Baobab Superstar Ingredient for 2010

Nutrition Business Journal is busy pondering the product, ingredient, regulatory, sales channel and other trends we believe will most impact the global nutrition industry in 2010.

Immunity-support ingredients: Even though companies cannot talk about the H1N1 flu virus when talking about their ingredients or products, the current global “freak out” over the swine flu pandemic will benefit all ingredients touting immune-support properties, Runestad said. Such ingredients include antioxidants, beta-glucans and botanicals such as elderberry and echinacea.

Brain boosters: The time appears to be right for new cognitive health products, with everyone from aging Baby Boomers to stressed out professionals to parents of children exhibiting symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) showing growing interest in these types of offerings. Many well-known ingredients, including omega-3s, are well suited to cognitive-related products and have been scientifically studied to support everything from mood to mental clarity. In addition, the market continues to see the introduction of new branded ingredients targeted toward brain health and global conglomerates such as Nestle are investing millions into cognitive health research.


Prebiotics—what every probiotic needs: Research continues to emerge demonstrating that probiotics work better when combined with prebiotic fibers, such as fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), inulin and galacto-oligosaccaride (GOS), said Runestad, who added that he believes GOS could be the “big winner in the year ahead.” That’s because food formulators are beginning to formulate with GOS, which also benefits from the fact that companies can make fiber claims for it.


The quest for fullness: As NBJ explored in our 2009 Sports Nutrition & Weight-Loss issue (which published in September), consumers are increasingly craving weight-management products made with proven ingredients that help them lose weight the old-fashioned way: by eating less. This quest for satiety is benefiting ingredients such as FOS and GOS and leading to opportunities for branded ingredients such as DSM Nutritional Products’ Fabuless, a new patented palm oil and oat mixture that is billed as a “natural way to feel full faster” and that is cropping up in functional yogurts and milks.


Bring on the baobob: People have been saying it’s time for ingredient sales of this African super fruit to begin blooming for a while now, but the regulatory acceptance of baobob in both the European Union and the United States is likely to finally make such predictions a reality, Runestad said. Baobab is already showing up in personal care products, as well as in “beauty from within” dietary supplements and functional foods. Alaffia makes baobab lotions and lip balms, while Korres now offers an $80 Wild Rose Face & Eye Serum that contains baobab tree extract. The ingredient, made from the African baobab tree, is packed with riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins C, A, D and E. Because it is relatively new, baobab is not backed by as much clinical research as some other super fruits.

Fruit Company dominate Global Baobab Market

An Italian company, the Baobab Fruit Company Senegal (BFCS), has been producing a range of baobab products in Senegal for several years - including fruit pulp, seeds and oil - for sale in Europe as dietary supplements and cosmetic products.


For six months each year during the December-June harvest, it employs more than 950 collectors in the southwest Tambacounda region and operates a small processing plant with around 100 workers in the city of Thies.


The company produces between 150 to 200 tonnes of baobab raw material products a year. Like PhytoTrade, its representatives say they are excited about the EU novel foods approval, which has triggered increased commercial enquiries.


'For us, it's a fruit of the future, it will have a huge impact on Africa,' said Laudana Zorzella, the production and commercial representative in Dakar of BFCS, which has been studying the baobab's potential for over a decade. But she cautions it could take time for the product pipeline to be able to benefit African farmers: 'It's not just around the corner.'


In the baobab forests around Tandene village in Senegal, local farmers said they looked forward to earning much more from the trees. Prices for a kilo of baobab fruit varied between 175 to 500 CFA francs (€.26-.76), they said.


'If people know (that European consumers will buy the product) then they'll look after the trees better and feed them less to their animals,' said farmer Alassane Sy. Soon we hope to present to our readers an exclusive interview with one of the three founders of this dynamic company.

Baobab goes for GRAS ahead of 2010 World Cup

A trade association has prepared a GRAS notification dossier for its baobab fruit pulp powder in the hope that products could become available in time for the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa.


PhytoTrade Africa is already promoting the potential of baobab fruit pulp for applications in the beverage and healthy snack markets after baobab fruit pulp obtained novel foods approval in Europe in June.


Now Cyril Lombard, of PhytoTrade, said the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) dossier for the US market would be submitted “shortly”. They are also considering additional dossiers for derivatives of the baobab fruit - a common food and flavor in Africa that has been heralded as a new superfruit.


Baobab is tipped to become a billion dollar industry as there is increasing interest in more exotic flavors and fruits with added benefits. In the US in particular, analysts have also identified a trend for African cuisines.


Dr Lucy Welford, spokeswoman for PhytoTrade, said baobab was a good flavor enhancer and described the taste as tart, very citrusy and similar to grapefruit.


She told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “If GRAS status comes through, we could be looking at products launches in the US in 2009.”


Dr Welfod added: “The World Cup is a huge opportunity to market this as a new kind of African beverage ingredient in particular.


“It brings an interesting and exotic flavor to food or beverage products and at the same time it does have interesting nutritional properties.


“It has a high pectin and fiber content so it is useful in slightly thicker drinks such as smoothies, as well as in cereals, jams, biscuits and other applications.


“Now that we’ve had a lot of interest in Europe, I think there might be a knock-on effect in the US.”


She said the plan is to submit the GRAS dossier first, then follow this up with an application for NDI (new dietary ingredient) status.


Health benefits


Baobab is the large green or brown fruit of the Adansonia digitata, (or 'upside-down') tree, which grows primarily in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Different parts of the fruit are a traditional food in these countries.


The fruit pulp of the baobab is said to have an antioxidant activity about four times that of kiwi or apple pulp. The main nutrients include vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, pectin and citric, malic and succinic acids, while the oil also contains the vitamins A, D and E.


