Featured Fruit Product: Guava Puree

Guava puree is great source of natural Vitamin C, a tropical fruit with significant nutritional properties. Native to Central America, it is now commercially grown in South America, South Africa, Mexico, India and Vietnam. Guava can be pink or white fleshed. It is commercially processed into puree or puree concentrate as a standard ingredient. Encore has developed certified supplies of guava puree and puree concentrates for the food , beverage, and supplement industries.

Guava puree is also a good source for Vitamin A, Potassium and lycopene from pink guavas. In addition to the antioxidant benefits of natural Vitamin C, studies show it reduces inflammation markers in the blood, such as C reactive protein, and aids in the reduction of cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.

Guava puree is easily incorporated into smoothies, tropical juice beverages and supplements. Encore offers a full line of processed guava ingredients, so contact us today for samples and information. Go Guava today from Encore, your Superfruit specialist.

Guavas are plants in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) genus Psidium, which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. Native to Mexico and Central America, northern South America, part of the Caribbean and some parts of North Africa, guavas are now cultivated and naturalized throught the tropics, and are also grown in some subtropical regions.

If you have traveled in tropical areas, you might have seen the growing trees of the guava. Although its origin is uncertain, the fruit is believed to have traveled from southern Mexico into, or through Central America in the early 1500s. They can be found in warm tropical areas all over the world. It tends to grow in both humid and dry areas, but is sensitive to frost. Therefore, in the United States the fruit is primarily grown in Florida, Hawaii, and the Californian coast.

The fruit has the shape of pear, with green rind and pinkish or white flesh and small seeds. Guavas are often marketed as "superfruits", being rich in vitamins A and C, and if the seeds are eaten too, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and especially high levels of dietary . A single Apple Guava contains over four times the amount of vitamin C as a single orange (over 200 mg fiber per 100 g serving) and also has good levels of the dietary minerals, potassium, magnesium, and generally a broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients.

They contain both carotenoids and polyphenols - the major classes of antioxidant pigments, giving them relatively high dietary antioxidant value among plant foods¹. As these pigments produce the fruits' color, fruits that are red or orange in color have more potential value as antioxidants sources than yelllowish-green ones².

Nutritional Benefits:

• Our Guava product contains more Vitamin C than an orange.
• Guava ingredients are also high in Vitamin A and Vitamin B
• Also contains Calcium
• and Nicotinic Acid
• and Folic acid
• and Phosphorus, Potassium & Iron
• and Fiber
• Guavas are Low in fat and calories, with only about 25 calories per fruit

Contact Encore Fruit Marketing today for product samples and information at sales@encorefruit.com

¹ Jiménez-Escrig et al. (2001), Hassimotto et al. (2005), Mahattanatawee et al. (2006)
² Wrolstad, Ronald E. (2001): The Possible Health Benefits of Anthocyanin Pigments and Polyphenolics. Version of May 2001. Retrieved 2008-DEC-21.