Açai: Little Berry Shows Big Growth Potential

Açai: Little Berry Shows Big Growth Potential
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.They may also protect against negative reactions to radiation and chemotherapy.

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.

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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.

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