The pulp is also reported to be prebiotic and stimulate the intestinal microflora.


The maximum sustainable harvesting potential of baobab could about $1bn, according to a report by Ben Bennett from the UK's Natural Resources Institute (NRI) for the Regional Trade Facilitation Programme (RTFP).


PhytoTrade, which represents companies wishing to export their dried baobab fruit, worked with the South African company Afriplex to ensure the ingredient's acceptance within the European ingredients market. Now PhytoTrade Africa is researching the regulatory requirements in Japan.


African inspiration


A recent Packaged Facts report called Food Flavors and Ingredients Outlook 2008 predicted that the cuisines of several African nations such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt were particularly likely to gain in popularity in the US.


An example of this is the influence of North African cuisine which includes ras el hanout spice blends and harissa, a chile-caraway seed condiment.


In some areas, such as Washington, Minneapolis, New York and Chicago, the African trend is helped by large immigrant communities of Ethiopians and Somalians, according to Elaine Tecklenburg who authored the report.


This year Bell Flavors & Fragrances paired the Moroccan spice ras el hanout with apricot on toasted pine nuts. It also used spicy African ginger for use in a sorbet with the Aisan citrus fruit yuzu.


Similarly Symrise is offering an African theme to the alcoholic beverage market with the launch of its “African Inspirations” such as cacao liqueur which uses a blend of cacao from the Ivory Coast and typical African spices such as cardamom. Also there is a cider which has a rooibos flavor note. Rooibos, or red bush, is a plant commonly used in tea in South Africa.


However, the beverage concepts have mainly been developed for the EAME region (Europe, Africa, Middle East).

Baobab Exciting New Super Food

Baobab is an exciting new Super Food/Functional Food additive in a receptive and steadily growing market segment - the specialty health foods/ nutraceuticals business.


A Super Food refers to a food or beverage that contains exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidants, molecules that fight free radicals.


These cell-damaging chemicals emerge from nearly everything our bodies’ do that involves oxygen, including digesting and breathing.

Europe Recognizes Health Benefits of Baobab Fruit

In Senegal, villagers have always known about the health benefits of baobab fruit, which only now have been discovered by Europe in what could spell magic for localities like Fandene.


The ancient, hardy species also known as the "tree of life" is scattered across the African savannah, some said to date back to the time of Christ.


Locals use and benefit from nearly every part of the tree, whose processed fruit was approved for European import last month.




"You use the monkey bread fruit if you have a belly ache," said farmer Aloyse Tine, using the local name for baobab fruit. "If you're tired you eat the leaves, they are good for you."


The seeds can be pressed to extract oil used for cooking and the bark can be used to make ropes. In the past, the hollow bark was also used to bury "griots", a special West African cast of poets, musicians and sorcerers.


Farmer Tine, like others, used to lug his fruit to sell in the market in the nearby town of Thies.


Three years ago, he started selling instead to the Baobab Fruit Company, a Senegalese firm run by three Italians. It is the country's only industrialised producer of dried baobab fruit pulp, which it exports for use in cosmetics and certain dietary supplements.


The new income has already made changes. It "allows me to send my kids to school," he said.
Enter PhytoTrade Africa, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on developing fair trade and environmentally sustainable natural products which benefits the community..


Sensing potential, it launched in 2006 the process that would open European Union markets to this nutritious African oddity. Under EU rules, any "novel" food -- one not commonly consumed in Europe before 1997 -- requires special approval for use in the 27-member bloc.
"Approval for the baobab is fantastic news for Africa," said PhytoTrade's Cyril Lombard after the EU decision.


"Opening the European market to the  benefits of  this product will make a real difference to poor rural communities there, offering them a potentially life-changing source of income."


One of these is Thiawe Thiawe, where 41-year-old Delphine farms some 20 baobab trees scattered outside her house.


"I've collected the fruits since I was a little girl with my grandmother," she told AFP. Like Tine, her life is a little easier since she started selling to the Baobab Fruit company rather than hawking her own goods.


"It's better to sell here than there, you don't have to wear yourself out going to Thies."


The Baobab Fruit Company says it already sees a spike in interest from Europe, where the pulp will likely be used in cereal bars and health drinks.


"Now we collect 150 to 200 tonnes of baobab fruit each harvest. In the last weeks there has been an explosion in demand," Laudana Zorzella told AFP at the factory in Thies.


"We are thinking we will need a much bigger harvest next time," she said. "In Senegal alone we estimate we could collect 13 thousand tonnes of fruit."


But what can baobab fruit, also known as monkey's bread, bring in the way of benefits to health-conscious Europe?


According to the International Centre for Underutilized Crops at the University of Southhampton, the baobab is "a fruit of the future", rich in vitamin C, B1, B2 and calcium and chock-full of anti-oxidants.


In Senegal, its pulp is mostly used to make Bouye, a milky, tart juice made by boiling the pulp and seeds with water and sugar.


Some scientists calculate the fruit has three times as much vitamin C as oranges and has more calcium than a glass of milk.


And the tree is well adapted to arid conditions, tolerating both drought and poorly drained soil, and is fire resistant. Also known as the "upside down tree" for its bulbous trunk and spindly branches that look like roots, it can grow to be hundreds if not thousands of years old.


A study for PhytoTrade Africa conducted by the Natural Resources Institute in Britain suggested that wild harvesting of baobab fruit could generate trade of up to one billion dollars (640 million euros) a year for African producers.


Some environmentalists fear such commercial exploitation could lead to extinction of the iconic tree.


But Zorzella dismissed this, stressing that her company uses only the fruit and leaves the tree intact. "And if it becomes an important revenue the farmers will know that they have to protect the tree," she said.


