for 2024,” revealed Mr. Dufour. “Additionally, we chose to diversify our offering by adding wild blueberries to the mix, and five years ago, we bought out our main blueberry supplier to diversify our offering even further.”
Today, Fruit d’Or has two plants dedicated solely to wild blueberries and three for its famed cranberry offering, all dotted across Canada and North America. These five plants have a combined frozen storage capacity of over 650 000 square feet and, with the help of several hundred suppliers, deliver quality produce to customers in more than 50 countries.
Berries galore
Fruit d’Or strongly believes in helping its customers and the end-consumer feel good and eat well. In line with this commitment, the company introduced its Better-for-You range two years ago. Providing the same delicious Fruit d’Or flavor, but with zero added sugar, this line has been a hit.
“When Fruit d’Or began operating, we had to focus on the mainstream market and understanding what they wanted,” said Mr. Dufour. “But as we grew – and our experience increased – we found we could explore the market more. While trends evolved, we witnessed an increasing demand for low sugar and became inspired to produce our Better-for-You range.
“This has proven to be incredibly successful. Especially now, with the upcoming changes to the Nutrition Fact Label in America, more customers are looking to us to provide a lower calorized, lower sugar option, and Better-for-You is the perfect solution. We also have the planning and equipment ready to upscale this enterprise should there be a sharp increase in demand.”
Exploring other markets
Keen to further promote the health benefits of its berries, Fruit d’Or also entered the nutraceuticals market via its brands Cran d’Or and Blue d’Or.
Cran d’Or offers a comprehensive range of nutraceutical ingredients perfect for enhancing foods, developing sustainable supplements, and enhancing cosmetics. Fruit d’Or uses state-of-the-art technology to retain the natu-
ral benefits of the cranberries once they have been powdered.
Within the line are three powdered options – TotalPac, Complete, and Bios – and one upcycled cranberry seed oil known as PlantEFA. Compatible with a range of applications, including gummies, capsules, soft gels, functional foods and beverages, these powders are made without additives, preservatives or GMOs.
Additionally, Blue d’Or currently features PureWild, which is made from 100% organic wild blueberries that feature higher polyphenol compounds, when compared to cultivated blueberries. Perfect for capsules, smoothies or functional foods, each pound of this product features 75 pounds of wild blueberries.
“Our nutraceutical ranges are very unique, because we choose the fruit specifically to
be powdered,” explained Mr. Dufour. “That means we can guarantee a premium quality.”
Interestingly, although Fruit d’Or sells more conventional berries to the food sector (75% more to be precise), this trend is reversed when it comes to nutraceuticals. Organic berries are more in demand due to the desire for natural, chemical-free produce.
One of Canada’s best
The continued growth and success of Fruit d’Or is reflected in its Platinum Club member status awarded by Canada’s Best Managed Companies. Having received consistent recognition from the leading business awards program over the past seven years, the journey to Platinum Club has been a fruitful one.
“We had a dream that one day, our company would be recognised as one of the best managed companies in Canada and about seven years ago, we decided it was time,” said Mr. Dufour. “We’d done all the hard work and felt we were ready, so we applied and managed to secure the prize seven years in a row – picking up Gold Standard and eventually Platinum Club status.”
Fruit d’Or sees this program as a recurring challenge that continues to motivate its managers to achieve their very best.
“Receiving the Platinum Status proves that we are not here by chance,” continued
FRUIT D’OR
Mr. Dufour. “We are constantly doing what we need to, to be there for our customers, and I have trust that what we are doing is right.”
Of course, Fruit d’Or’s suppliers have also played a crucial part in the company’s continued success.
“It took us years to find the very best suppliers, and we have worked hard to retain those companies for the long term,” said Mr. Dufour.
As part of its push to do the right thing, Fruit d’Or has also committed to sustainable development, focusing on three key areas: taking care of nature, people and communities. Through the sustainable development
plan, each pillar is subdivided into key priorities that guide the company’s commitments and actions, such as fighting climate change, preserving biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural resources, plus co-creating added value with partners through a responsible supply chain.
These factors ensure that Fruit d’Or lives up to its commitments to its growers, its customers, and the planet.
“Fruit d’Or will continue to prioritize these environmental developments going forward,” explained Mr. Dufour. “There’s so much international potential for our berries, and we are excited to develop them in the right way.” n
