Prospector Knowledge Center Logo Prospector Knowledge Center Print Logo

Prospector Knowledge Center

Welcome to the blog for UL Prospector, the most comprehensive raw material search engine for product developers.

UL Logo UL Print Logo
  • Home
  • Sustainability
    • Articles
    • Webinars
  • Personal Care & Cosmetics
    • Articles
    • Webinars
    • Industry Search Engine
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
  • Plastics
    • Articles
    • Webinars
    • Industry Search Engine
  • Paint & Coatings
    • Articles
    • Webinars
    • Industry Search Engine
  • Cleaners
    • Articles
    • Webinars
    • Industry Search Engine
  • Food, Beverage & Nutrition
    • Articles
    • Webinars
    • Industry Search Engine
  • Lubricants
    • Articles
    • Industry Search Engine

The Merry Cranberry: A Nutrient-Packed, Multifunctional Ingredient

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Jill Frank

Share this article:     

MerryCranberry02Cranberries are popular worldwide as a holiday meal accompaniment, but there are significant reasons to consider including them in your formulations as well.

Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, which makes them an excellent choice for providing antioxidant properties. These little berries also have flavonoids, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, and a number of naturally occurring acids, including citric acid, quinic acid, benzoic acid, and malic acid.

Cranberries contain fiber, which can be extracted from the pomace made during juice pressing then dried to become a fiber ingredient. Cranberry juices or powders can be used as a colorant as well, which is a benefit of the anthocyanin content present in the berries.


Looking for cranberry products for your food formulation?

Prospector has hundreds of ingredient listings for cranberry products from global suppliers. Get ingredient data, order samples and more…


Get Ingredient Data


Despite all these great things, keep in mind that little sugar is present in cranberries, which means that they need to be sweetened or in a sweet matrix in order to be palatable.

Product formats vary widely and have varying shelf life and applications:

  • Fresh cranberries have approximately a 3 month shelf-life which limits their use beyond seasonal products. These are typically used for baked goods and sauces.
  • The limitation of fresh fruit is reduced with the use of frozen cranberries, which makes them available year round. They can be found in sliced forms or as a puree. This format opens them up for use in condiments, dairy products as well as baked products and sauces.
  • Shelf stable products can be found in a dehydrated, sweetener or glycerin infused form, sometimes topically coated or infused with flavors to typify other fruits. These products can last up to 18 months if properly stored, and find uses in cereals, trail mix, snack foods, granola bars, dairy products, confectionery, and bakery products.
  • Spray dried powders are made from cranberry juice concentrate, are very soluble, thus quite hygroscopic and have approximately 90% fruit solids. These powders can be used in teas, beverages, and confectionery products, or as a colorant.
  • Juices can be found in single strength juice and concentrate, with the concentrates having more applications in formulating. These concentrates can be used as a colorant. It may have applications in dairy products, frozen confections and candies.

Some interesting regional product launches in the past year that contain cranberries may inspire you with the flavor combinations:

  • A cranberry ginger energy drink launched in October 2015 during the Anuga Tech trade show in Germany.
  • In the Ukraine, a wet cat food launched in October 2015. This product features Veal in cranberry sauce, and contains raisins and thyme.
  • A turkey buffalo cranberry jerky launched in the US in October 2015.
  • In September 2015, an apricot and cranberry porridge with pumpkin and sunflower seeds was displayed at the Specialty and Fine Food Fair in the UK.
  • In the US, a triple layer orange cranberry whole milk yogurt launched in August 2015, containing cranberries and orange juice.
  • In the United Arab Emirates, a spicy cranberry ice cream launched in August 2015, featuring a cranberry swirl, and cranberry-jalapeno glazed almonds. The almonds are coated with cranberry powder and dried ground jalapeno.
  • In Poland, a horseradish with cranberry launched in July 15.

Be cautious when considering health claims for cranberry-based products, and fully research your country’s options. In 2014, EFSA rejected health claims submitted by manufacturers, one for extract acting “against bacterial pathogens in the lower urinary tract”, and another for reducing the risk of UTIs by inhibiting the adhesion of certain bacteria. As of this writing, there are no approved health claim applications for cranberry products in the EU.

For additional information see:

  • Blumberg, J. et al. (2013). Cranberries and Their Bioactive Constituents in Human Health. Advances in Nutrition, vol. 4: 618-632. 618-632
  • Gardner, E. (2014). The Health Properties of Cranberry Juice. Nutrition Bulletin, 39(2), 223-230.
  • Holmes, A., & Rha, C. (1978). Structure and Chemical Composition of Cranberry Cell Wall Material. Journal of Food Science, 43(1),

The views, opinions and technical analyses presented here are those of the author or advertiser, and are not necessarily those of ULProspector.com or UL. The appearance of this content in the UL Prospector Knowledge Center does not constitute an endorsement by UL or its affiliates.

All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior authorization from UL or the content author.

The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. While the editors of this site may verify the accuracy of its content from time to time, we assume no responsibility for errors made by the author, editorial staff or any other contributor.

UL does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the content. UL does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of sites listed or linked to in any content.

Share this article:     

Filed Under: Food, Beverage & Nutrition Tagged With: Materials & Ingredients

Jill Frank

About Jill Frank

Jill Frank has been a food industry expert for Prospector since January of 2013. Jill serves as a consultant to all departments and monitors food industry trends and regulatory changes around the world. Her articles on these topics provide timely and relevant information for Prospector’s food industry members. In addition, Jill has played an integral role in optimizing and reorganizing the categorization of food ingredients within the Prospector search engine. Her efforts help to provide an enhanced user experience that is customized to meet the needs of R&D professionals in the food, beverage and nutrition industry.

Prior to joining Prospector, Jill was a Bakery Applications Specialist for Dupont Nutrition & Health, formerly Danisco USA, where she worked with the company’s sales team and with the global development team to analyze and develop new products, custom solutions and sales literature. She has worked as a consultant for nutrition products, and has acted as a Manager and Director of Research and Development at companies in the bakery and nutrition fields.

Jill held multiple titles with Gerber Products Company from 1995 – 2004. During her tenure, she managed and developed formulas relating to bakery, cereal and dry blended products. Jill worked to create, improve and reformulate products, mindful of ingredient origins, nutritional value and consumer acceptability.

Jill holds a B.S. in Bakery Science and Management from Kansas State University. She is a Certified Food Scientist, and is the President of her local chapter of the Institute of Food Technologists.

Jill is also an accomplished seamstress, textile designer and costume maker. She lives in Spring Hill, Kansas with her husband and daughter.

Comments are closed.

Follow Prospector

  

Related Articles

More "Food, Beverage & Nutrition" articles:
  • Collagen: Benefits, Types, and Market
  • Formulating with Quercetin
  • Guar Gum: Instability & Alternatives, Part 2
About Prospector
  • Company Information
  • Contact Us
  • Call for Knowledge Center Contributors
Industry Search Engines
  • Adhesives & Sealants
  • Food, Beverage & Nutrition
  • Graphic Arts & Inks
  • Household, Industrial & Institutional Cleaners
  • Lubricant & Metalworking Fluids
  • Paint & Coatings
  • Personal Care & Cosmetics
  • Plastics, Metals & Additives
Prospector

7930 Santa Fe, 3rd Floor
Overland Park, KS 66204 USA

Phone: 913-307-9010

UL and the UL logo are trademarks of UL LLC © 2023 All Rights Reserved. | Online Policies | Site Map
Find Ingredients Faster on ULProspector.com