In Fandene, Aloyse said this lesson has already been learned. As new baobabs sprout spontaneously, they are protected and allowed to grow.


"There are cattle herders that cut the leaves (to feed their animals) but we are starting to stop them now. That's not good because we need the trees to produce fruit," he said.


After the EU's approval, "everybody is asking for our products so they can test the health and nutrition benefits of the baobab," Zorzella said.


She estimated Europe's major food companies would need up to eight months for research and development before consumers there can actually get their own sip of a baobab smoothie or health bar.


Source-AFP

Vitamin and mineral foods markets to flower in Africa?

Opportunities in emerging markets continue to flower for foods fortified with vitamins and minerals as growing urbanisation sees populations turning away from fruit and vegetables in Uganda.


With an annual growth rate of 4.0 per cent, and an economy marked as having 'great potential' by the US government, officials in Uganda, it would appear, are encouraging their citizens to turn to fortified foods.


"Fortified foods offer affordable and immediate opportunities to improve lives and accelerate socio economic development.


They eradicate vitamin and mineral deficiencies which is a problem in many families," said Jacinta Sabiti, a senior medical officer in charge of the micronutrients desk at the Ministry of Health, reports Uganda's daily news site 'The New Vision'.


Afflicted by years of chronic political instability and erratic economic management, today Uganda is enjoying firmer growth as steps by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's government, in place since early 1986, towards economic rehabilitation start to bear fruit. In the fiscal year 2006-2007 the country witnessed a growth rate at a healthy 7 per cent.


Recent market figures on nutraceutical sales for the region substantiate the credence that emerging economies can deliver new opportunities for industry players.


In 2006, multivitamins were the biggest selling product in Africa and the Middle East, with combined sales of almost $300m, according to data gathered by Capsugel's global business development manager for dietary supplements Peter Zambetti, and pooled from Euromonitor, Datamonitor, Mintel and Nutrition Business Journal.


In addition, vitamin B saw sales of almost $150m, and vitamin C sold almost $75m. Calcium and child specific products stood at the $50m mark, with other products below $50m including minerals, vitamin E, tonics and fish oils.


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The figures are small when compared to the global nutraceutical marketplace that witnessed sales in excess of $52bn in 2006, according to Zambetti.


But they do suggest a budding marketplace.


And not necessarily just one-way, with African-sourced plants in turn targetting European shelves.


The southern Africa natural products trade association, PhytoTrade Africa, in collaboration with South African company, Afriplex, are hoping fruit from the iconic African baobab tree could soon receive novel foods approval.


Approval would unlock the EU market for this large green or brown fruit of the Adansonia digitata, (or 'upside-down') tree, enabling its use as a food ingredient in European food products, such as cereal bars and smoothies.


The de-pectinised fruit pulp could also be used as an ingredient in other products, like biscuits and confectionery, says PhytoTrade Africa.


Baobab has not been commonly consumed in the EU prior to May 1997, meaning that approval must be gained under novel foods legislation before it can be used in products for the European market.


The wheels were set in motion last year by PhytoTrade Africa when it submitted an application to the UK's Food Standards Agency.

Africa’s multipurpose tree to improve rural livelihoods

The problem
Growing populations, urbanisation and increasing industrial production in Africa are combining to raise the demand for food and other agricultural commodities. Yet the capacity of available resources and technologies to secure this provision and to achieve the goal of improved livelihoods for all remain uncertain.

The solution: baobab
Harvesting from the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) enables rural people to have a balanced diet. Marketing of baobab products is an important means of income generation for many people and can provide a much needed buffer in times of drought and famine thus helping to reduce hunger and alleviate poverty.

The baobab is therefore one of the most valuable resources in the dry lands of Africa:
* the fruits are rich in vitamin C and are used to prepare beverages,
* the leaves are used fresh or dried as vegetables and as forage,
* the seeds are used to extract oil,
* all parts of the tree have medicinal properties,
* the bark provides strong and durable fibres,
* the tree is fire resistant and can survive severe droughts,
* it is easy and cheap to cultivate and free from any serious pests and diseases
* and it provides shade and protects the soil against erosion.

What could be done to make the baobab tree more widely used? Despite its wide distribution and multi-purpose uses the potential of baobab has not been fully realised. The following steps should be taken to overcome the limitations:

• the availability of quality planting material should be increased,
• improved propagation and management techniques should be developed and adopted,
• processing technologies should be developed and adopted,
• market chains and infrastructure for baobab products should be developed.

The way forward
Increase the availability of quality planting material. Organisations involved in conservation and utilisation of dry land genetic resources should support:

• Survey and collection of seed
• Identification of suitable varieties and their field testing
• Mapping the tree diversity in different ecosystems
• Selection and vegetative propagation of appropriate varieties in relation to utilisation objectives

Organisations involved with rural development and tree planting should support:

• Establishment of tree nurseries
• Multiplication through vegetative propagation of desired types Development and adoption of improved field establishment and tree management techniques
• Application of improved propagation and management techniques

Development and application of processing technologies Attention needs to be paid to:

• Improvement of storage and processing technology (e.g. to retain high levels of vitamin C in drinks and pro-vitamin A in dried leaves)
• Standardisation of methods for the preparation of medicinal products
• Knowledge transfer and technical support
• Promotion of local small-scale industries for baobab products
• Collaboration between industry and NGOs and CBOs should be promoted.

