“Quality, traceability, and transparency begin in the field,” said Stephen Lukawski, Business Manager and Lead Consultant at Fruit d’Or, in the press release. “You must know the composition of your raw material before you go to market. The next step is using the most advanced tools for verifying authenticity. Then we must confirm that the authenticated cranberry is standardized so that what’s inside is consistent. As the industry leader, Fruit d’Or feels a responsibility to do everything possible to implement the highest standards for cranberry quality and authenticity. We have been funding work to debunk the junk in the cranberry marketplace since 2012.”
In a paper published this year inCellPress, researchers analyzed the proanthocyanidins (PACs) of 17 cranberry extracts and cranberry-based supplements, the press release states. The researchers found that 24% of the extracts and 60% of the supplements differed significantly from the cranberry fruit—common adulterants included peanut skins, black beans, black rice, and hibiscus. Another paper published inPhytochemical Analysisfound “significant variation in composition of characteristic cranberry metabolites among commercial preparations, reinforcing the need for reliable industry standards.”
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“Most tests can’t differentiate such adulterants as peanut skins from cranberry,” explains Jean Leclerc, Director of Sales and Business Development, in the press release. “That can not only mislead product manufacturers, it also makes research impossible.”Fruit d’Or, Leclerc notes, has been fighting against contaminants. “Fruit d’Or helped fund the development of Complete Phytochemical Solutions’ MALDI-TOF MS method of authentication because it is simply a far more accurate tool. A study published in theJournal of AOAC International determined that the MALDI-TOF MS can identify, differentiate, and quantify cranberry PACs from other botanicals such as grape seed with a confidence of 95%.”
“MALDI-TOF MS is one of the most advanced and accurate tools for identification and authentication of cranberry juice powder and whole cranberry powder,” Lukawski agreed. “It’s also one of the most expensive. Fruit d’Or was the first to recognize the importance of this tool. Reliable analytical tools open the door to new science. We are looking at taking whole fruit cranberry beyond UTIs. If we are to complete credible and reliable research, we must be leaders in the advanced testing methods and tools.”
Fruit d’Or also uses TRU ID testing, which uses DNA biotechnology to identify a product.
“Fruit d’Or’s goal is to protect the consumer by producing efficacious, science-based cranberry ingredients,” Leclerc said in the release. “We need all industry stakeholders to accept and adopt these same test methods to prevent adulteration, and create authenticity and standardization. Now that we have the tools, continuing without that acceptance could have a negative effect on the future growth of the cranberry industry.”
Lukawski added: “Fruit d’Or is here to protect your interest and your brands by providing quality ingredients. We want to provide you with peace of mind, knowing that we’re creating the highest quality standards from the field to table, including doing all of the necessary testing to ensure safety, purity, standardization, and efficacy.”
