There is a new way for cranberry product manufacturers to verify and validate their products’ efficacy. Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals is taking the lead by subjecting every lot of its Cran Naturelle and Cran d’Or ingredients to anti-adhesion activity (AAA) testing, to ensure efficacy against UTI-causing pathogenic bacteria. 
 
“Recent testing has called into question the efficacy of some cranberry products. There is a strong need to raise the bar of quality to protect manufacturers and consumers,” stressed Stephen Lukawski, director of sales and business development for Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals. 
 
“Fruit d’Or is here to help manufacturers generate greater sales and protect the future of the cranberry industry. AAA testing is the best solution for bringing more confidence and stronger credibility to our products and industry so that we can maintain consumers’ trust. We encourage all manufacturers to have their cranberry suppliers test their cranberry for AAA  consistently on every lot that they sell.”  
 
Lukawski added, “There is a concern that some companies may still be using incorrect or out-of-date testing methods to measure PACs. Unfortunately, PACs are only part of the story as these test methods can be fooled by foreign contaminants. The solution to identify effective cranberry ingredients is to conduct AAA testing. 
 
“AAA testing is a game changer for the cranberry industry. Once consumers understand that there are now assays to confirm that some cranberry ingredients have more anti-adhesion activity over others, sales for those brands will increase. The companies that are the most trusted – such as those offering healthcare professional lines—also have the most to lose if they can’t demonstrate efficacy.” 
 
He continued, “Fruit d’Or believes AAA testing is the best way to help those companies looking for a premium branded ingredient that delivers on the promise to succeed and generate more sales by establishing higher quality standards.” 
 
Showing What’s Possible  
Lukawski said Fruit d’Or is committed to public education, industry education, research, and validation. So far, the company has:
  
●       Developed a way to mass-produce organic cranberries. 
●       Developed state-of-the-art material handling and processing to preserve the cranberry’s nutritional components. 
●       Tested for insoluble PACs using the butonal BCHL test method and standardized both soluble and insoluble PACs in natural cranberry powders.
●       Published a study on anti-adhesion activity with probiotics with Cran Naturelle whole fruit cranberry powder. 
●       Worked with respected scientists and researchers to develop advanced methods to confirm purity and PAC content and using the Rutgers University-developed anti-adhesion activity assay to test for efficacy. 
 
“Science has not been keeping up with demand for confirmed functional benefits. Fruit d’Or is helping make it happen,” said Lukawski. “Now we’re saying: Here are the new standards and test methods to help protect the cranberry industry and help companies increase their sales through efficacy and safety.”  
 
Anti-Adhesion Assay 
Anti-adhesion assays by Rutgers University have shown that cranberry PACs may inhibit pathogenic E. coli’s ability to adhere to epithelial cells in the urinary tract. Additionally, work conducted by Complete Phytochemical Solutions, captured electron microscopic images of the PACs bound to pathogenic E. coli that showed how the anti-adhesion works.  
 
Lukawski confirmed that Fruit d’Or is having all of its premium branded ingredients Cran Naturelle and Cran d’Or tested by Amy B. Howell, PhD and her team at Rutgers University for this anti-adhesion activity. “The anti-adhesion assay is the current gold standard for efficacy. This testing is important for us to further advance more cranberry research and science.” Howell’s clinical studies at the Marucci Center for Blueberry Cranberry Research and Extension at Rutger’s University has been published in numerous premier publications. This is why standardization of the PACs in cranberry is necessary and the vertically integrated operation of Fruit d’Or will provide consistency for AAA testing from lot to lot. 
 
Complete Phytochemical Solutions CEO Christian Krueger said, “The significance of anti-adhesion testing is that you want to be able to demonstrate that the compounds in a product actually have a biological effect. For instance, we know there is a potential of adulteration being able to fool certain chemical tests. But it would not fool a biological test because the cranberry’s unique structures are what’s responsible for its efficacy.” 
 
Lukawski added, “We want to create more awareness that this AAA assay is the first step toward confirming efficacy. It’s a unique assay understood within the cranberry industry to relate structure to function. This line of research is so important that we’re also inviting manufacturers to participate in the next step, which is a human preclinical study. Participating companies will then be able to use study results to promote their own products and separate themselves from the competition.”   
 
Bottom Line
“Complete farm to table transparency, while important, is not the only answer,” said Lukowski. “Testing for PACs and the standardization of PACs both soluble and insoluble is essential but not enough as test methods for measuring PACs can be spoofed by foreign contaminants such as grape skin or green tea. 
 
“If you’re satisfied with what you have now, fine. But if you have a premium/pro line and want to protect your business and generate greater sales, Fruit d’Or is enabling you to go beyond what you are currently able to say on your packaging and in your marketing materials by verifying anti-adhesion activity. Anti-adhesion testing conducted on a consistent basis is your edge over lower priced competitors.” 
 
Visit www.qualitycranberry.com for additional information.