Marketing of baobab tree products Collaboration between eco- and fair trade associations and partner NGOs and CBOs should be supported.
The priorities are:

• Adoption of international standards for products
• Development of locally-made products for local markets
• Development of market chains and infrastructure for baobab products
• Promotion of the baobab fruit as a healthy fruit and for cosmetic use for export markets
• Information collection on the market value of products, and supply and demand estimates
• Collection of data on income derived from the production to consumption chain

Baobab FDA Approved

Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000273

CFSAN/Office of Food Additive Safety

July 25, 2009














 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responding to the notice, dated December 17, 2008, that you submitted in accordance with the agency’s proposed regulation, proposed 21 CFR 170.36 (62 FR 18938; April 17, 1997; Substances Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS); the GRAS proposal). FDA received the notice on December 19, 2008, filed it on December 19, 2008, and designated it as GRAS Notice No. GRN 000273.


The subject of the notice is baobab (Adansonia digitata) dried fruit pulp (BDFP). The notice informs FDA of the view of PhytoTrade Africa (PhytoTrade) that BDFP is GRAS, through scientific procedures, for use as an ingredient in blended fruit drinks and fruit cereal bars at levels up to 10 percent and 15 percent, respectively.


PhytoTrade’s notice discusses evidence supporting its GRAS determination including, a compositional analysis that indicates similarity to other fruit based ingredients and corroborating evidence of a history of safe use as a food ingredient in Southern Africa. PhytoTrade also provides information regarding the method of processing, an estimate of BDFP intake based on proposed use levels, and the possible presence of naturally-occurring toxicants.


PhytoTrade describes the identity and composition of BDFP. PhytoTrade states that BDFP is a free-flowing, coarsely milled powder derived from the fruit of the baobab tree (A. digitata). The color is described as off-white to cream, and the flavor as tart and acidic. PhytoTrade discusses the composition of BDFP noting that BDFP contains approximately 79 percent carbohydrates, 14 percent moisture, 6 percent ash, 2 percent protein, and 0.5 percent total fat, in addition to appreciable concentrations of the vitamins C, B1 and B2, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.


Compositional details provided by PhytoTrade include the specific fatty acids (predominantly palmitic, oleic, linoleic and alpha-linoleic acids), amino acids, carbohydrates (predominantly pectin and glucose) and organic acids (predominantly citric acid) present in BDFP. PhytoTrade includes a table of values which compares the macronutrient and micronutrient content of BDFP to a number of other commonly consumed fruits and legumes. PhytoTrade notes that BDFP is similar in nutrition and composition to the ranges of nutrients observed in other types of fruit and legumes commonly consumed.


PhytoTrade discusses the method of processing and provides specifications for BDFP. Baobab fruit is first harvested from the wild. The hard shell of the fruit is cracked open and the fruit pulp removed. The seeds and the fibrous material from the fruit pulp are mechanically separated. The fruit pulp is milled and screened using a fine mesh. Finally, the milled fruit pulp is stored in clean, food-grade packaging. PhytoTrade provides food-grade specifications for BDFP. These include limits on foreign matter, ash, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and microbiological contaminants.


PhytoTrade provides an estimation of daily intake (EDI) for BDFP. PhytoTrade calculates the EDI for BDFP based on data from the United States Food and Drug Administration’s 2005 Total Diet Survey (TDS), and the intended use levels of BDFP. The intended food categories are not listed in the TDS. Therefore, PhytoTrade used two related food products that PhytoTrade expects to have similar consumption levels. These are identified as fruit juice containing 10 percent fruit and granola bar with raisins. The intake values for these two substitute products were combined with maximum intended use levels for blended fruit drinks (10 percent) and fruit cereal bars (15 percent). PhytoTrade reports EDIs at the 50^th and 90^th percentile for these intended uses as 4.3 grams/person/day (g/p/d) and 8.6 g/p/d, respectively.


PhytoTrade discusses the presence of naturally-occurring toxicants in BDFP, noting that there are reports in the scientific literature indicating that BDFP may contain low concentrations of cyanide and appreciable concentrations of the organic acid oxalic acid. PhytoTrade notes that, based on batch analyses, the concentrations of both cyanide and oxalic acid are below the limit of detection of 5 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) for cyanide and 400 mg/kg for oxalic acid in BDFP. PhytoTrade further notes that the concentration of cyanide and oxalic acid is known to be higher in several commonly consumed foods, such as cassava flour in the case of cyanide and spinach and many other vegetables in the case of oxalic acid. PhytoTrade states that if these compounds are present in BDFP at the limit of detection, based on its review of the scientific literature and the EDI for BDFP, the exposures to these substances in food would not pose a risk to human health.

Potential Labeling Issues

Under section 403(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), a food is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular. Section 403(r) of the FFDCA lays out the statutory framework for the use of labeling claims that characterize the level of a nutrient in a food or that characterize the relationship of a nutrient to a disease or health-related condition. In describing the intended use of BDFP and in describing the information that PhytoTrade relies on to conclude that BDFP is GRAS under the conditions of its intended use, PhytoTrade raises a potential issue under these labeling provisions of the FFDCA. If products that contain BDFP bear any claims on the label or in labeling, such claims are the purview of the Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements (ONLDS) in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.


The Office of Food Additive Safety neither consulted with ONLDS on this labeling issue nor evaluated the information in your notice to determine whether it would support any claims made about BDFP on the label or in labeling.

Section 301(ll) of the FFDCA

The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, which was signed into law on September 27, 2007, amends the FFDCA to, among other things, add section 301(ll). Section 301(ll) of the FFDCA prohibits the introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of any food that contains a drug approved under section 505 of the FFDCA, a biological product licensed under section 351 of the Public Health Service Act, or a drug or a biological product for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and their existence made public, unless one of the exemptions in section 301(ll)(1)-(4) applies. In its review of PhytoTrade’s notice that BDFP is GRAS for use in blended fruit drinks and fruit cereal bars, FDA did not consider whether section 301(ll) or any of its exemptions apply to foods containing BDFP. Accordingly, this response should not be construed to be a statement that foods that contain BDFP, if introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce, would not violate section 301(ll).

