Acai: Little Berry Shows Big Growth Potential
Acai: Little Berry Shows Big Growth Potential - http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/
by Kerrin Rourke and Sonia Caltvedt
The açai phenomenon is spreading across America like wildfire. It was named one of
the “Top Ten Superfoods for Age-Defying Beauty” by Nicholas Perricone, M.D., on Oprah Winfrey’s popular talk
show as well as in his best selling book, The Perricone
Promise. It has also received media attention from a
wide range of outlets such as The Washington Post, The
Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Oprah, Vogue, Bon Appetit, Sports
Illustrated and MTV.
What is behind this craze? Açai (Euterpe
badiocarpa) is a delicious palm berry native to the
Brazilian Amazon rainforest. It has been a staple in Amazonian diets for
centuries, but was only recently introduced to U.S. retail outlets by Sambazon
Inc. in early 2000. Açai possesses exceptional health properties, as well as a
unique flavor that is comparable to boysenberry or cherry with chocolate
overtones.
Açai grows on palm trees that can reach up to 80 feet in
height. The trees are only found in the Amazon rainforest of northern
Brazil, where the humidity and mineral content of the earth allow for perfect
growing conditions. The berries grow on long branches in clusters and yield
fruit year-round.This provides a consistent source of nutrients for the
communities of this area and a steady supply for export.
The fruits must be harvested by hand, as the clusters must be
gently pulled apart and the berries selected for quality. Açai then must be
processed immediately in order to maintain the highest health benefits possible
and to avoid spoilage. And to be exported safely, açai requires pasteurization.
There are exciting opportunities for fair trade and
ecologically sustainable sourcing of açai. Cultivating and selling the fruit is
a viable economic alternative to practices that contribute to the depletion of
the Amazonian rainforest. Unsustainable harvesting of hearts of palm, logging,
and the conversion of the forest to farmland or cattle ranches pose considerable
threats to both the environment and the indigenous culture that it is so much a
part of. Communities in this area can harvest and sell açai to help preserve
their land and their way of life while sustaining themselves economically.
Jeremy Black, global brand manager of Sambazon, recommends manufacturers do
their due diligence on the sourcing practices of their fruit packers and request
documentation of their production process and supply chain.
‘Fruit of Life’
The people of the Brazilian Amazon know açai as the “fruit
of life”. The berry pulp contains antioxidants that prevent cellular
damage from free radicals that can lead to a number of degenerative health
conditions. It also contains a very high concentration of anthocyanins, the
antioxidants that give grapes and red wine their many health benefits and rich
purple color. Anthocyanins appear to have therapeutic effects in conditions such
as diabetes and some inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system.
Açai contains a nearly perfect amino acid profile, along with
important trace minerals that are essential to proper muscle function. In addition, açai contains several different compounds that
lower high cholesterol levels in the body. It contains the very same balance of
omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids (EFAs) as olive oil. Both of these
help to lower levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol)
while maintaining levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL, the beneficial
cholesterol). Açai is also a great source of dietary fiber and phytosterols,
which help promote the health of the cardiovascular and digestive systems and
reduce unhealthy blood cholesterol levels.
Click to Enlarge
Açai fruit can be eaten directly from the tree, though local
Brazilian peoples use açai in a lot of different dishes. It can be found plain,
combined with other juices, or mixed with tapioca flour, manioc, fish or shrimp.
In the United States, açai is a key ingredient in a number of functional
beverages and frozen novelty bars. The pulp is also sold as a frozen fruit,
which can be added to homemade smoothies, and is sold as a dietary supplement in
both extract and capsule form as well. It has also surpassed wheatgrass shots in popularity in the
juice bar market.
Current sales growth is primarily due to very successful new
product launches by a small handful of brands, and products featuring açai are
showing impressive growth in both the natural and conventional retail channels.
With nearly $3.8 million in sales for the 52-week period ending Nov. 3, 2005,
compared to sales of $435,000 in the previous year, açai products have
experienced an amazing year-over-year growth of 770 percent, according to
SPINSscan Natural and SPINSscan Conventional data.
Açai is an up and coming ingredient with far-reaching
potential for growth and expansion across many categories. This superfood offers
a desirable combination of delicious flavor and powerful nutrition, making it a
choice functional ingredient for foods ranging from cereals and smoothies to
chocolate and baked goods.
Kerrin Rourke is a natural products expert and Sonia Caltvedt
in marketing and communications with San Francisco-based SPINS, a leading market
research firm. For more information on açai performance or other
ingredient-level sales reporting, contact SPINS at (415) 957-4400 or info@spins.com.
