All the available research on the health benefits of apples is to be collected, examined and put into a hierarchy by a US nutritionist to help the worldwide industry make legitimate health claims for its fruit.
The US Apple Export Council has taken on a scientist to undertake the research over the next few months and the results will be unveiled at the next meeting of the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) at Fruit Logistica in February.
Kris Marceca, who heads up the council, told FPJ that the initiative should ultimately help boost consumption. She said: “The aim is to identify which pieces of research meet all the criteria so that they can go forward in the EU process to make health claims. We have to figure out what we can do to protect the industry.”
Marceca insisted that the produce industry has not yet made the most of marketing and promotion. She told FPJ: “We often use the word ‘marketing’ in terms of selling the fruit or taking it to market, rather than promoting the fruit.”
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