Aronia Berries: The Superberry You Need To Know About
You are probably aware that blueberries are considered a superfood because of their antioxidant value. You may not be aware, however, that there is another berry that actually surpasses the blueberry in terms of antioxidant value: The aronia berry.
Where Did Aronia Berries Come From?
Aronia berries are not some new fruit created in a laboratory. The berries themselves have existed for centuries. The plants are native to Eastern North America and they have been popular for some time in Russia and Europe, where they are used in juice and wine. However, until recently, their name was “the chokeberry.” It’s easy to see why, with a name like that, stores were not lining up to stock their shelves.
Several years ago, US farmer Ken Sailors decided that the aronia berry was highly unappreciated and bestowed the name “aronia berry” on his crop. He began an active rebranding campaign for the fruit, and it has begun to receive wide recognition for its antioxidant value and farmers are now actively planting aronia berries in the Midwestern region of the US.
Check out this great video highlighting The Aronia Berry!
Why Antioxidants?
Aronia berries gained superfood status because of their dense Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), a measure of antioxidant capacity. They have a higher ORAC value than blueberries, acai berries and goji berries. The higher a food’s ORAC value, the better its ability to provide the health benefits of antioxidants that reduce free radicals in the body and are thought to have age and disease-fighting capabilities.
Aronia berries get their antioxidants from the high level of polyphenols they contain. Other antioxidants present in the berries include tannins, rutin, hesperidin and procyanidin. The USDA no longer lists ORAC values for foods, but before they removed that data, raw aronia berries were listed at an ORAC value of 16,062. Nutritional experts recommend about 3,000-5,000 ORAC units daily, so around 30 aronia berries per day would deliver about 7,000 units, which far surpasses the minimum guidelines.
How To Provide Your Grocery and C-Store Customers with Aronia Berry Products
Before grabbing a handful of aronia berries, it is important to understand that they are extremely tart, and they are best consumed as part of a juice, with something sweet, or as part of a snack mix. As aronia berries continue to grow in popularity, consumers will begin seeking out new and delicious ways to consume this tart superfood.
Are you looking to add a something truly special to your product lineup?
How can you start offering your shoppers aronia berries? The team at Mister Snacks has always been committed to providing our partner stores with products that meet the ever-evolving tastes of consumers who continue to use snack foods as meal replacements and healthy holdovers between meals. That is why we are pleased to announce our new Antioxidant Berry Mix. It is a complex, palate-pleasing blend that includes aronia berries.
The Antioxidant Berry Mix is just the newest addition to our product line that includes single-nuts, nut mixes, fruit and nut combinations, nuts and granola, trail mixes, and snack mixes that take advantage of popular flavors like sriracha, Cajun seasoning, barbecue, honey mustard, etc. Contact Mister Snacks today to learn more about the ways we can help you meet the growing demand for berry-rich snacks.