New superfruit ingredient available in the UK
Following EU Novel Foods approval, British food manufacturers and retailers can now obtain baobab, the exotic fruit from Southern Africa, as an ingredient for their products. Baobab has extremely high nutritional qualities including twice as much calcium as milk and more magnesium than spinach. The Organic Herb Trading Company (OHTC) has been appointed as the UK distributor for both the conventional and organic fruit pulp powder.
A number of products containing baobab are already starting to hit shelves across the UK. Early products include Baobar snack bars, Yozuna Fairtrade African Baobab Fruit Jam, Baobab and chocolate spread, Baobab and banana spread, Baobab lemonade and Baobab powder for use in home cooking.
The off white, powdery fruit pulp can be blended with anything though is better suited as an ingredient rather than eaten on its own. The fruit powder has a tangy taste described as caramel pear with subtle tones of grapefruit’ and also acts as a flavour enhancer.
Baobab is supplied through a unique partnership between PhytoTrade Africa, the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association dedicated to helping low-income, rural communities by developing ethical and sustainable trade in natural products and Afriplex, a leading South African manufacturer of plant extracts.
