PRODUCING FOR THE ANTHOCYANIN MARKET

Rowan Berecry goodrichfruit@warroostn.com.au

0418 216 889

The Good Rich Fruit Company

Introduction

• A plum production operation funded by the Goodrich and Smith families of Warroo and Gore

• The Queen Garnet plum came from the breeding program at the Applethorpe Research Station run by Bruce Topp and Dougal Russell

• Very dark plum. Decided to look into the chemical properties of the plum. • Found that it had very high levels of anthocyanins, an antioxidant linked to

numerous positive health benefits • During 2010 and 2011, 75,000 trees were planted on the property at

Warroo. • Another 12,000 trees have been planted at Deniliquin by Rick Goodrich • Queen Garnet is owned by the Queensland government • The rights to the variety are held by Nutrafruit Pty Ltd, of which Bim and

Rick Goodrich are shareholders and directors

What are Anthocyanins

• Anthocyanins are antioxidant compounds • Anthocyanins are a polyphenol subclass and are

responsible for the dark colouring in many fruit and vegetables

• Anthocyanins not the only antioxidants in the plum • Also contain phenolics and chlorogenic acids • Measured as ORAC units/100ml • Targeting 5000-8000 ORAC units • Only surpassed by berries such as cranberries,

elderberries and chokeberries, which require a lot of sweetening

• Anthocyanins provide the food industry with non synthetic food colourings

Potential Health Benefits –Anthocyanins/Antioxidants

There is a large and increasing world-wide bank of research evaluating the health benefits of anti-oxidants & anthocyanins and has been summarised by Ghosh & Konishi into the following list: • Antioxidant • Anti-allergic • Anti-inflammatory • Anti-viral • Anti-proliferative • Anti-mutagenic • Anti-microbial • Anti-carcinogenic • Cardiovascular protective • Microcirculation improvement • Diabetes improvement

Antioxidant/Anthocyanin Market – Types of Product

• High antioxidant extract for health products

• The exceptionally high antioxidant content allows the plum juice, pulp or concentrate to be used in health product applications (health drinks, tablets, etc)

• Natural colourant for juice blending applications: The intense colour of the juice and very high anthocyanin content are equal or better than other common sources of fruit eg blackcurrant

• Anthocyanin powder for colour. The pulp and/or the skin waste is dried to a powder form to be used as natural colorant and/or antioxidant additive to other foods.

• Viscosity modifier: The flesh of the plum is exceptionally firm and does not soften on storage.

Antioxidant Market – Current & Growth

• Antioxidant ingredient sales such as green tea, dark chocolate, superfruit juice and dietary supplements, totalled $34 billion in 2010. Euromonitor International

• Antioxidant sales growth from 2005 to 2010 was 43 percent in current terms – Euromonitor International

• Functional foods (often related to health-promotion or disease prevention) are one of the most dynamic areas of the global food and drink market.

• Datamonitor estimates that the European functional food market is worth around US$8 billion per annum, with growth of around 25% over the next five years

• The US functional foods market will grow by up to 20 percent or five times that of the food industry as a whole (PriceWaterhouse Coopers). Market worth $27 billion in 2007

• Datamonitor predicted that the functional food and beverages market in Japan would grow 5.9 percent per annum, to reach US$21.8 billion by 2012

• Increasing health awareness, rising healthcare costs, increasing obesity, and lifestyle expectations of the ageing population have contributed to this growth.

Comparison with other plums

*

*

0

50

100

150

200

250

San

ta R

osa

Ang

eleno

Que

en R

osa

Frontie

r

Black

ambe

r

Aut

umn

Giant

Tegan

Blue

Sat

sum

aQGP

An

tho

cy

an

in c

on

ten

t/a

nti

ox

ida

nt

ca

pa

cit

y

Anthocyanins (mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/ 100g FW)

Antioxidant capacity (x10-6mole AAE/ 100g FW)

Netzel et al, 2012

Comparison of antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content in commercial beverages

pomegranate juicered wine

blueberry juice

acai juice

cranberry juice

orange juice

iced green teaQGPJ

0

20

40

60

80

100

ORAC

FRAP

TPP

• Comparison of antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content of QGPJ verses commercial beverages (all data except for QGPJ sourced from Seeram et al)

K Fanning. DAFF

Anthocyanin comparison with Black Diamond

Harvest date

17. Jan 42.05271046

24. Jan 82.71671239

31. Jan 89.84070072

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

mg/

10

0g

we

t fr

uit

Black Diamond

17. Jan 24. Jan 31. Jan

Harvest date

17. Jan 111.7895575

24. Jan 127.1521376

31. Jan 143.6896137

07. Jan 180.6879536

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

mg/

10

0g

we

t fr

uit

Queen Garnet

17. Jan 24. Jan 31. Jan 07. Jan

K Fanning DAFF

HAL Project - Dr Kent Fanning - DAFF

• Aiming to maximise anthocyanin output • Year on year checking of anthocyanin levels in Queen Garnet and

potential pollinisers • Doing comparisons with other varieties/crops and products • Trialling methods to increase total anthocyanin on tree – including

treatments with Retain, Calcium, Kelp • Processing trials to maximise anthocyanin extraction during

processing • Advisory work for university and CSIRO trials • Presentation on Queen Garnet to International Plum Symposium

