Cranberries, Vaccinium Macrocarpon, are cultivated in the United States of America, in states along the Canadian border; western, mid-western, and eastern to as far south as the state of New Jersey.
Cranberry Juice Concentrate
The unsweetened concentrate is produced by pressing the fruit to obtain the natural juice and drying the water content. The Cranberry juice concentrate resulting from this procedure is produced by aseptic means, and the reconstitution mix ratio is four parts water to one part concentrate. The ready to drink unsweetened Cranberry juice has a nominal range of 7.5 degrees of Brix, based on the nominal reconstitution of Cranberry, as set forth in United States Department of Agriculture, Food Handbook No. 8, as amended.
Cranberry Juice Powder
The unsweetened powder is produced by pressing the fruit to obtain the natural juice and drying the water content, then spray-drying. The Cranberry juice powder resulting from this procedure is produced by aseptic means, and the ready to drink Cranberry juice has a nominal range of 7.5 degrees of Brix, based on the nominal reconstitution of Cranberry, as set forth in United States Department of Agriculture, Food Handbook No. 8, as amended.
Food and Drug Administration
The process conforms to all provisions of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. The constituents and the unit operations associated with its manufacture are consistent with current GMP’s, as set forth in 21 CFR part 110. No preservatives, flavorings, or colorings are added.
Reported Health Benefits
The natural cranberry fruit concentrate or spray-dried powder contain unique proanthocyanidins or the red tannins, which have been identified as the active component responsible for inhibiting the adhesion of certain bacteria to the cell walls. Each year, more than 10 million Americans, of a population of approximately 300 million, experience urinary tract infections, and many turn to Cranberry for help. Cranberry concentrate and Cranberry powder support urinary tract health and offer a low-calorie option form of a natural Cranberry source, which is prepared from real Cranberry Juice Concentrate, standardized to 100% fruit solids (liquid form); and a minimum of 90% Cranberry fruit solids, not including the moisture content (powder form). 9.8gr of Cranberry powder plus 4oz water or 1oz of Cranberry concentrate, plus 4oz of water delivers the recommend daily serving of phytonutrients found in Cranberries.
Cranberry Bibliography
For additional information regarding studies and the scientists and institutions that conducted them, see Bibliography.
Certificate of Analysis and Specifications for Cranberry Concentrate
% Fruit Solids: 100.0%
pH (10% solution): 4.2 +/- 0.2
Titratable Acidity: 8.5% - 13%
Appearance: Typical
Color: Uniform Cranberry Red
Flavor: Typical of Cranberry fruit, free of foreign flavors
Kosher: No
Measurements (Tolerances Method):
Total Phenolics 2.0 – 3.8% Folin-Ciocalteu
Total Anthocyanins 0.30 – 1.0% HPLC
Proanthocyanidins 0.80 – 1.5% HPLC
ORAC 175 – 400 umol Trolox/g ORAC
Ellagic Acid 200 – 415 ug/g HPLC
Quercetin 399 – 435 ug/g HPLC
Organic Acids 30.00% minimum HPLC-AOAC
Microbiological:
Yeast and Mold (cfu/g): <100
Standard Plate Count (cfu/g): <100
E.Coli: Absent
Salmonella: Absent
Coliform: Absent
Description:
Product: Unsweetened 100% Cranberry Juice Concentrate
Ingredients: Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Filtered Water, and less than 0.2% Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulfite, as preservatives.
Packaging: PET bottle net weight 64oz.
Description: Cranberry Juice Concentrate.
Storage: Cool, dark, dry atmosphere, not to exceed 80 degrees F.
Shelf-life: 6 months, when properly stored.
