The Color of Health

August 2003

The Color of Health

By Jeanne Turner
Contributing Editor

Whether gifted with an artistic temperament or not, the paint-store color wheels excite the imagination of hopeful home decorators everywhere. Those vibrant shades resonate with pleasant fantasies as you imagine the colors coordinating perfectly within the walls of your home, while breathless compliments from your friends fall sweetly on your ears. Now imagine that palette of colors on your plate, entering sweetly, or in savory fashion, to complement your meal plan.

Such is the goal of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBHF), Wilmington, DE, a nonprofit organization which, in partnership with the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, promotes the “5 A Day — For Better Health program.” The program aims to create a healthier America by encouraging consumption of fruits and vegetables to reach an average of five or more servings per day.

Working five to nine
Actually, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid advises consumption of five to nine servings per day, yet Americans fall far short of that goal. Recent research conducted for PBHF by NPD Group, Port Washington, NY, shows the average consumer eats only 3.6 servings per day. In fact, overall per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables has declined 14% since 1990.

Recently, PBHF launched a “5 A Day The Color Way” campaign, extolling the virtues of including at least one daily serving from each of five color groups (blue/purple, green, white, yellow/orange and red). Currently, the American plate predominantly features white and red colors, with potatoes and tomatoes the most popular vegetables. Among fruits, orange juice emerges as the clear winner, followed by bananas and apples.

According to Elizabeth Pivonka, PBHF president, Ph.D., R.D., “Each fruit and vegetable contains a different complement of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals. Thinking about color when choosing fruits and vegetables is the easiest way to think about variety, and eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day is the best way to get the full range of health-promoting benefits that each fruit and vegetable uniquely has to offer.” Or as David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., author of the book “What Color is Your Diet?” says, “. . . there is a solid foundation of knowledge in nutrition and exciting new breakthroughs in human genetics and disease that tell us loud and clear: Eat a colorful diet.”

Interestingly enough, factors contributing to the lack of fruit and vegetable consumption in the American diet coincide with food trends formulators can capitalize upon to capture market share. These include an increased desire for convenience foods, a decline in the number of dishes served per meal, and a decline in the number of ingredients used in at-home meal preparation.

At the same time, consumers indicate they would like to include more nutritious, functional foods into their diet. A Prevention Health Focus study conducted in 1999 by the Food Marketing Institute, Washington, D.C., reveals that nine out of 10 shoppers prefer naturally nutritious foods to supplements, while a study conducted in 2000 by Washington, D.C.-based International Food and Information Council Foundation (IFIC) says that 86% of those surveyed are interested in learning more about functional foods. In short, we would like to eat in a more healthful manner yet have someone else prepare the food.

Phyting for your body
A mounting body of scientific evidence details the different phytochemicals found in certain fruits and vegetables that may promote health benefits. Some of these key compounds include antioxidants, such as anthocyanins and phenolics, indoles, allicin, vitamin C, bioflavonoids and carotenoids. Each is associated with various health-promoting properties and each is most commonly associated with a particular “color group.” For example, in the blue/purple group, containing plums, purple grapes, blueberries or eggplant, anthocyanins and phenolics reputedly help stimulate the memory, provide anti-aging properties or fight against certain cancers.

Recently published research from Michigan State University, East Lansing, investigated a range of fruits and berries for the level and activity of anthocyanins 1 and 2. These work in a similar manner to ibuprofen, helping the body block signals that cause pain and inflammation, stimulated by COX-1 and COX-2, forms of cyclooxygenase. Researchers discovered that the COX inhibitory activities of cherry anthocyanins were comparable to those of ibuprofen and naproxen at 10 µmol concentrations. In an overall average of the data collected, cherries contained the highest levels of a combination of anthocyanin 1 and 2 at 26.6 mg per 100 grams of fruit, compared to 24 mg for raspberries. Fresh blackberries and strawberries contained only anthocyanin 2 at a total level of 22.5 mg and 18.2 mg per 100 grams, respectively.