Conclusions

Based on the information provided by PhytoTrade, the agency has no questions at this time regarding PhytoTrade’s conclusion that BDFP is GRAS under the intended conditions of use. The agency has not, however, made its own determination regarding the GRAS status of the subject use of BDFP. As always, it is the continuing responsibility of PhytoTrade to ensure that food ingredients that the firm markets are safe, and are otherwise in compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.


In accordance with proposed 21 CFR 170.36(f), a copy of the text of this letter responding to GRN 000273, as well as a copy of the information in this notice that conforms to the information in the GRAS exemption claim (proposed 21 CFR 170.36(c)(1)), is available for public review and copying via the FDA home page at http://www.fda.gov. To view or obtain an electronic copy of the text of the letter, follow the hyperlinks from the “Food” topic to the “Food Ingredients and Packaging” section to the “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)” page where the GRAS Inventory is listed.

Sincerely,


Laura M. Tarantino, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Food Additive Safety
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

The Baby Boomers, Baobab’s Biggest Market

The Baby Boomers, Baobab’s Biggest Market


Demographically, the Western population is growing older, as the population ages, 80% of older people in Western countries will develop at least one chronic metabolic disease. With nearly one in five people now over 65, a proportion set to rise to one in four by 2050, functional foods and nutraceuticals to boost quality of life and help prevent age-related disease are set to boom. Wild Harvest research indicates that successful products will be those that can boost the immune system over time, as well as offer quicker fixes.


Future growth in the functional food and drinks market will focus on natural and whole food, and scientific research into the influence of nutrients and specific ingredients on conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, CVD and Alzheimer’s disease, and there is massive potential for functional foods within the global market to 2012. In recent years, the interest in probiotic, prebiotic and symbiotic functional foods has grown enormously.

Lost African fruits would benefit from technology, says report

The application of modern horticultural techniques could revive cultivation of traditional fruits in Africa like baobab, butterfruit and tamarind, according to a new report.


People in the West are becoming increasingly familiar with fruits from abroad, many of which are venerated for their nutritional properties. Indeed, baobab and tamarind are not unknown amongst the ranks of superfruits now stocked in many supermarkets.


But, while in the past fruits native to African formed an important part of the indigenous diet, cultivation of these crops in their original homelands has dwindled considerably since they were replaced by bananas, pineapples and papaya that came with the colonialists.


The new report from the National Research Council in Washington, USA, maintains that the time is now ripe to revive the old-timers - and even not so much because of consumers overseas who are hungry for the next batch of superfruits.


Rather, the authors argue that the traditional fruits contain nutrients that would be beneficial for African populations that struggle to have sufficient intake of all that they need.


In addition, they could contribute to environmental stability and rural development.


The report says that the newcomers have thrived in Africa partly because they had already been improved upon through selective breeding before they even arrived.


In addition, their cultivation was encouraged by the new arrivals who brought them since they wanted familiar crops that could also be profitable to grow.


The result was that a drop off in cultivation of native species, accompanied by the loss of knowledge about how to grow them.


Now, the onus is on African science institutes, policy makers, non-governmental institutions and individuals to put modern horticultural knowledge into play.


The report's authors are not alone in arguing for new techniques to be taken to the developing world.


At the annual City Food Lecture in London last week, speaker Lord Christopher Haskins of Skidby argued that this approach could help solve the imbalance of food security in a world where those in the West are wasting as much as 30 per cent of the food they buy - and others are starving.


He said that the more successful farmers could benefit from agricultural technology that would significantly boost productivity. The less productive smallholders, on the other hand, should be encouraged to follow the path of economic success in the urban areas.


The National Research Council report lists the benefits of 24 fruits that are considered candidates for optimisation. These include:


* Aizen - A large Saharan shrub that grows in particularly hostile places where few other plants can survive, aizen could protect eroding slopes, stabilise dunes and create windbreaks. The fruits are good source of vitamins A and C, calcium and some minerals, and the seeds a source of protein and zinc.


* Balanites - Also capable of thriving in the desert, balanites' fruit are similar to dates and are already eaten in arid zones where food is scares. But their full potential is not being realised, particularly since their kernels are have a similar oil-protein balance to soybeans and sesame seeds (one half oil, one half protein). They could also help counter desertification.


* Boabab - A sticky pulp from the fruits can be dried and used as a nutritious powder that is high in protein, vitamins and minerals. This is drunk with milk or other beverages. The pulp is also made into thin pancakes that keep for a long time. The "almost indestructible" trees also yield a leafy vegetable.


* Butterfruit - Butterfruit is a small tree, but its fruit, high in calories and protein, are regarded as very promising to help reduce child malnutrition. It is also a cash crop, and the mahogany-like wood could show promise for plantations.


* Tamarind - The fruits are an excellent source of B vitamins and calcium, and last a long time with no refrigeration. The sweet-sour pulp can also be made into cakes. Tamarind trees also come with the promise of restoring damaged lands.


Source


Lost Crops of Africa: Vol 3, Fruits


Available from National Academies Press

Industry Growth Trends For Funtional Foods

Wild Harvest Pharma has identified several key product trends whose growth provides a high demand for our Baobab commodity.

