Fascinating nutritional secrets - starfruit

Excerpt from a 12/20/10 article by By Dr. Kenneth Woliner on HealthTalk.com

You may like the exotic taste of starfruit – sort of a tart cross between plums and pineapples – but you’ll love star fruit’s secret. It’s a type of plant pigment called proanthocyanidins.

These pigments are what make cranberries so good for urinary tract health. And star fruit is loaded with them.

Proanthocyanidins also support heart health… promote better blood sugar control… and may enhance your body’s ability to fight abnormal cell growth. Plus, they’re powerful antioxidants. (2)

Star fruit is also low in calories but provides decent nutrition. One serving (125 grams, or 4.4 oz.) has 45% of the adult requirement of vitamin C. It also provides good amounts of vitamin A (15%) and fiber (12%).All those healthy benefits make star fruit a great addition to your diet

Papayas touting 15% growth in sales

Excerpts taken from an 12/20/10 article in The Packer titled 'Papaya demand remains steady'

Higher prices and rough weather couldn't keep papayas down for long.

"It's been a turbulent hurricane season in Central America, but it's done with and we've been able to come though," said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing at Brooks Tropicals, Homestead FL.

"We've experienced a 15% growth in the papaya category in the last year," she said.

Mid-December prices on 35-pound maradol cartons were about $20-$23, up from $18 the year before.

"The trend will probably continue until fruit from post-hurricane planted papaya trees start coming into the market in the spring," Ostlund said.

Ostlund expects papaya sales to be buoyed by growth in produce sales across commodities.

"The growth should continue particularly since the appearance of a new trend," she said. "If websites and blogs are any indication, this holiday season U.S. consumers are paying closer attention to vegetable dishes, whether it's an attempt at healthier eating or a realization that there's only so much you can do to a bird."

Papaya can reduce cancer rates

Excerpt from an article written by by Katherine Scott on the Here's the Evidence blog.

Summary: Papaya fruit contains high levels of a pigment called beta-cryptoxanthin that can reduce cancer rates even in high risk patients.

Papaya, a rich source of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamins A and C and folate, was described as “the fruit of the angels” by Christopher Colombus when he first discovered its juicy orange flesh in its native Central America. On top of all that, papaya may also help fight cancer.

What makes papaya flesh so vibrantly orange are naturally occurring pigments called carotenoids. The major dietary carotenoids in papaya are lutein, beta-carotene, lycopene and beta-crytoxanthin. The first three are more commonly known and have been associated with improving vision and reducing prostate cancer risk, but beta-cryptoxanthin is what makes papayas so special.

Remarkably, one of the actions of beta-cryptoxanthin is to inhibit new blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis, which is essential for new cancers to develop. If tiny clumps of cancer cells in the body cannot establish their own blood supply, they never grow into large, malignant tumors. Because beta-cryptoxanthin have the potential to stop cancers before they start, regular papaya consumption could reduce cancer rates in even high-risk populations.

Avocado consumption climbs

Avocado consumption in the United States has reached an estimated over 4.0 pounds per person for the first time in 2009/10 and still expected to continue to grow.

Excerpt taken from a Western Farm Press article of 12/8/10

Sixth graders name starfruit their favorite fruit choice.

Excerpts from an article written in the Yorktown Press.

YORKTOWN INDIANA - Two sixth-grade classes participated in a fruits and vegetables taste-testing event.

The students sampled five fruits and five vegetables. After counting the 30 surveys, starfruit was named the favorite fruit choice, least favorite was mango. The most popular vegetable was summer squash, least favorite was turnips.

That's how to sell SlimCados

Fairway Grocery Stores in NYC know how to sell SlimCados with a commendable 'stack'em high and kiss'em good-bye' strategy. These photos are from their 72nd and Broadway store.

Avocados, other tropicals hold on into autumn

Excerpts from an 11/1/10 article in The Packer by Doug Ohlemeier

Florida is a leading producer of tropical fruits and vegetables.

While south Florida may be better known for its green-skinned avocados, growers in the Redlands growing region also produce smaller volumes of tropicals such as boniato, star fruit, mamey sapote, passion fruit and kumquats.

Avocados Florida's avocado season typically begins winding down in the fall. Shipments normally start in June and hit peak volume in July with volumes starting to decline in November, with July, August, September and October producing the most volume.

Courtesy Brooks Tropicals

Shipments of green-skinned avocados begin to decrease in November. “With our SlimCados, we’re past the peak of the season, but we have a nice crop of late-season fruit to get us through December,” says Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for Brooks Tropicals Inc.

Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for Brooks Tropicals Inc., said the late season fruit possesses strong quality.

“With our SlimCados, we’re past the peak of the season, but we have a nice crop of late season fruit to get us through December,” she said in mid-October. “We will go into February with lighter volumes. We really see the late season crop not as affected by the cold weather of the 2009-10 season than the other varieties, but it’s always a lighter crop during that time of the year.”

The leading Florida avocado grower-shipper, Brooks expects to ship more than 400,000 bushels, down from last season.

Other tropicals
During the fall and winter, south Florida is a major grower and supplier of a variety of comparatively small volumes of fall tropical items.

Harvesting of star fruit or carambola normally begins in early July and runs through March.

The colder winter made for a later start this season, Ostlund said.

On mamey sapote, fall typically brings a winding down of production.

Last winter’s cold cut volumes, Ostlund said.

For kumquats, Ostlund said Brooks expects to begin shipments in mid-November.

The crop looks strong and remains on time, she said.

Ostlund said Brooks plans to ship through March.