Certificate of Analysis and Specifications for Cranberry Powder
% Fruit Solids: 90.0% minimum
Moisture: 4.0% +/- 2%
pH (10% solution): 4.2 +/- 0.2
Titratable Acidity: 8.5% - 13%
Solubility: 100.0% in water
Particle Size: 100.-% / 30 mesh and 95% / 100 mesh
Bulk Density: 0.5 + /- 0.1 g/ml
Appearance: Free-flowing red powder
Color: Uniform Cranberry Red
Flavor: Typical of Cranberry fruit, free of foreign flavors
Kosher: No
Measurements (Tolerances Method):
Total Phenolics 2.0 – 3.8% Folin-Ciocalteu
Total Anthocyanins 0.30 – 1.0% HPLC
Proanthocyanidins 0.80 – 1.5% HPLC
ORAC 175 – 400 umol Trolox/g ORAC
Ellagic Acid 200 – 415 ug/g HPLC
Quercetin 399 – 435 ug/g HPLC
Organic Acids 30.00% minimum HPLC-AOAC
Microbiological:
Yeast and Mold (cfu/g): <100
Standard Plate Count (cfu/g): <100
E.Coli: Absent
Salmonella: Absent
Coliform: Absent
Description:
Product: Cape Cod Cranberry Concentrate Powder
Ingredients: Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Magnesium hydroxide.
Packaging: HDPE bottle net weight 0.125, 0.250, 0.500, and 1 lbs.
Description: Spray-dried Cranberry Concentrate Powder.
Storage: Cool, dark, dry atmosphere, not to exceed 80 degrees F.
Shelf-life: 24 months, when properly stored.
Beneficial Properties of Cranberry Concentrate and Powder
Bacterial anti-adhesion properties
Supports urinary tract health
Natural fruit source
Rich in flavonoids
Good source of antioxidants
Low in calories, high in phytonutrients
Excellent source of organic acids
Beautiful red color
Water soluble
Available all year, convenient, and ready to use
Applications for Cranberry Concentrate and Powder
Nutritional supplements
Cranberry-enriched sports and health beverages
Fortified nutrition bars
Dental hygiene products
Healthy snacks and weight management products
Dry mixes, coatings, glazes, seasoning blends, and sauces
Bakery products
Health-care applications
Animal feed, as nutritional supplement and natural anti-bacterial
Cosmetics
Natural colorant and flavoring
Cranberries Have Been Considered to be a Healthy Fruit for Many Years (Thomas, 1990). As far back as the 1600's, cranberries were thought to help with blood disorders, stomach ailments, liver problems, vomiting, appetite loss, scurvy, and cancer. Native Americans prepared wound dressings from the whole dried fruit. New England folk medicine practitioners used boiled cranberries and seal oil to reduce the severity of gall bladder attacks.
Scientists in the 1800s believed that cranberries' beneficial effects, especially in urinary tract disorders, were due to their low pH (high acidity). German physicians in the mid-1800s noted hippuric acid excretion increased after cranberry ingestion. Since it was known that naturally occurring benzoic acid in cranberries was metabolized to hippuric acid, researchers suggested that the beneficial effects of cranberries were due to these antimicrobial acids.
Modern studies on the health benefits of cranberries fall into three main categories: bacterial adhesion inhibition (UTI plus a lot more), heart disease prevention, and cancer inhibition. Cranberries have long been associated with general urinary tract health. Cranberries may make bacteria "less sticky" in the urinary tract.
Early in the 1900s, a paper found that urine pH decreased after consumption of cranberry sauce (Blatherwick, 1914). Many subsequent researchers looked at the health benefits of cranberries and tried to link them with urine pH (see human study list attached). By the 1960s, researchers (Kahn, 1967) found that cranberry juice altered urine pH for only a short period of time. They concluded that acidification was not the main mechanism of action.
Current studies indicate that cranberry juice contains unique, naturally occurring substances that may inhibit bacteria from adhering to the walls/lining of the bladder and urinary tract, helping prevent urinary infections. (Avorn, 1994; Sobota, 1984; Schmidt and Sobota, 1988; Zafriri, 1989). Based on these studies, regular consumption of one 10 oz. glass a day of 27% cranberry beverage should help maintain a healthy urinary tract.
