New berry on the block

There’s a new #berry on the block this #strawberry season, with extra #health benefits.

This unique, almost black strawberry called Nerina is packed with health-giving antioxidants in form of polyphenols and vitamins. However, you 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 cultivation by the international Italian fruit processing company, Iprona.

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 antioxidant 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’.

The motivation to create the Nerina strawberry was prompted by scientific interest in the antioxidant 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.The finding was consistent with previous published science, which showed that modern diet and lifestyle influenced the onset of chronic and degenerative diseases.

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.

For more information about the Nerina, visit www.iprona.com/en/extracts-berrypharma/nerina