WILD Answers
Purple Carrot: What is it Good For?
Purple carrot is originated in North Africa. This exotic relative of the conventional carrot is a very interesting variety due to its high anthocyanin content, where the characteristic dark coloring of the root derives from. Anthocyanins, the red pigments in plants, belong to the secondary plant products, the flavonoids or polyphenols. Since they have no nutritional properties, food technologists in the thirties even thought they might be vitamins. But this was later shown not to be the case. Nevertheless, flavonoids do have powerful antioxidizing properties. Epidemiologic research has indicated that there is a probable link between the intake of flavonoids and resistance to cardiovascular disease.
Extracts of the purple carrot have up to now almost exclusively been used for natural color enhancement in beverages. WILD has now been successful in developing juice concentrates and flavor packs from purple carrot that are ideal ingredients in drinks. In combination with red fruits in particular, they provide an excellent opportunity to come up with new, innovative products for the high growth market or wellness and functional drinks.