Papaya is a tropical fruit that has edible flesh and seeds. Papayas have a slightly sweet taste, and they are rich in vitamins A and C. People usually eat the fruits fresh for breakfast or for dessert. The ripe fruit is also used in jellies, juices, pies, salads, sauces, and sherbets. Unripe papayas are boiled or baked like squash. In addition, green, immature papayas are the source of papain, an enzyme used as an aid to digestion and as a meat tenderizer. This enzyme is obtained by drying the sticky, white milk the fruits yield when their skin is scratched.

Papayas vary in shape from round to oval. In most cases, the ripe fruit weighs from 1/4 to 15 pounds (0.1 to 7 kilograms) and has smooth skin that ranges in color from greenish-yellow to orange. The flesh may be YELLOW, ORANGE, or RED, and it is filled with the fruit's pea-sized black seeds.

Papayas grow on slender, palm-like plants that may reach a height of 35 feet (11 meters). The plants grow best in fertile, well-drained soil. They develop quickly from seeds and begin to bear fruit 9 to 12 months after planting. Their annual yield varies greatly, from as few as 12 fruits to as many as 150.

The papaya is native to the region in and around Central America. The fruit is grown commercially in many tropical areas. Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, India, and Mexico are the world's leading producers. In the United States, papayas are cultivated in Hawaii and Florida.

Enzymes found in papaya have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at assisting in maintaining reduced inflammation. This may explain why people with diseases that are worsened by inflammation, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, find that the severity of their condition is reduced when they get more of these nutrients.

Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.

Encore Fruit Marketing can provide an excellent source of IQF papaya to help consumer products deliver one of the 5 A Day fruit servings, with high Vitamin C content and a refreshing tropical papaya flavor.

IQF papaya is carefully processed from fresh, ripened papayas to provide the essential fresh papaya flavor and nutrition, in a convenient, ready to use ingredient form for processed beverage and food applications. IQF papaya is an excellent ingredient to add a fruit serving to your retail label for beverages, cakes, pies, pastries, sauces, jellies and other processed foods like nutrition bars and snacks.

Contact Encore Fruit Marketing today for product samples and information on IQF papaya at www.encorefruit.com or Click Here to use our convenient Contact Form.