Credit: Mrs Julie Cumming, CSIRO, 2024 | View the full article
Date with density: the science behind YFRESH’s jujube revolution
Through the CSIRO Kick-Start program, YFRESH teamed up with our Health and Biosecurity team.
The research was carried out at Analytical Laboratories – Nutrition and Health by our Adelaide Analytical team. They have unique pre-clinical and analytical capabilities – not to mention over 20 years of experience in analyses for various food and ingredient companies.
A compositional analysis of jujubes at various stages of ripeness – using three fresh jujube fruit and one freeze-dried sample – showed varying levels of nutrient composition.
Dr Cuong Tran is a Senior Research Scientist at Nutrition Interventions for Human Health. He said the compositional analysis of the jujube fruit established that ripeness does not affect the nutrient composition.
“However, the freeze-dried fruit product tested had higher dietary fibre levels than their fresh counterparts based on a per 100-gram weight basis,” Cuong said.
“The total dietary fibre of fresh jujube was 3 g/100 g of fruit, whereas the freeze-dried fruit product contained 11 g/100 g of dried fruit.”
Based on weight per 100 g, the freeze-dried fruit product had higher levels of protein, fat, and sugar than the fresh jujube fruit.
In addition, the fresh and freeze-dried jujube fruit tested had higher in-vitro antioxidant capacity compared to a broad range of fruits. These included apple, strawberry, and banana.
A redefined farming approach
Following the findings from the CSIRO Kick-Start project analysis, YFRESH is now diving into product development for value-added trials. These are set to kick off this year. They also trademarked in six countries, including Australia.
Bill Efrosinis, the Business Development Manager at YFRESH, emphasised the significance of their CSIRO Kick-Start project.
“The CSIRO Kick-Start project played a crucial role in ensuring that we’re harnessing valuable natural resources to cultivate nutrition for consumers,” Bill said.
“Now armed with knowledge about the nutrient values of our jujubes at different stages, we’re redefining our farming approach, paving the way for new supply channels and business opportunities.”
Sandy also noted the support received during YFRESH’s R&D journey.
“We’ve felt incredibly supported by the CSIRO Kick-Start program and their teams as we embarked on our research and development journey,” Sandy said.
“This support allowed us to establish strong relationships and trust with key individuals, enabling the R&D 101 conversations we needed in the development of the project scope and to interpret the results.”