Watermelon contains a high level of lycopene. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, Orlando, FL, just 2 cups provides 18.16 mg of lycopene, while one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg. Apricots are an excellent source of beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor), and supply vitamin C, iron, potassium and fiber.
The ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay measures a substance’s ability to disarm free radicals. Many fruits and vegetables, such as cherries and blueberries, have high ORAC values.

Recent studies suggest that blueberries can help slow memory loss and improve coordination, thanks again to anthocyanin, the pigment that colors them dark blue. Other health benefits possibly associated with blueberry consumption include improved vision, anti-aging and prevention of urinary tract infections. Consumption of a half-cup of blueberries per day (72.5 grams) would increase ORAC intake by 1.0 to 3.2 µmol, depending on the variety and maturity, according to a study conducted on the antioxidant capacity and health benefits of fruits and vegetables by Ronald Prior, Ph.D., USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston.

Edward Van Drunen, president of Van Drunen Farms, Momence, IL, says that the increased public interest in antioxidants has influenced the sales volume of some freeze-dried products. “We sell quite a few blueberries freeze-dried, in addition to other fruits like strawberries and raspberries, to the cereal companies. Freeze drying is an effective method of incorporating these fruits into a shelf-stable product like cereal, and consumers seem to be willing to pay a slightly higher price for their inclusion,” explains Van Drunen.

Polyphenols to the rescue
Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants found in varying concentrations in different fruits and vegetables. They protect the body from the activity of free radicals, and may contribute to cancer, heart disease and other age-related degeneration.

Companies interested in adding antioxidant properties to foods, without the whole fruit or vegetable, can turn to powder or liquid ingredients with concentrated antioxidant properties complete with scientifically determined ORAC values. These ingredients provide anywhere from the equivalent of one serving of fruits and/or vegetables, up to five or six.

Adding the equivalent of one serving, says Ginny Bank, technical director for RFI Ingredients, Blauvelt, NY, is a relatively simple process. But adding the antioxidant equivalent of five or six servings of vegetables in one serving of a food item can create a flavor issue. “We will recommend combined masking agents if there is a flavor component issue. The threshold has a lot to do with the type of antioxidant you’re trying to provide,” she says.

The company’s powdered and liquid ingredients come in a variety of blends and flavors, including recently introduced organic versions. According to Bank, companies typically use these in foods conventionally fortified with other vitamin, mineral or fiber properties, such as beverages, cereals or energy bars. Today, she sees manufacturers turning to natural antioxidants found in classic fruits and vegetables for fortification purposes. “I’m seeing more fruit and vegetable concentrations used to provide antioxidant qualities replacing the botanical wave that hit a few years ago,” says Bank. “‘Five A Day’ is more tangible and recognizable for the average consumer.”

Cereal developers, adds Bank, take advantage of the product format to offer consumers an enhanced level of both antioxidants and fiber, by adding the phytochemicals into fruit puree bits mixed into the cereal — “a raisiny type of conglomeration” says Bank, that a processor can create by blending fig paste, plums or other types of fruit purees.

Phyto-functional
In addition to their vitamins, minerals and potential antioxidant properties, certain dried fruits offer practical application assistance to food formulators. For instance, dried plums contain a unique blend of soluble and insoluble pectins (a level of 7.5%) that form a stable film around air and leavening gas during mixing and bench time in reduced-fat or low-fat baked goods. In addition, their naturally high sorbitol content (15%) acts as an effective humectant, keeping bakery products soft and moist.

In meat products, plums can act as a fat substitute and their humectancy helps retain moisture to create a more juicy product. According to the California Dried Plum Board, Sacramento, plum ingredients can help reduce the warmed-over flavor (WOF) found in many cooked and reheated meat products.

Technology as the driver
Technology continues to influence the market for fruit ingredients, both for improved fruit and raw-ingredient processing as well as methods and machinery used to process the end product.

In 2002, Graceland Foods, Inc., Frankfort, MI, introduced infused, dried red raspberries and red cherries, as well as new premium peaches and infused, frozen cultivated blueberries. Raspberries are soft, and their composition of multiple clusters or beads of fruit can break apart easily. Infusion techniques can offer the food formulator a natural, shelf-stable raspberry ingredient to promote color, flavor, texture and dietary fiber in breakfast foods, baked goods, ice cream and other frozen products.

