New processing berry offers extra health benefits

There’s a new berry on the block this strawberry season, with extra health benefits. This unique dark, almost black strawberry called Nerina is packed with health-giving anti-oxidants in form of polyphenols and vitamins. However Britons will not find it in punnets but in products.
Nerina, which relates to the original wild strawberry, is the result of years of research and cultivationcultivars by the international Italian premium fruit processing company Iprona and it contains 18 times more anthocyanin polyphenols than regular strawberries. The Nerina strawberry will be marketed under Iprona’s high quality brand, BerryPharma®.
According to BerryPharma’s science adviser Akam Anyangwe, Nerina is now available to manufacturers and formulators of food products, as a water-soluble powder or liquid, for incorporation into beverages, foods as well as nutritional supplements.
“This breakthrough strawberry is an innovative product and is the result of years of research and selective cross-breeding by Iprona, aimed at recreating the original wild forest strawberry while also maximizing its anti-oxidant capability and other health-bringing phytonutrients,” he said.
Its dark, almost black colouring indicates a high concentration of anthocyanins, and lends this variety its name – from ‘Nero’ the Italian word for black, and the diminutive, ‘ina’.
“Nerina has been propagated for companies looking to research and develop products for healthier living, as well as reducing cardiovascular and Type-2 Diabetes risks. We have used a traditional form of selective cross-breeding to establish this outstanding source of nutrition,” Anyangwe said.
The motivation to create the Nerina strawberry was prompted by scientific interest in the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of table strawberries as well as the increasing consumer demand for more healthy foods
A 2010 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food reported that strawberries have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system.(1)The finding was consistent with previous published science, which showed that modern diet and lifestyle influenced the onset of chronic and degenerative diseases.(2)
In addition research published in the British Journal of Nutrition, in 2010, reported that strawberries and a range of other berries improved the body’s glucose response in a way that reduced the risk of type-2 diabetes.(3)
The nerina extract produced in Italy by Iprona is unique. It is the result of an innovative, chemical-free, alcohol-free, proprietary membrane extraction technology, used to standardise the nutritionally active compounds, natural flavours and aromas in the fruit.
Ultimately the Nerina extract can be used in a range of formulations, from smoothies to lozenges and gummies, and from sports performance foods and drinks to traditional supplements.
Growers can find further information at http://www.iprona.com/en/extracts-berrypharma/nerina