Incaberries ‘superfood’ now in Australia
Incaberries, a product grown in Ecuador, are now available to major health food stores, green grocers and wholesale distributors in Australia.
The berries are imported by GB-Commtrade, the specialist nut and dried fruit importer.
“The organic, preservative-free berries are an ideal fit for our market providing a nutrient-rich snack and ingredient for discerning, health-conscious consumers,” said Gerard Brunton, founder of GB-Commtrade.
“A few years ago incaberries were completely unknown outside of South America. Now we are exporting to 20 countries with extremely strong international demand for the natural product,” said exporter David Bermeo, who is visiting from Ecuador for the launch.
“I grew up on my family farm surrounded by incaberries and after studying and working abroad came home to start the organic dried incaberry business,” Bermeo said “Five years on, we’re employing more than 400 people and providing a secure market to 100 growers who have begun growing incaberries to meet our export demands.
“The world-wide popularity of this indigenous, labour-intensive crop has had a tremendous impact on the local communities in the Andes, providing opportunities for the employment and self employment of growers.”
Dried Incaberries are being distributed under a number of packaging labels, including The Natural Grocer, Trumpsm Nocelle Foods, Natures Delight, The Nut Shop, JC’s Quality Foods and Tritaste Nuts. Also available are Incaberries coated in milk chocolate and 70 per cent cocoa dark chocolate.
We may not have called these berries ‘incaberries’ but they are basically the same as the fruits we have called ‘cape gooseberries’ or ‘golden berries’ that have been available fresh in Australia for years. (The cape gooseberry name apparently arose because they were taken from South America to the Cape of Good Hope and grew there prolifically) . They also grow as ‘weeds’ – deliciously fruited weeds – in my garden in southern NSW – distributed presumably by birds. The British food composition tables refer to them under the botanical name of phyalis.
What is ‘new’ is the marketing effort attached to the dried berries. They are nutritious fruits, but not quite the ‘superfood’ as is claimed in some of the marketing material.