|
Nutritional
benefits
 At
the onset of WAPA, the driving force of our work evolved around
the desire to increase consumption of our members' produce.
We approached the common problem: how can we encourage consumers
to consume more apples and pears within their diets? WAPA
looked at raising demand by highlighting the nutritional benefits
of apples and pears to.
An industry focus on demand
When looking at stimulating global
apple and pear demand, informing consumers of the nutritional
benefits of consuming apples and pears was deemed necessary
to highlight that apples and pears are good for you in additional
to tasting good. By communicating these intrinsic nutritional
benefits of produce, could the industry raise demand to become
better aligned with supply.
All scientific literature detailing
nutritional benefits was collected by the WAPA secretariat
and passed to an external communications company for development
into key messages. The work was undertaken by Harlequin Plus,
UK-based marketing and communications company who specialise
in the dissemination of scientific information.
The project was undertaken in a
two-stage process:
- Stage 1 - Analysis of
scientific studies into the health benefits of apple and
pear consumption; and
- Stage 2 - Formulation
of key health messages and a marketing plan.
Members
can download all reports detailing this project here
Stage 1
Peer reviewed nutritional studies
were selected for their association with apple and pears.
An analysis of these studies highlighted how the fruits are
high in the following nutrients:
- Apples - key benefits are quercetin,
catechins and pectin. In addition, it is highly possible
that both proanthocyanidins and phloridzin may be present
in large amounts in apples; and
- Pears - key benefit is dietary
fibre but possibly also proanthocyanidins.
Stage 2
Once the key scientific texts had
been reviewed, the principle benefits and unique selling points
of both fruits were identified:
Apples
Apples are low in fat and therefore
provide an ideal snack option. They are low in sodium and,
as with many fruits, contain some potassium, hence they may
be beneficial in reducing hypertension. They contain antioxidants,
particularly in the form of flavonoids, which have been linked
to a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Apples
are a key dietary source of the flavonoid quercetin which
has been linked with a reduced risk of asthma and other respiratory
ailments. Apples have a low glycemic index, which means that
they are slowly digested by the body and thereby enable blood
sugar levels to be better controlled at a moderate level.
This may benefit diabetics in particular.
Apples are a good source of pectin,
a soluble fibre which may assist in reducing levels of 'bad
cholesterol' in the body.
Many of the nutritional benefits
contained in apples are found in greater proportion in the
peal than the flesh. Hence, it is important to consume the
fruit in its entire state in order to obtain the greatest
benefit.
Pears
Pears are low in fat and therefore
provide an ideal snack option. They are low in sodium and
contain moderate amounts of potassium, hence they may be beneficial
in reducing hypertension. Pears are a good source of dietary
fibre which aids digestion and may benefit cholesterol levels
as well as being linked to reduced risk of colonic cancer.
Dietary intake of solid fruits,
which includes apples as well as pears, has been linked to
a reduced risk of respiratory ailments.
Specific papers
|