• An Aloe Vera skin health yoghurt that achieved sales of €4.5m in Spain in 2007.
• Weight management with whey, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) soy and dietary fibre heading the list of star ingredients.
• Euro monitor put the global omega-3 foods market at €1.2bn.
• In the cardiac field, sterol foods came in at more than double - €2.5bn.
• Sales of pre-and probiotic yogurts hit €12.4bn, a 108% increase on 2002 levels.
• The West’s demand in the functional food and beverage industry has outperformed the conventional food and beverage industry annually for 10 years or more.
• Between 1998 and 2003 global sales of functional foods increased almost 60%

African Baobab fruit has given my failing kidneys a kick start'

A WOMAN who has lived with chronic kidney failure for 15 years claims her condition has been dramatically eased by eating a bizarre African "wonder" fruit.

Janine Franssen, 36, was diagnosed with renal failure last year and told she urgently needed a kidney transplant as her's was functioning at only seven per cent of normal capacity.

A scramble to find a suitable donor started and Janine was surgically fitted with equipment to allow for dialysis once her kidneys failed - which she has been told is inevitable.

But after the discovery of the Baobab fruit, Janine's kidney function has improved and she has even been taken off the transplant list.

She insists it is all down to drinking ground-up Baobab in water, and said: "It feels like I have won the lottery."

After nine months of worrying about her failing kidneys she says she has a new outlook, although she is well aware she has not been cured.

The discovery of the fruit was made by her partner Mark who read an article about the Baobab's high concentration of vitamins and nutrients.

They decided to import some to see if it could help Janine stay strong during the wait for a kidney donor.

T

he large, dry fruit has only been available in Europe since July last year.

It is said to have around six times the vitamin C content of an orange, more iron than red meat, more magnesium than spinach as well as high levels of calcium and antioxidants.

It is said that this makes it a valuable aid in the prevention and treatment of gastric and irritable bowel syndrome conditions, and effective for osteoporosis, varicose veins and even haemorrhoids.

Janine grinds it down and takes it with water in the morning and afternoon.

The Clydebank woman said she was "astonished" at the difference baobab made, and she credits it with her kidney function now climbing to 20 per cent.

Janine, who lives on Dumbarton Road, told the Post: "Mark said I should try it for a couple of months to see if it could increase my kidney function - buying me some time to get donor tests completed.

"Within that first month I started to notice some changes like my hair and nails getting stronger.

"The following week I had a hospital appointment to see where my kidney function was at and miraculously it had gone from seven per cent to twelve per cent.

"I was amazed as was my consultant and, not only that, but my blood pressure and cholesterol had come down."

Janine knows at some point she will need a kidney transplant - when her's succumbs to the illness she has had since 1994 - and her sisters Lesley and Annsophia, boyfriend Mark and close friend Christina have all now been tested for kidney donation.

But with her improvement she has been able to return to her work as an administration assistant - something unthinkable just 12 months ago.

Janine said: "I am under no illusions but I now have hope my kidneys will last a bit longer. My doctors reckon they will."

Sustainable Agro-Forestry For Africa

Wild Harvest Pharma is harvester, processor, marketing and distribution broker based in The Gambia, West Africa. The company specialises in providing intermediate agro-forestry commodities to international manufacturers of finished products.


The objective of Wild Harvest Pharma is to provide a certified source for quality controlled Baobab commodities for use by the international functional food, beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, botanical and health supplement industries.


Wild Harvest Pharma mission is to promote and develop sustainable agro-forestry in The Gambia for the mutual benefit of its people and its biodiversity. Our triple bottom line goal is promoting environmental, social and financial sustainability by providing new opportunities for rural communities to earn additional income.

Baobab Provides Income for Africa

In Africa’s dry forests the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) towers over the landscape. According to legend, the baobab tree fell from the sky. That’s why today the baobab is often called the upside down tree.

Another legend says when the Baobab was planted by God, it kept walking, so God pulled it out of the earth and re-planted it upside down to stop it moving.

Take one look at their root-like crowns scattered haphazardly on the parched African landscape and it’s easy to see how these legends started.

But it was never this easy for Wermi Sougrinoma and his family in Ouahigouya, a small rural area in northern Burkina Faso. Their baobab trees didn’t fall out of the sky.

Wermi Sougrinoma and his father toiled hard and long to establish a baobab plantation around their homestead, although they should never have needed to. Ouahigouya was once home to lots of baobab trees, but unsustainable harvesting by local communities soon brought about their demise.

Wermi Sougrinoma remembers seeing people actually fighting for the last remaining leaves of the last remaining baobab tree. He seized the opportunity to improve and protect his family’s baobab trees to supply leaves - an important condiment to add to relish.

By carefully planting Boabab seeds the family has managed to grow a healthy stand of 25-year old trees on two hectares. One of the challenges of growing baobab trees is getting the hard seeds to germinate. Fortunately for the people of Ouahigouya, the termites feed on the seed-coat, which allows water uptake and subsequent germination.

Wermi Sougrinoma and his family harvest the young and tender leaves for sale to neighbours and at nearby markets. In one large section of the plantation, the trees are still young enough to allow intercropping with millet or ground-nuts, which are important crops in dry, sandy parts of Africa.

Once the trees mature, they will become a veritable supermarket. The mature baobab produces a tartaric-rich fruit that can be used as a tonic. The leaves and flowers can be combined into a relish or specially prepared for medicinal purposes to treat a plethora of diseases. And the bark can be used to make masks, hats, baskets and other handicrafts.

The Sougrinomas are very mindful of how their baobabs increasing girth and crowns can affect their other farming activities. The trees need to be planted very carefully to prevent too much shade falling on other crops and to have room for the trunk to expand without taking up important cropping land. Such long term planning guarantees the family will reap a rich harvest of marketable leaves for many years to come.