(ISHS), UC Davis, California, May 2012 • Looking beyond anthocyanins to phenols, non anthocyanic

polyphenols and carotenoids • Study into maturity/Brix levels/colour/firmness vs anthocyanin • Production of harvesting guide, using flesh colour as an indication

of anthocyanin levels

University / CSIRO Trials

Anti thrombotic activity of QGPJ (in humans) Dr Indu Singh, Griffith University Examination of effect of ingestion of QGPJ in metabolic syndrome rat model Professor Lindsay Brown, University of Southern Queensland. Examination of in-vitro bioactivity of QGP extracts in cell culture assays Professor Greg Monteith, University of Queensland. Testing the ability of QGP extracts/fractions to inhibit lipid accumulation in this established cell model. Investigating the ability of QG juice to improve cognitive health in humans. University of Wollongong Bioavailability and Metabolism of Queen Garnet anthocyanins/polyphenols (in humans) Dr Michael Netzel, CSIRO, Brisbane

Fresh Market – Focus Group Trials Dr Heather Smyth, et al. Qld DPI

• Consumer trials to test market reaction to Queen Garnet

• Tested against a number of standard varieties • Visually one of the preferred varieties –both externally

and internally • Smell – nice and “plumy” through to not much smell • Flavour – appealing, exotic ,good juiciness, through to

too juicy, too firm, strange flavour • Not keen on the name • More interested in purchasing when informed of

antioxidant properties

GOOD RICH FRUIT CO

Tree Statistics

• 75,000 trees planted 2010-2011 • Of these 14,000 are pollinators • Using 4 different pollinisers, with 1 more to

potentially be introduced • Aiming to have pollinisers with flowering, picking

dates and anthocyanin levels as close to Queen Garnet as possible

• Planted on a 4m x 2m spacing • Grown as a vertical palmette • Trialled trellising

Day 1 – Sheep Paddock

MULCHING

Applying mulch for: - • Weed control • Reduce evaporation • Protect soil biology • Long term soil health

• Access to Lucerne hay and sorghum stubble • Any not used has been used in the compost mix • Constructed machine to cut up and send mulch

under the tree row

Nutrition

• Country has a 160 history of nil input grazing • Aiming for a biological system • Balancing soil nutrition with soil biology ie using the biology to feed the

plant • Lime, gypsum, manure, super and weather damaged Lucerne hay were

incorporated prior to planting • Trace elements added via fertigation • Emphasis on building soil biology • Applying compost extracts to build biological base • Using fish/kelp based product to feed biology • Adding Azotobacter to build nitrogen levels • Compost applied for bulk nutrient application, and add more to biology • Applied about 30 units of N in two years • Calcium/boron/silicon and kelp for foliar nutrition • Aiming to maintain mineral density, and hence maximise opportunity for

anthocyanins to be at the peak of their potential

Fungal and Insect Control • Using nutrition / tree health as the main form of

control • Balanced soil nutrition, and good biological base

delivers a tree with in-built resistance to fungal, insect, bacterial and viral attack

• Using foliar calcium/kelp sprays to ensure mineral density and balance within plant

• Used two copper sprays during dormancy • Applied two trichoderma cover sprays during flowering • Relied on calcium/kelp sprays to through to harvest • No brown rot • No aphids, no gumming • Fruit fly - yes

Fruit Fly • Carried out a Sterile Insect Technique – SIT – program over

the spring to autumn period • Under the guidance of Dr Olivia Reynolds of NSW DPI • Looking for an isolated farm to carry out the research • Started trapping in early November and sterile fly release in

late November • Proved to be too late as there was already a local

population established • Baited to try and bring these under control • Lost 10-15% of the fruit to fly • Ended up having to use Fenthion • Fly were being harboured on a neighbouring property • Looking to expand the program with other farms in the

region

Weed Control

• Aiming to reduce herbicide impact • Using mulch to reduce weed germination • Invested in Weedseeker technology to reduce the

amount of herbicide applied • Have been having trouble getting the herbicide to

impact on some weeds • Using additives to try to improve initial uptake of

herbicide, and then increase speed of breakdown in the soil

• Long term aim to come up with a permanent low growing ground cover

Labour Requirement

• Currently using 7 permanent during development phase

• Using machinery wherever possible • Machinery fitted with 2cm accuracy autosteer for

ease of use • Pruning mechanical with hand work behind • Thinning mechanical – Darwin Thinner or shaker • Harvest – machine • Aiming for 2-3 shifts, each with 5-6 people • Accessing labour locally, backpackers and station

staff

Harvesting

• Need to harvest as close to full maturity as possible

• Aiming to pick over the crop three times • Looking at using wind to remove the most mature

fruit • Aiming to adapt French machine • Building machine to straddle row travelling at 3

km/h +, using autosteer • Need to be able to get up to 40 bins/hr • Two man operation plus tractors to place and

remove bins

The Future

• Queen Garnet available for fresh market sales through Galaxy Fruits

• Combination of fresh market and processing for first two years

• No more processing fruit to be planted until we know the market will take it

• Budwood has been sent to USA, Spain and South Africa for fresh market production

• Anyone interested in growing speak with Nutrafruit

PRODUCING FOR THE ANTHOCYANIN MARKET

Rowan Berecry goodrichfruit@warroostn.com.au

0418 216 889

The Good Rich Fruit Company