Nirml Sinha, vice president of research and development for Graceland Foods, says that infusion-drying technology has improved the quality of dried fruits tremendously, particularly for more delicate fruits such as raspberries. “Infusion-drying technology helps fruits like raspberries retain their color, flavor and moistness. The fruit stays soft and more juicy than with other drying methods, instead of turning leathery and a dull color.”

In addition, infusion drying renders the fruit microbiologically stable so sulfites aren’t required. The process also sweetens certain fruits, such as tart cherries, softening the acidity and balancing the sweet and tart characteristics. Infusing the fruit with apple or white grape juice allows the formulator to use an all-natural label. Various firms offer their customers organic options as well.

For bright-colored fruits like blueberries, Sinha says infusion helps fruit maintain its shape and color when mixing bagel or bread dough, because the water is not free to migrate out. In addition, infusion prevents ice crystals from forming, helping fruit maintain an edible texture in products such as ice cream or frozen desserts.

Dehydrated berries, popular ingredients in baked goods, might be lightly coated with oil to prevent sugar from recrystallizing on the berry’s surface. In addition, this coating helps the berries flow through processing equipment more easily.

Frozen dinners or meal-in-a-bag applications can utilize vegetables in individual quick frozen (IQF) form. For shelf-stable products, such as rice blends or dried soup mixes, other popular methods of preserving vegetables include freeze-dried, drum-dried or air-dried, each rehydrating at a different rate of time. Various applications also tie in to particle size. Combining air- and freeze-drying, partially air-drying vegetables prior to freeze-drying, retains a higher level of moisture, enabling the vegetables to rehydrate more quickly than some other varieties.

When the food manufacturer takes advantage of new processing technologies, it places new demands on the supply side. Chris Long, sales manager for California Custom Fruits and Flavors, Irwindale, CA, points to the dairy industry, and yogurt in particular, as industries with evolving technologies and product formats. Yogurt forms vary from whipped to tube-packaged, drinkable and fruit-on-the-bottom, each demanding special attention from the fruit supplier.

The key for the fruit supplier is good communication with the client regarding their goals. “Our job is to find out exactly what the customer wants and needs. In a whipped product, for example, there isn’t much of a fruit identity because a large percentage of the volume is air and a heavy object will defeat the product identity. For special applications like that, we have a special blend of fruits and stabilize them in a way that adds value to the plain yogurt and manufacturing process,” says Long.

Phyt – olé!
The types and varieties of dried fruits have expanded dramatically the last few years, particularly to serve a growing ethnic and Latino marketplace. According to Sinha, “If you go back 10 years, the mango and other tropical fruits weren’t on the radar screen, but people are always looking for something new. Häagen Dasz ice cream uses a mango we developed at their request.”

Suppliers can also help their clients with new product ideation. “Fruit can be used as the main flavor or can accentuate a lot of different flavors,” says Long. “Most people wouldn’t think of combining blueberries and lemons, but they complement each other. In a frozen product, mix these with a cake inclusion and you’re combining texture, mouthfeel, vibrant colors and intense flavors to create a consumer experience that involves numerous sensations.”

As ethnic populations continue to influence our flavor and food selections, formulators can utilize color and flavors as a springboard to introduce successful products that provide new, yet welcome, taste experiences. “In our mosaic society fruit is a common factor that can provide the customer with different ideas and ways of looking at things,” says Long.

Perhaps our evolving society holds the key to realizing that the mosaic of colors experts say we need for better health lies within our diets. As society continues to redefine “traditional” food according to our unique American blend of ethnicities, perhaps formulators can take advantage of the mixture of exotic and classic while satisfying our longing for adventurous dining at the same time.

Back to top

3400 Dundee Rd. Suite #100
Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: 847/559-0385
Fax: 847/559-0389
E-mail: contactus@foodproductdesign.com
Website: www.foodproductdesign.com