By Karen Gentry
Associate Editor
A group of processors have proposed to commit a total of $250,000 annually for the next three to five years to support additional nutrition research and related national promotion activities, according to Kraig Naasz, president of the United States Apple Association (USApple). The processors determined that $500,000 would be required to fund the research and have enough funds to promote the findings.
Naasz said the processors’ proposal is contingent on a matching contribution of $250,000 in the first year, from the state apple associations representing fresh apples. Based on production the following contributions are being sought from apple producing states: Washington-$125,000; New York-$35,000; Michigan-$32,500; California-$27,500; Pennsylvania-$12,500; Virginia-$10,000 and New England-$7,500.
The Washington Apple Committee and the New York Apple Association have committed to their share of the contribution for research, contingent on the approval from all of the other states, according to Naasz. He said the other state apple organizations will discuss the proposal at meetings in late spring or early summer.
The proposal was presented to the state apple industry leaders at USApple State Advisory Committee meeting in Phoenix in February. The funding will allow for continued and expanded research on the nutritional benefits of apples and apple products. “If they agree then we have the funding to go forward. Additional research would get underway immediately,” Naasz said.
Results of a human feeding study, jointly funded by USApple and the Processed Apples Institute (PAI), will likely be published in the next several months, according to Naasz. “This research should demonstrate the positive findings from earlier laboratory studies that show that the antioxidants in apples help to retard the negative aspects of bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease,” Naasz said.
The lab studies and the human feeding trials are being conducted at the University of California–Davis (UC-Davis). USApple and PAI are considering several other studies related to the health and nutritional benefits of apples, he said.
The good news about apples from the UC-Davis lab research reached 83 million consumers last year via media exposure, Naasz said. “We know that health based research has a great deal of appeal to our primary shopper ages 25-49,” he said.
In a public relations effort to have articles published about apples in major magazines, USApple hosted a health symposium and signature meal in New York City on April 13 for national food writers from publications such as Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day, Ladies Home Journal and Gourmet Magazine, according to Julia Daly, public relations director for USApple. The event was well attended by media from 20 major media outlets.
The event featured Elizabeth Pivonka, from the Produce for Better Health Foundation and Dianne Hyson from UC-Davis as speakers and a meal of all apple dishes prepared by Mark Rosenstien, apple cookbook author and chef from Asheville, N.C.
The event was part of an effort by USApple to get consumers to eat more apples and show them ways to include apples in their diet through how-to information such as recipes, variety and health information and storage tips, Daly said.
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