The cantaloupe, also known as rockmelon in some parts of the world, originated in India and Africa and was initially cultivated by the Egyptians and later the Romans and Greeks. Cantaloupe gets in name from an Italian papal village of Cantalup, where it was cultivated in the early 1700's. It belongs to the same family as the cucumber, squash, pumpkin and gourd, and like many of its relatives, grows on the ground on a trailing vine.

The European cantaloupe has a gray-green skin with light ribbing while the North American cantaloupe, common in the United States, Mexico, and in some parts of Canada, has a net-like (or reticulated) skin covering. It is a round melon with firm, orange, moderately sweet flesh with a hollow cavity that contains seed encased in a web of netting.

Because they are descended from tropical plants, and tend to require warm temperatures throughout a relatively long growing period, cantaloupes grown in temperate climates are frequently started indoors, and grown indoors for 14 days or longer, before being transplanted outdoors.

IQF cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. In fact, one cup (or 160 grams) of this fresh fruit provides in excess of 100% of the recommend daily value of these vitamins. It is also a very good source of potassium and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 and folate.

While beta-carotene and vitamin A are fat-soluble antioxidants, vitamin C functions as an antioxidant in the water-soluble areas of the body. So, between its beta-carotene and vitamin C content, cantaloupe has all areas covered against damage from oxygen free radicals. In addition to its antioxidant activity, vitamin C is critical for good immune function.

Encore Fruit Marketing can provide an excellent source of IQF cantaloupe to help consumer products deliver one of the 5 A Day fruit servings.

IQF cantaloupe is carefully processed from fresh, ripened cantaloupe to provide the essential nutrition, flavor and color, in a convenient, ready to use ingredient form for processed beverage and food applications. [IQF cantaloupe is an excellent ingredient to add a fruit serving to your retail label for food service, beverages, desserts, dairy products, or any processed food where cantaloupe is desired.

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