Acai: Little Berry Shows Big Growth Potential - http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/
by Kerrin Rourke and Sonia Caltvedt
The açai phenomenon is spreading across America like wildfire. It was named one of
the “Top Ten Superfoods for Age-Defying Beauty” by Nicholas Perricone, M.D., on Oprah Winfrey’s popular talk
show as well as in his best selling book, The Perricone
Promise. It has also received media attention from a
wide range of outlets such as The Washington Post, The
Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Oprah, Vogue, Bon Appetit, Sports
Illustrated and MTV.
What is behind this craze? Açai (Euterpe
badiocarpa) is a delicious palm berry native to the
Brazilian Amazon rainforest. It has been a staple in Amazonian diets for
centuries, but was only recently introduced to U.S. retail outlets by Sambazon
Inc. in early 2000. Açai possesses exceptional health properties, as well as a
unique flavor that is comparable to boysenberry or cherry with chocolate
overtones.
Açai grows on palm trees that can reach up to 80 feet in
height. The trees are only found in the Amazon rainforest of northern
Brazil, where the humidity and mineral content of the earth allow for perfect
growing conditions. The berries grow on long branches in clusters and yield
fruit year-round.This provides a consistent source of nutrients for the
communities of this area and a steady supply for export.
The fruits must be harvested by hand, as the clusters must be
gently pulled apart and the berries selected for quality. Açai then must be
processed immediately in order to maintain the highest health benefits possible
and to avoid spoilage. And to be exported safely, açai requires pasteurization.
There are exciting opportunities for fair trade and
ecologically sustainable sourcing of açai. Cultivating and selling the fruit is
a viable economic alternative to practices that contribute to the depletion of
the Amazonian rainforest. Unsustainable harvesting of hearts of palm, logging,
and the conversion of the forest to farmland or cattle ranches pose considerable
threats to both the environment and the indigenous culture that it is so much a
part of. Communities in this area can harvest and sell açai to help preserve
their land and their way of life while sustaining themselves economically.
Jeremy Black, global brand manager of Sambazon, recommends manufacturers do
their due diligence on the sourcing practices of their fruit packers and request
documentation of their production process and supply chain.
‘Fruit of Life’
The people of the Brazilian Amazon know açai as the “fruit
of life”. The berry pulp contains antioxidants that prevent cellular
damage from free radicals that can lead to a number of degenerative health
conditions. It also contains a very high concentration of anthocyanins, the
antioxidants that give grapes and red wine their many health benefits and rich
purple color. Anthocyanins appear to have therapeutic effects in conditions such
as diabetes and some inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system.
Açai contains a nearly perfect amino acid profile, along with
important trace minerals that are essential to proper muscle function. In addition, açai contains several different compounds that
lower high cholesterol levels in the body. It contains the very same balance of
omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids (EFAs) as olive oil. Both of these
help to lower levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol)
while maintaining levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL, the beneficial
cholesterol). Açai is also a great source of dietary fiber and phytosterols,
which help promote the health of the cardiovascular and digestive systems and
reduce unhealthy blood cholesterol levels.
 Click to Enlarge |
Açai fruit can be eaten directly from the tree, though local
Brazilian peoples use açai in a lot of different dishes. It can be found plain,
combined with other juices, or mixed with tapioca flour, manioc, fish or shrimp.
In the United States, açai is a key ingredient in a number of functional
beverages and frozen novelty bars. The pulp is also sold as a frozen fruit,
which can be added to homemade smoothies, and is sold as a dietary supplement in
both extract and capsule form as well. It has also surpassed wheatgrass shots in popularity in the
juice bar market.
Current sales growth is primarily due to very successful new
product launches by a small handful of brands, and products featuring açai are
showing impressive growth in both the natural and conventional retail channels.
With nearly $3.8 million in sales for the 52-week period ending Nov. 3, 2005,
compared to sales of $435,000 in the previous year, açai products have
experienced an amazing year-over-year growth of 770 percent, according to
SPINSscan Natural and SPINSscan Conventional data.
Açai is an up and coming ingredient with far-reaching
potential for growth and expansion across many categories. This superfood offers
a desirable combination of delicious flavor and powerful nutrition, making it a
choice functional ingredient for foods ranging from cereals and smoothies to
chocolate and baked goods.
Kerrin Rourke is a natural products expert and Sonia Caltvedt
in marketing and communications with San Francisco-based SPINS, a leading market
research firm. For more information on açai performance or other
ingredient-level sales reporting, contact SPINS at (415) 957-4400 or info@spins.com.