RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, Calif.—NP Nutra is now offering a certified organic maqui freeze-dried powder. Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis) is an evergreen shrub native to Chile and Argentina; the berries are a deep purple color the size of large blueberries. They are antioxidant rich, with high levels of various flavonoids including anthocyanins, delphinidin, malvidin, petunidin, cumarins, triterpenes and cyanidin. They are also a good source of vitamin C, calcium, potassium and iron.
“We use the whole maqui berry to maximize the nutritional content of our product while minimizing wastage," said Andrew Carter, quality control manager. NP Nutra maximizes the nutritional value of its product by using all three parts of the fruit—the epicarp (dark purple/black skin), the mesocarp (pulpy meat of the fruit) and the endocarp (seeds). According to the company, whole berry product has a higher ORAC rating than powders produced from refined maqui juice. Carter added, “Not only do we maximize ORAC ratings, we are able to produce an ingredient that is far less wasteful and therefore highly sustainable."