Of course, it is not an easy road. When the Sougrinomas' trees reached three years of age, the leaves were attacked by worms and the family had to spray an expensive insecticide costing about US $5.50 per small bottle.

The key question from a livelihood perspective is how much the family gets from selling the leaves? Sougrinoma says although the income from selling baobab leaves is lower than from selling millet and peanuts, the income is very handy during the non-crop season and during drought periods.

The family also derives some sense of economic stability from their baobab investment. By investing in tree planting and management, the family has the added advantage of long-term tenure security.

The Government of Burkina Faso, through its land tenure regulations and its large national soil management programme, is encouraging land management practices like those used by the Sougrinoma family to restore degraded lands. By practicing good land management, a family can be guaranteed private ownership and use of the piece of land that has been rehabilitated.

Ouahigouya’s baobab experience shows that even in dry areas, tree planting still remains an option and that rural people are very adaptable and innovative.

Functional food Baobab could bring healthy returns for Africa

Multinational food giants like Danone and Unilever and specialist dairy groups like Valio to a small army of nutrition scientists -- searching for the next carefully engineered miracle food.


No one knows yet whether it will be a yogurt that helps slow down the progress of Alzheimer's disease or a milky drink that staves off depression. But it will undoubtedly yield its inventor very healthy returns. Baobab as a food additive is a major contender because of its phyto chemical and health prevention properties.

Over the past decade the market for cholesterol-lowering spreads, immunity-boosting drinks and other functional foods has flourished as food manufacturers have latched on to the idea of selling food as an alternative to medicine.


French dairy and water giant Danone is undoubtedly the first multinational to have grasped the potential of health as a motto and marketing tool, selling yogurt in pharmacies in Barcelona as far back as 1919. During the next decades though, it expanded well beyond yogurts. But then in 2007, convinced it would grow faster if it refocused its portfolio on health, it took a major step and sold its less virtuous biscuit division to Kraft Foods it was a return to its roots.
he health obsession: prevention is better than cure. What Danone has latched onto is our growing obsession with treating the body as a temple.


"Like any trend, health first became a focus with the early-adopter group. We're now in the phase where it's in the mainstream, and it's going gangbusters," said Barbara Katz, president of HealthFocus International, a consulting firm specialized in food and nutrition issues.


"Back in the nineties, the focus was on low-fat, low-sugar products. That's how we were defining healthy. Then it became what we were adding rather than what we were taking away: omega 3, calcium, fiber, probiotics," she added.


The reason for the extraordinary success of functional foods and nutraceuticals -- a subcategory that further blurs the line between food and medicine and includes products such as special nutrition-heavy yogurts for the elderly -- is simple.

In developed markets, where the population is aging, life expectancy is rising and the demands of modern life putting many under strains, the notion that eating particular foods enriched in components like antioxidants or fatty acids can help prevent diseases has struck a powerful chord with consumers. Many, after all, would rather eat a fiber-enriched yogurt every day than pop laxatives. The food aisles of supermarkets, loaded with immunity-boosting yogurts, antioxidant smoothies and a wide array of dietary supplements, are a testament to the success of the idea that eating the right foods can make us healthier. Baobab is a prime example of this trend.


For the food companies, and increasingly some of the pharmaceutical ones, ignoring the trend is a risky bet. The global market for functional foods, including sport drinks and dietary supplements, is expected to reach $262 billion in 2012 from $150 billion in 2002, according to Euromonitor. Excluding dietary supplements and drinks, it should still grow to $117 billion in 2012 from $102.5 billion in 2008. It is the fastest growing food category and has proved particularly resistant to the economic downturn.


Marketing may be a key component of success, but so is innovation.
And in that realm, smaller, narrowly focused firms like Finnish dairy group Valio are giving the big boys like Nestle a run for their money.

"Innovation can sometimes be quicker in a smaller company. That's why it's always interesting to keep an eye on the smaller brands in the health section of the store," said HealthFocus' Katz.


Still, scale has its advantages, and larger firms can more easily afford the years of research and development it often takes to develop a new product with a key health benefit. The R&D investment, for firms big and small, can represent quite a drain on cash flow, particularly at a time of economic turmoil, but the rewards of hitting on a successful product cannot be overstated.


Together, Activia, Actimel and Danonino, three Danone brands focused on health benefits, generated sales of 4.4 billion euros ($6.5 billion) last year, representing more than half of the group's dairy division.

What Will Happen When the Baobab Goes Global?

By DAWN STARIN
New York Times
May 25, 2009


IT’s known as the baobab in English, sito in Mandinka, gwi in Wolof and Adansonia digitata in botanical circles. Sometimes it’s called the upside-down tree, because its weirdly shaped branches resemble roots. It was made famous in the West by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s fable “The Little Prince.”


In Africa, the baobab tree is steeped in mystique and surrounded by superstition. Many people believe that its spirit protects the community around it, and its tangible properties certainly nourish those who live near it. Parts of the tree are used to make rope and fishing line; to feed goats, sheep and cows; and to provide shelter, food and medicine.


While living in Gambia I saw parts of the baobab used to treat everything from malarial fever, infertility and asthma to headaches and toothaches. I have no idea if and how these local remedies worked, but all of a sudden the rest of the world — Western health food companies included — is catching on. There’s a growing belief that the baobab may be the world’s newest super food.


The tree’s white, powdery fruit is rich in antioxidants, potassium and phosphorus, and has six times as much vitamin C as oranges and twice as much calcium as milk. The leaves are an excellent source of iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and phosphorus, and the seeds are packed with protein.


