Healthy food solutions for demanding consumers

For example, the 5-a-day campaign is still a high profile government initiative in the UK and different health attributes are being reported weekly:

‘Raspberries – a better source of antioxidant’ – news-medical.net

‘Blackcurrants beat Alzheimer’s’ – Nutrition research

‘Is this berry a super fruit that fights cancer?’ (Açaí) – Daily Mail

Continuous food awareness campaigns by local governments, health institutions and the food industry have resulted in overall increased consumer awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health. This in its turn has resulted in a growing demand for food and beverages with a high content of fruits and vegetables. More consumers are aiming for a healthier, more balanced food intake. Nevertheless, products with a ‘healthy’ label often won’t sell unless they have great taste because the majority of consumers refuse to sacrifice on taste. Also, many people have hectic lifestyles, so it is important that products are convenient. These trends combined show a demand for healthy, natural, tasty products that are available in convenient portion packs.

SVZ, a leading producer of fruit and vegetable ingredients anticipates to these trends by providing a wide range of high quality fruit and vegetable ingredients as well as working together with customers to come up with new product concepts and ideas. SVZ is specialised in the so-called non-commodities like red and exotic fruit, and offers fruit & vegetable juice concentrates, fruit & vegetable juices, fruit & vegetable purees, concentrated fruit purees, compounds, IQF fruit, and Verifruit®. On a regular basis, new exotic fruits and vegetables are added to the product range.

The health and wellness trend has created an enormous demand for (innovative) fruit and vegetables. Producers of beverages, ice cream, dairy, bakery, confectionery and jam products are all looking for extra fruit to add to their products.

Fruit & vegetable blends

Fruits have already claimed their position in many foods and beverages, and now vegetables are gaining in popularity also. Given the low sugar, high fibre content of vegetables, combined with high levels of disease-fighting phytochemicals, they are a smart choice for new product development where health and nutrition are top line objectives. Taking into account that many children as well as some adults are not too fond of the taste of certain vegetables, SVZ collaborates with its customers to come up with clever solutions. Besides offering a wide range of vegetable purees and concentrates, SVZ offers knowledge and expertise in the development of innovative and tasty fruit-vegetable combinations. The demand for such blends is growing steadily, especially in beverages. Many consumers embrace the single portion fruit & vegetable drinks that help them with their daily recommended intake of fruit and vegetables.

Strong growth in super healthy juices

The worldwide consumption of carbonated soft-drinks is decreasing while smoothies and NFC juices are on the up. SVZ has developed a variety of great tasting fruit blends to serve the wishes of the individual consumer. Smoothies made with (super) fruits like blueberry, ZESPRI™ Golden kiwi, Açaí, pomegranate, and black currant not only taste great but also have an exceptional amount of health promoting properties. They are extremely high in anthocyanidins, flavanoids and carotenoids which have been shown to absorb free radicals, strengthen collagen and protect against cardiovascular disease.

Verifruit®, the next best thing to fresh fruit

Beside the health aspect, consumers also want to indulge and this is why the taste aspect is of vital importance in product development. Verifruit® is the ultimate ingredient for any application in which fruit really needs to be fruity. Verifruit® are infused fruit / fruit pieces that greatly enhance the flavour and fruit awareness in products like ice creams, bakery products, snacks, cereals and cereal bars. This high-quality ingredient puts the true fruit sensation into your finished product because it retains the characteristics of fresh fruit, has an excellent shelf life, and is far less susceptible to damage during processing, than fresh fruit. On the basis of Verifruit®, you can develop new products which until recently were not possible. Verifruit® is available in 4 types; with syrup, drained, super drained, or dried and opens up a world of opportunities. Verifruit® adds the value of a true fruit experience to products which then stand out in terms of quality, including ice cream, breakfast cereals, cereal bars, cheese, bakery products, sweets, chocolate, dried fruit (& nut) mixes, and snacks.

With more than one hundred years of experience with fruit and vegetables, SVZ has become an expert supplier to the global food industry. SVZ has partnerships with its customers to jointly come up with innovations and improvements. SVZ keeps exploring all the possibilities of fruit and vegetables, enthusiastic and committed to share its knowledge and expertise with customers worldwide.

For information please contact:
SVZ International BV
Oude Kerkstraat 8
P.O. Box 27
4870 AA Etten-Leur
Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)76 5049 494
Fax: +31 (0)76 5049 400
www.svz.com
Info@svz-nl.com