Let’s unlock the potential of coffee with Cascara

The coffee bean that we all know and love is technically not a bean at all, but rather a seed - a seed from the coffee cherry fruit, to be exact. The flesh of this fruit, called Cascara, is usually thrown away once the coffee seed is removed during the coffee production process.

When discarded in nature, Cascara can have negative consequences on the environment. When it is dumped into waterways in large amounts, it pollutes the water and harms aquatic life. When it is sent to landfills, it breaks down and emits greenhouse gases such as methane, thereby contributing indirectly to climate change.

However, this need not be the case. In fact, in some countries such as Yemen and Bolivia, where coffee has been grown since ancient times, Cascara is traditionally consumed as a type of tea. This tea is often more popular than coffee to locals, because it is so quick and easy to prepare – for starters, it doesn’t even require roasting coffee beans!

Regretfully, however, this custom is relatively unknown in other parts of the world. This is a shame, as Cascara is full of antioxidants! In fact, Cascara is the fourth highest antioxidant-rich food in the world(1), according to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) chart. For comparison, it has 78 times the antioxidants of blueberries.

When properly processed as a new food product, Cascara potentially meets two consumer needs:

1-???As consumers simultaneously grow more wary of food waste and environmental issues, Cascara has significant potential as an upcycled agricultural by-product with a positive environmental impact. ??

2-???With its antioxidant credentials, Cascara could be extremely attractive to consumers who take a proactive approach in maintaining their health.

At MANE, our product portfolio evolves in tandem with consumer needs and societal trends. Now is an opportune time to introduce the flavours of Cascara with our concentrated extract. With delicate nuances of fruity and herbal notes, Cascara can also offer distinct tonalities such as thyme, melon and even wintergreen. It all depends on how and where it was processed.

With its mild and palatable taste, Cascara has already been launched in European and North American markets in the form of soda, syrups and even as a type of baking ingredient. It just goes to show that Cascara’s application possibilities are limited only by the imagination!

If you are interested in finding out more about how Cascara could be a good fit for your product portfolio, drop me a DM and I will be happy to get in touch!

Source: (1)???https://superfoodly.com/orac-values/