The baobab was approved for European markets last year, and the Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow suit soon. The fruit’s dry pulp will be sold as an ingredient in smoothies and cereal bars. Already, a small jar of African baobab jam made in England sells for around $11. According to the Natural Resources Institute in Britain, an international baobab industry could bring in about $1 billion a year and provide jobs for 2.5 million African families. On paper this sounds great, but there’s another side to the picture.


The baobab has never been a plantation tree; it grows wild in arid regions. (It can also be found in Australia, but it thrives in few other places outside Africa.) Presently people harvest only what they need and maybe a bit more to sell at local markets. If it becomes an international commodity, the baobab probably would need to be planted as a crop, even though arable soil is limited. The open land where local people now freely harvest wild baobab could be developed by agribusinesses into plantations, or else precious forests or farmland used to grow everyday staple crops could be turned over to the baobab export industry.


Although local people would probably find jobs on such farms, their ability to harvest or purchase the baobab themselves would be limited. They wouldn’t be able to pay as much as London dealers could. This means that some Africans could lose a source of household wealth, an important part of their diet and an essential pharmaceutical resource.


These possibilities — not to mention the threat of corruption, poor wages and genetic modification leading to a loss of the tree’s biodiversity — are not random predictions. Africa is no stranger to the overexploitation of its natural resources. But the solution isn’t necessarily to cut the baobab off from international markets. Regulations could be put in place to protect the tree, its environment and the people who depend on it — and still allow for profitable production.


The coffee trade provides a model. It’s clear that many consumers are willing to pay more for fairly traded coffee — which costs enough to provide the growers a decent wage for their labor. This bottom-up pricing should be applied to the baobab market, even if it means European health nuts have to pay a lot for their smoothies.


The baobab’s new popularity is exciting, but the European Union, the United States and African exporters should decide on regulations before the baobab is rushed to European and North American markets.


In Saint-Exupéry’s story, the planet the Little Prince lives on is too small to support the baobab. This is hardly our situation, but the Little Prince still has some useful advice for us: Taking care of your planet, he says, “is very tedious work, but very easy.”


Dawn Starin is an anthropologist.

Seed Capital Sought For Baobab Export Start Up

Unlike banks or other financial institutions, angel investors are willing to take a chance and invest smaller amounts of money in high-risk businesses, with the hopes of gaining high returns within a set period of time (usually five to ten years).

These individuals want to see positive change in Africa and are willing to use their own funds to finance projects that they believe will be lucrative or where they can use their talent and skill to mentor new entrepreneurs.

While Africa still has its economic obstacles to overcome - fairly high inflation on fuel and food prices and a high unemployment rate - investors see that the only way to ease these dilemmas is by bringing more business into the country, since investing only stimulates and revitalizes an economy. This is an opportunity to take a commodity in Africa and export to both the U.S. and Europe where there is a high demand.

We are a dynamic African start up  company seeking 100% financing however the risk /investment ratio is very good. We have a full business plan available and details for the interested investor/s.

1) We have a management team in place with a lead operations director with over 15 years in the sales, marketing and management.
2) We are seeking $125,000 to start operations. We would look at giving 25%-35% equity in the business to our angel investor.

We will position itself as a harvester, processor and broker for wild harvested organic baobab. We will specialise in providing intermediate agro-forestry baobab commodities to international manufacturers of finished products.

Our mission is to promote and develop sustainable agro-forestry in The Gambia for the mutual benefit of its people and its biodiversity. Our triple bottom line goal is promoting environmental, social and financial sustainability by providing new employment opportunities for rural communities in The Gambia.

Our eco-friendly processing facility will make full use of alternative and re-new able energy sources for its construction, design and operations. The harvesting period will take place between December and May, during this period the closed fruit will be collected, processed and packaged ready for export.

We will also secure GACP, HACCP, ISO, Organic and Fair Trade certifications to ensure a direct trade channel to international markets. This will enhance the monetary benefits for our rural harvesters in the Gambia and help secure long-term contracts with the harvesters to give the producer a secure basic income. This will be just one aspect that will characterize our fair trade policy.

 We have considered the effects of the world economic slow-down on the healthy foods sector and found those foods that delivered real health prevention benefits at a reasonable price had the best chance of survival.
A recent report by the UK-based Natural Resources Institute estimated that the trade in baobab fruit could be worth up to $1bn (£500m) a year for African producers, employing more than 2.5 million households across the continent.

Future growth in the functional food and drinks market will focus on natural and whole food, and scientific research into the influence of nutrients and specific ingredients on conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, CVD and Alzheimer’s disease.

The most important EU importers of fruit powders are Germany, France and The Netherlands, in recent years, a market has developed for food and beverages products that provide a specific positive impact on health. This market is growing rapidly and has a huge market potential, We will position ourself to tap into this growing market sector with our range baobab products. This is a tremendous opportunity to help move Africa forward and generate income with a large upside potential.

End-User Applications:                                                                                                                                       Functional food, cereal and energy bars, sport and energy drinks, vitamin and mineral supplements, diet supplements, high fiber products, anti-constipation preparations, anti-fever products, chewable tablets, energy strips, coffee, cereal additives, yogurt with symbiotic activities, fruit juice, smoothies, ice creams and shakes, powdered shakes, Soups, herbal tea, infusions, condiments and mixtures, cakes and biscuits.Shower/non-shower cosmetic products  soaps, gels, face masks for instant preparation, face-lift creams, botox extenders, lip and nail care, acne preparations, and stretch mark treatments, body moisturisers, after sun lotions, shampoos, hair conditioners, after shave, emollients, trichological products (presence of ceramids), solid and liquid soaps, toothpaste. powdered air fresheners with antibacterial action.

If you have an interest in taking a look at our project and having an informal chat please contact us for more information at 220-725-3773 or email - baobabharvester@gmail.com