Urinary tract infections (UTI) occur when bacteria (primarily Escherichia coli or E coli) adhere (stick) to the walls of the bladder, kidney, or urethra and then multiply. Any bacteria present are normally flushed out of the urinary tract during urination. If bacteria colonize the urinary tract, they multiply and destroy the lining of the bladder and disrupt the small capillaries, leading to blood in the urine in some cases. Persistent, untreated UTI can lead to kidney failure and the loss of one or both kidneys. For this reason, cranberry juice is frequently administered to institutionalized elderly and other groups of people at high risk for UTI.
UTI are very common in American women, with about 25% being affected over a lifetime (Hooton, 1991). Many are plagued by persistent infections that often require ongoing treatment with expensive antibiotics (NIH, 1991, Kuzminski, 1996). In 1996, there were 6.7 million doctors' visits and 1.6 million hospital discharges related to UTI (NCHS/CDC data, 1998). Using an average cost of $100 for the doctor's visit and medication, UTI cost the economy $820 million dollars per year.
Sources/studies cited in this review are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an endorsement of any product.
1994 Harvard study suggests cranberry promotes healthy urinary tract. In a groundbreaking 1994 study, Harvard Medical School researchers found that routine consumption of cranberry beverages significantly reduced bacterial growth in the urinary tract. This study used one 10 oz. serving per day of 27% cranberry beverage (Avorn et al., 1994). This confirmed earlier studies showing that daily consumption of cranberry juice was good for the urinary tract. Since then, several studies concluded that the hair-like structures called pilli on the outside of E. coli bacteria may actually change shape in response to cranberry juice. This change is thought to prevent them from attaching to the urinary tract (Ahuja, 1998). If the bacteria cannot attach, it is believed that they cannot colonize the urinary tract, inhibiting their ability to cause infection. Later studies concluded that the active compound in cranberries was comprised of condensed tannins (also called proanthocyanidins) (Howell, 1998). Many other studies have confirmed the benefits of cranberry juice consumption. Cranberry juice research broadens to explore other health issues.
Findings that compounds in cranberries may inhibit bacterial adhesion have lead to more studies regarding the beneficial uses for cranberry juice; Cranberries may not only inhibit E coli, but potentially many other types of bacteria from adhering to human epithelial cells (interior bodily linings) (Howell, 1998); Cranberries are thought to promote good gum health (Weiss, 1998) by preventing dental plaque buildup because the cranberry prevents the bacteria from colonizing in the gums; Bacteria (Heliobacter pylori) have recently been implicated as the primary causative agent for stomach ulcers. By preventing bacterial adhesion to the stomach lining, researchers believe cranberry juice also may help promote good stomach health (Tel Aviv University, 2000); Other studies have focused on whether cranberries may have a role in a regimen to decrease the recurrence of urinary stones (Zinsser, 1968), to serve as a urinary deodorant (Walsh, 1992), to decrease catheter blockage (DuGan, 1966; Allison, 2000), and to promote healthy skin growth around urostomy stomas (Tsukada, 1994); Research regarding the cranberry has not been limited to its effect on bacteria. Researchers are also examining whether cranberries may have anti-fungal (Schwartz, 1968) and anti-viral (Konowalchuk, 1978) properties.
Cranberries may help maintain a healthy heart. The French Paradox was the first to suggest that the consumption of grape products protects a person from heart disease. Grape beverages are rich sources of antioxidants (Pederson, 2000); compounds that improve blood flow (vasodilators) and prevent or inhibit blood clotting. Cranberries have these same compounds, and research suggests that the heart benefits of cranberry juice may be similar to those of grape juice and red wines. However, cranberries may have several advantages over grapes. The active compounds in cranberries are similar, and do not vary by growing region or variety (Wilson, 2000). In contrast, beverages derived from grapes have significant variation. Cranberries appear to help maintain a healthy heart in the following ways: Research suggests that compounds in cranberry juice may inhibit cholesterol oxidation. These compounds, known as antioxidants, are thought to slow or stop "bad" LDL cholesterol oxidation (Wilson, 1998). This slowing process may result in less oxidized cholesterol being deposited in the arterial walls, reducing fatty deposits; Even better, research is now examining whether cranberry juice increases the interior diameter of blood vessels in animals (rats) and possibly humans (study in progress). An increase in vessel diameter may reduce the workload of the heart.
