Photo: Ocean Spray ITG
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In today’s age of fad diets and fleeting trends, one small berry has stood the test of time. For decades, the cranberry, the original American superfruit, has been valued for its potential to prevent urinary tract infections. Since 1984, extensive research has revealed that cranberries offer a wide range of health benefits, making them a “must have” ingredient for functional food and drink products. With new and innovative applications constantly emerging, and ongoing interest from the scientific community, this veteran player in the healthy food market continues to excite, and looks set to do so for years to come.
The cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is one of only three fruits native to North America. Easily distinguished by its tart, tangy taste and bright-red color, the versatile cranberry can now be found in thousands of products worldwide. This success is undoubtedly driven by the cranberry’s extensive health benefits. Already well-known for its role in urinary tract health, research shows the cranberry also can help maintain good health in a wide range of areas. The double benefit of antioxidant and antiadhesive action has positive implications for stomach, dental, heart, lung and cell health.
The red-carpet treatment
Cranberries grow throughout North America on long-running vines in sandy bogs and marshes, and their journey from vine to store shelf is as unique as their taste and health properties. Harvesting usually takes place from mid-Sept. to Nov., when the color and flavor are at their richest and the berries are ripe for picking.
Depending on the final product, the berries can be dry or wet harvested. Dry-harvested cranberries are “combed” from the vines with a mechanical picker and sold fresh. Wet harvesting, however, is a fascinating spectacle that captivates onlookers year after year: Thousands of cranberries float to the surface of a flooded bog to form a bright red carpet on the water. Growers flood the bog the night before, and loosen the cranberries from the vines with a water reel or “egg beater.” Air pockets in the center of the cranberries cause them to rise to the surface, allowing the growers to gather the crop. Wet-harvested cranberries are used in sauces, drinks and other ingredients.
As part of strict quality-control procedures, cranberries are subjected to a “bounce” test. This curious method was discovered by John “Peg-Leg” Webb, an early grower who noticed the firmest berries would bounce, leaving the imperfect berries behind. The bounce board separator continues to be a fundamental part of the testing process, allowing only the quality berries to go to market.
The cranberry collection
Initial ingredient offerings consisted of frozen cranberries and cranberry concentrate (50% solids, pH 2.0 to 2.5). Now, a wealth of cranberry ingredients are available, including cranberry powder (2% to 5% moisture), which is used in dry- mix beverages, nutrition supplements and confectionery. Also part of the wide ingredient range, sweetened dried cranberries (SDCs) (13% to 18% moisture, 48% to 60% sugar), are ideal for any number of cereal, trail mix, bakery, dairy and confectionery applications. White cranberry concentrate is harvested early to give a milder flavor, and cranberry purée (6.2° Brix, pH 2.3 to 2.8) is used in sauces and beverages, especially smoothies, as well as in certain bakery, dairy and confectionery applications.
Cranberries can stand in for and offer improvements on other fruits, too. Ocean Spray ITG, the ingredient technology group of Ocean Spray, Lakeville- Middleboro, MA, supplies Berry- Fusions™ Fruits, cranberry pieces infused with real fruit flavors, including blueberry, strawberry, cherry, orange, raspberry, apple cinnamon and mango. These ingredients avoid the common difficulties of moisture and color bleed. Dried cranberries, with their low moisture content (12% to 16%), are particularly robust and process-tolerant, making them ideal for use in applications such as baked goods, cereals and trail mixes.
A glass a day
The cranberry owes part of its continued success to its wide-ranging health properties. Given the enormous health benefits antioxidants provide against cancer-causing free radicals, a diet rich in antioxidants is extremely important for preventing disease and maintaining good health. Cranberries have consistently been found to have the highest antioxidant content per gram among common fruits. A study carried out on 19 fruits at the University of Scranton, PA (
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2001; 49:5315-5321), found that, gram for gram, cranberries have the highest phenol content. Phenols are an antioxidant thought to be most active in fighting chronic diseases like cancer, strokes and heart disease, where they prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) that contribute to cardiovascular problems.
Cranberries’ proanthocyanidins (PACs), or condensed tannins, are responsible for the fruit’s antiadhesion mechanism. Cranberries were also found to have the highest PAC content per gram (418.8 mg per 100 grams) of common fruits (Journal of Nutrition, 2004; 134:613-617). Cranberry PACs have a unique A-linked structure that prevents bacteria from adhering in the body and causing infection. This benefit is most widely expressed in its ability to prevent urinary tract infections, a claim that has been officially recognized by the French government’s food-safety authority, AFSSA (Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments). It confirmed that the powder, concentrate and juice of North American cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) help “reduce the adhesion of certain E. coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls.”
New research has also indicated that the anti-adhesion mechanism benefits dental health. One recent study, published in the Journal of Periodontal Research (2007; 42:159-168), found that cranberry extract inhibits several enzyme activities associated with periodontal disease. The researchers suggest cranberry may work curatively by inhibiting MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) —the enzymes that play a major role in gingival tissue destruction.
The future’s red
The cranberry has a long history as a healthy fruit. Its role in preventing urinary tract infections has inspired considerable interest, resulting in a wealth of evidence to support the extensive health benefits and increased demand from food manufacturers. With demand for cranberry on the increase, the little red berry can look forward to an optimistic future.
Kristen Girard, principal scientist in food ingredients for Ocean Spray ITG, Middleboro, MA, has an M.S. in Food Science. Ocean Spray ITG (www.oceansprayitg.com) is part of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., which currently ranks as one of the top 50 U.S. food and beverage companies. Ocean Spray ITG’s extensive portfolio of fruit ingredients are available year round. The company has produced a “Health Milestones” brochure to display the wealth of scientific research supporting the cranberry’s health promise. For further information, contact Tom Jones at 508/946-7606, or tjones@oceanspray.com.