ENZAFoods
ENZAFoods, a subsidiary of Turners & Growers, has three processing plants, one at Hastings and two at Nelson. In total they receive over 100,000 tonnes of fruit annually, 90% of which is made into concentrates, or juice. The Nelson plant was built in 1962 by the former New Zealand Apple and Pear Marketing Board and the Hastings plant in the early 1970s. Hastings now takes 55% of the volume and Nelson the remainder. The third plant, at Nelson, produces fruit ingredients like apple slices, dices and purees, which accounts for 7500 tonne annually of finished products. Hastings does 10,000 tonnes of carrots annually and Nelson 7000 tonnes of berryfruits.
The technology is standard, but the quality of the NZ apples and the expertise and ingenuity of the ENZAFoods staff lifts the standards of the products and the reputation of ENZAFoods on world markets. Konig says a process of continuous improvement rather than new equipment keeps ENZAFoods competitive against Chinese and other competition, which drove world prices for apple concentrates down by over 40% over the past 5 years, although prices have recovered about 10-15% in the past 6 months due to a shortage of fruit in China from their 2005 harvest. China now produces 45% of the world apple crop, with very low operating costs. However the Chinese product is generally bland and sweet and not as flavoursome as NZ, which comes from our apple growing conditions and care during processing.
Apple concentrates are freely traded around the world largely without tariffs except for Europe, which has a 30% duty. Australia, Canada and the US are close to tariff-free markets. NZ supplies Australia, in spite of the fireblight ban on apples, because juice is heat-treated.
Notable domestic customers include Frucor Beverages, formerly owned by the Apple and Pear Marketing Board and now NZs premier producer of fruit-based consumer beverages, Phoenix Organics and Bulmer Harvest, a cider maker in Gisborne.
Production
Three types of apple juice concentrates or AJC are produced clear, cloudy and organic. The clear juice is a commodity product traded against keen competition in NZ and around the world, used as bases for other fruit drinks. The cloudy concentrate is a premium product with more fibre, more flavour and satiety. In all 75% of concentrates are exported, to Australia, Japan and the US. In Japan, a market serviced by ENZAFOODS for over 20 years, ENZAFoods sells apple variety specific juice, which is a point of difference for New Zealand. Organic juice makes up less than 10% of production but there is an unsatisfied demand for the organic products.
The only additives are enzymes and flocking agents, certainly no preservatives, and ENZAFoods is strict on growers spray diaries to ensure that the proper withholding periods for chemical applications have been observed. Its products are subject to random sampling here and in the market, to test for residues.
Concentrates are sold in a variety of packaging forms, including road tankers, 200-litre drums and 17,000-litre bladders inside of 20-foot shipping containers.
In the Nelson fruit ingredients plant the products are sliced apple, diced apple, and apple puree. They are sold in a range of packaging, including the world-first flexible bag, or pouch pack. ENZAFoods came up with the means of treating and filling the bags to ensure sterility without having to subsequently cook the bags and destroy the texture of the apple. This packaging method has completely replaced canning for ENZAFoods. Those pouch packs come in 3kg and 15kg, are aimed at the catering and baking industries in NZ and Australia, and this technology is now being used to drive both product and geographical diversification for the company, with the first such venture in the process of being established in Thailand packing processed pineapple pieces. Nelson also dispatches apple puree in 200 litre drums, mainly to Japan, where it is added back to juice to enhance flavour and mouthfeel.
A third product stream is flavour volatiles which are the aromas which come off first when the apple juice is evaporated into concentrate. These are variety related and are sold to other product makers to add back and impart added flavours and aromas.
ENZAFoods has a demand for the Coxs Orange Pippin variety of concentrates and volatiles which cannot now be satisfied because that variety has been replaced in NZ orchards by Royal Gala and Braeburn and now Jazz. Jazz is now creating new interest in the market due to its fresh flavour and great image. However Konig says by and large the replacement of apple varieties is not an issue for ENZAFoods.
All incoming apples are generally stored on the yard until processed as cold storage adds too much cost to the final product. Apple concentrates are produced from February through until September. A certain amount of fruit maturation before crushing enhances the cloudy concentrates. Once juice is in the vat it stores indefinitely.
The waste product contains good fibre levels, carbohydrates and proteins and is sold to dairy farmers for fodder supplementation.
Recently ENZAFOODS has embarked on a programme of developing and launching specialty and added value products. These include a special apple base that enables beverage manufacturers to create a shelf-stable smoothie-style of fruit beverage, and two recent product additions in the form of Apple Syrup and Fruit Hitz. Apple Syrup, in three flavour varieties, is a tasty, and healthy, addition to any apple pie to enhance flavour, a topping over ice cream and waffles or pancakes, or an excellent base for cooking as marinade or baste. Fruit Hitz, which comes in 90 gram foil pouches, is pure pureed apple with other fruit additions, aimed at the kiddies lunchbox market a very convenient and fun way of enjoying the goodness of an apple without the hassle of peeling and cutting the fruit.
Health claims
ENZAFoods makes no specific health claims for its products, but does draw attention to the growing body of evidence from health experts who say apples and apple products contain high levels of compounds known as phytochemicals, which the polyphenol and proanthocyanidin compounds that act as powerful antioxidants that prevent or reduce cell and tissue damage from free radicals in the body. Anti-oxidants are thought to possibly protect from cancer by "mopping up" molecules responsible for cell damage, which can trigger the disease.
Drinking apple juice also appears to slow down a process which leads to heart disease. Compounds in apples and apple juice called phytonutrients act in much the same way that red wine and tea do to delay the break down of LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which can coat the heart arteries and lead to blockages.
