In 2010, Euromonitor International reported that raw food was tipped to be the next big food craze, but it has remained a niche, with only a core following among the most health-conscious consumers. While the word “raw” is increasingly being seen across numerous food and drink products alike, whether used to describe a diet or market a product/brand, it is yet to target the mass market. The key reasons for this include a lack of strong evidence with regard to the benefits of raw food and concerns about the safety of manufacturing raw foods.
 
Nevertheless, those manufacturers determined to develop raw food products should look to grow their presence by embracing technologies such as high pressure processing (HPP). Using pressure instead of heat to eliminate microbes from the food or drink allows for a pasteurized product with greater vitamin and mineral retention, which is ultimately more nutritious.
 
What is Raw?
Raw foods can be defined as food and drink products whose ingredients are not subjected to temperatures of more than 46°C (115°F) to ensure that the composition of the structure of the food does not change. This is meant to ensure that the food remains “living,” (i.e., a cooked seed will not grow but a raw seed will). This method, however, does raise concerns about contamination and the health risks associated with unpasteurized food.
 
To date, only those categories that do not require the product to be heated above 46°C, such as chocolate, have seen growth. In fact, a larger number of health-concerned companies are launching raw chocolate variants because the cocoa is never heated beyond 42°C and as such lends itself perfectly to the raw foods concept.
 
Using High Pressure Processing to Grow Raw Foods
However, one way in which to potentially boost the growth of raw food and make it more mainstream is to utilize effective technologies such as HPP.
 
HPP is a water-based technology that is an approved process permitted for use on organic and natural products. HPP is a method of food processing in which the food—solid or liquid—is subjected to elevated pressures of 100,000 psi to achieve microbial inactivation. This pressure inactivates most vegetative bacteria. At the same time, HPP is said to maintain food quality and natural freshness and extend microbiological shelf life.
 
As the process does not cause heat degradation—which occurs during cooking—it is particularly beneficial for heat-sensitive products with a high acidity content, such as fruits. Fruit juice brands such as U.K.-based Coldpress use the process to ensure the vitamin content in the juice remains as high as possible. The brand, available in all major U.K. supermarkets/hypermarkets, claims that its apple juice contains 200% of the RDA for vitamin C, for example in comparison to Innocent’s 18%.
 
The Raw Smoothie, present at the 2012 Natural & Organic Products trade fair, is using the “raw food” concept to differentiate itself from other smoothie brands such as Innocent. The company’s manufacturing process uses HPP to remove pathogens without the application of heat, claiming that the nutritional value of the product is preserved and is therefore higher than that of other products on the market. And in fact, this does appear to be the case, particularly for heat-sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C.
 
Target Fruit-Based Baby Foods & Snack Bars
This technique could be successfully expanded beyond fruit juices to prepared baby food as parents are hugely concerned about their children’s food intake and want to ensure that they have the best start in life. Organic prepared baby food was one of the best performing health and wellness categories over 2007-2012, achieving a CAGR of 7%.
 
Raw snack bars also offer opportunities for expansion, especially if they have a high fruit content. Go Raw, for example, which was present at Nutracon 2013 in California, launched an organic “real live apricot bar.” Fruit bars do offer raw food companies an avenue for expansion due to a growing audience, with the category achieving a current value CAGR of 3% over 2007-2012.
 
Could HPP Provide an Avenue for Raw Milk?
Raw milk is another product that has gained a niche but strong consumer following. However, due to selling constraints linked to concerns about public health, raw milk has to be purchased from the farm gate, farmers’ markets or mobile units. HPP could be used to extend the refrigerated shelf life—and remove food-born pathogens such as Escherichia coli, salmonella and listeria—of milk along with vegetables and soup, for example. This could lead to greater awareness among more mainstream consumers.
 
For further insight, please contact Diana Cowland, Health and Wellness Analyst at Euromonitor International, at diana.cowland@euromonitor.com
 
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The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect views held by Nutraceuticals World.