Preliminary studies are evaluating whether cranberries may help fight cancer. Preliminary research is under way to determine whether cranberry consumption may help in the fight against cancer. The color compounds in cranberries come from anthocyanins and proanthocyanins that are also potent antioxidants. In general, research has found that antioxidants soak up free radicals, which are known to cause genetic damage and a loss of cellular growth control (Bomser, 1996). A preliminary study at the University of Western Ontario has found that a cranberry extract injected into mice inhibited tumor development when the mice were subjected to human breast cancer cells. In addition, cranberries have been found to be a good source of quercetin (Bilyk & Sapers, 1986). Although studies specifically related to cranberry consumption have yet to be undertaken, quercetin has been found to have anti-cancer properties in studies involving laboratory rats.
What compounds make cranberries healthful? Cranberries are rich in a class of compounds called flavonoids (Bilyk & Sapers, 1986, Hong & Wrolstad, 986). Flavonoids are simple, organic, ring-shaped compounds that have been found to absorb potentially dangerous free radicals or electrons. Flavonoids may also have the capacity to mimic some of the body's own chemical signal molecules and promote healthy dilation of blood vessels. Simple flavonoids in cranberry juice include molecules such as quercetin and myricetin. Complex flavonoids (anthocyanins and proanthocyanins) are composed of several individual flavonoids joined together. These complex molecules are important in giving cranberry juice its red color.
The big difference between grape and cranberry flavonoids is that appears only the complex flavonoids in cranberries can promote a healthy urinary tract (Howell).
Eating cranberries and drinking cranberry juice has been found to promote urinary tract health; Cranberries contain antioxidants which are being shown to be beneficial in helping to maintain a healthy heart; Research is under way to determine whether the compounds in cranberries may help in the fight against cancer. With the documented and potential health benefits available from cranberries, cranberry juice is the natural choice and should be a part of everyone's regular diet. The following list includes resources for more detailed analysis of human health studies. A complete bibliography of the published research on the health benefits of cranberries is also included here. Upcoming research on the health benefits of cranberries: The Cranberry Institute also has the health benefits of cranberries detailed on its Web site at: http://www.cranberryinstitute.org. Many other health studies are in progress as listed below. Expect exciting news about the health benefits of cranberries, including:
1. Determination of antioxidants in cranberries and their effectiveness relevant to heart disease.
2. Effectiveness of cranberries on prevention of atherosclerosis.
3. Short-term human study of the absorption and in vivo antioxidant properties of cranberry products.
4. Potential benefits of cranberry consumption against endothelial dysfunction and neurodengenerative disease.
5. Can cranberry supplementation reduce risks for diabetics?
6. Does human cranberry juice consumption improve blood flow?
7. Evaluation of biologically active components in cranberries.
8. Phytochemical database.
Notes and Disclaimers: The information contained herein and in the attached; (1) Certificate of Analysis, (2) Description, Specifications, and Microbiological, (3) Nutritional Analysis, and (4) Pro Forma Invoice (hereinafter referred to as ìthis literatureî), is true and correct to the best of our knowledge. The data outlined and the statements made are intended only as a source of information. No warranties, expressed or implied, are made. On the basis of this information, it is suggested that you evaluate the product on a laboratory scale prior to use in a finished product. The information contained in this literature should not be construed as permission for violation of patent rights. Recommendations are made without guarantee and we necessarily disclaim all liability with respect to the use of materials supplied by us, since the conditions of use are beyond our control. No statement in this literature is intended to diagnose or prescribe or take the place of a qualified physician. The statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This literature contains filed and/or registered trademarks of United States Juice Corporation and others. However, the absence of an according designation by ìorî should be regarded as not affecting the legal status of any of those trademarks and cannot be interpreted as not existing trademark rights.