Polyphenols have been medically linked to human health benefits including immune system regulation, anti-cancer, circulatory and heart disease/stroke reduction, anti-microbial and anti-diabetes. Apples have considerable antioxidant power in the form of polyphenols. Some 100g of fresh apples has the antioxidant activity equivalent to 1500mg of vitamin C. That antioxidant activity persists through into the apple concentrates and fruit products.
The technology is standard, but the quality of the NZ apples and the expertise and ingenuity of the ENZAFoods staff lifts the standards of the products and the reputation of ENZAFoods on world markets. Konig says a process of continuous improvement rather than new equipment keeps ENZAFoods competitive against Chinese and other competition, which drove world prices for apple concentrates down by over 40% over the past 5 years, although prices have recovered about 10-15% in the past 6 months due to a shortage of fruit in China from their 2005 harvest. China now produces 45% of the world apple crop, with very low operating costs. However the Chinese product is generally bland and sweet and not as flavoursome as NZ, which comes from our apple growing conditions and care during processing.
Apple concentrates are freely traded around the world largely without tariffs except for Europe, which has a 30% duty. Australia, Canada and the US are close to tariff-free markets. NZ supplies Australia, in spite of the fireblight ban on apples, because juice is heat-treated.
Notable domestic customers include Frucor Beverages, formerly owned by the Apple and Pear Marketing Board and now NZs premier producer of fruit-based consumer beverages, Phoenix Organics and Bulmer Harvest, a cider maker in Gisborne.
Production
Three types of apple juice concentrates or AJC are produced clear, cloudy and organic. The clear juice is a commodity product traded against keen competition in NZ and around the world, used as bases for other fruit drinks. The cloudy concentrate is a premium product with more fibre, more flavour and satiety. In all 75% of concentrates are exported, to Australia, Japan and the US. In Japan, a market serviced by ENZAFOODS for over 20 years, ENZAFoods sells apple variety specific juice, which is a point of difference for New Zealand. Organic juice makes up less than 10% of production but there is an unsatisfied demand for the organic products.
The only additives are enzymes and flocking agents, certainly no preservatives, and ENZAFoods is strict on growers spray diaries to ensure that the proper withholding periods for chemical applications have been observed. Its products are subject to random sampling here and in the market, to test for residues.
Concentrates are sold in a variety of packaging forms, including road tankers, 200-litre drums and 17,000-litre bladders inside of 20-foot shipping containers.
In the Nelson fruit ingredients plant the products are sliced apple, diced apple, and apple puree. They are sold in a range of packaging, including the world-first flexible bag, or pouch pack. ENZAFoods came up with the means of treating and filling the bags to ensure sterility without having to subsequently cook the bags and destroy the texture of the apple. This packaging method has completely replaced canning for ENZAFoods. Those pouch packs come in 3kg and 15kg, are aimed at the catering and baking industries in NZ and Australia, and this technology is now being used to drive both product and geographical diversification for the company, with the first such venture in the process of being established in Thailand packing processed pineapple pieces. Nelson also dispatches apple puree in 200 litre drums, mainly to Japan, where it is added back to juice to enhance flavour and mouthfeel.
A third product stream is flavour volatiles which are the aromas which come off first when the apple juice is evaporated into concentrate. These are variety related and are sold to other product makers to add back and impart added flavours and aromas.
ENZAFoods has a demand for the Coxs Orange Pippin variety of concentrates and volatiles which cannot now be satisfied because that variety has been replaced in NZ orchards by Royal Gala and Braeburn and now Jazz. Jazz is now creating new interest in the market due to its fresh flavour and great image. However Konig says by and large the replacement of apple varieties is not an issue for ENZAFoods.
All incoming apples are generally stored on the yard until processed as cold storage adds too much cost to the final product. Apple concentrates are produced from February through until September. A certain amount of fruit maturation before crushing enhances the cloudy concentrates. Once juice is in the vat it stores indefinitely.
The waste product contains good fibre levels, carbohydrates and proteins and is sold to dairy farmers for fodder supplementation.
Recently ENZAFOODS has embarked on a programme of developing and launching specialty and added value products. These include a special apple base that enables beverage manufacturers to create a shelf-stable smoothie-style of fruit beverage, and two recent product additions in the form of Apple Syrup and Fruit Hitz. Apple Syrup, in three flavour varieties, is a tasty, and healthy, addition to any apple pie to enhance flavour, a topping over ice cream and waffles or pancakes, or an excellent base for cooking as marinade or baste. Fruit Hitz, which comes in 90 gram foil pouches, is pure pureed apple with other fruit additions, aimed at the kiddies lunchbox market a very convenient and fun way of enjoying the goodness of an apple without the hassle of peeling and cutting the fruit.
Health claims
ENZAFoods makes no specific health claims for its products, but does draw attention to the growing body of evidence from health experts who say apples and apple products contain high levels of compounds known as phytochemicals, which the polyphenol and proanthocyanidin compounds that act as powerful antioxidants that prevent or reduce cell and tissue damage from free radicals in the body. Anti-oxidants are thought to possibly protect from cancer by "mopping up" molecules responsible for cell damage, which can trigger the disease.
Drinking apple juice also appears to slow down a process which leads to heart disease. Compounds in apples and apple juice called phytonutrients act in much the same way that red wine and tea do to delay the break down of LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which can coat the heart arteries and lead to blockages.
Polyphenols have been medically linked to human health benefits including immune system regulation, anti-cancer, circulatory and heart disease/stroke reduction, anti-microbial and anti-diabetes. Apples have considerable antioxidant power in the form of polyphenols. Some 100g of fresh apples has the antioxidant activity equivalent to 1500mg of vitamin C. That antioxidant activity persists through into the apple concentrates and fruit products.