Tree Fruit Bio‑product Research
Supporting the Nova Scotia tree fruit industry
The Tree Fruit Bio-product (TFB) Research Program on the Agricultural Campus, a cooperative initiative between industry, government and academia, was established in October, 2003 to explore the value-added and bio-product development opportunities for the Nova Scotia fruit industry.
The long-term goal of the program is to enhance the economic value of tree fruit crops and to ensure the sustainability of the Nova Scotia tree fruit industry. This will be achieved by introducing novel value-added food and feed products, natural health products, and other bio-products for industrial processes using tree fruits and their under-utilized by-products.
It is now well known that certain plant chemical substances (e.g., polyphenols) carry properties that are beneficial to human health. These polyphenols, especially flavonoids, are the primary components of fruits that provide antioxidant and other physiological properties, bringing health benefits beyond the basic nutritional benefits. Health-care concerns have accelerated consumer interest in the agri-food industry’s ability to provide dietary antioxidant-enriched value-added food products with these healthful properties.
The newly established natural products chemistry research laboratory at the Faculty of Agriculture, in collaboration with other regional and national research institutions, is in the process of executing several product development research initiatives for the Atlantic fruit industry.
Current research and development initiatives
- developing health-food ingredients for bakery products;
- natural antioxidants for stability of food and nutraceutical lipids;
- natural antimicrobials for extending the shelf life of minimally processed fruits and vegetables;
- poultry feed additives to reduce sudden death syndrome;
- apple-based healthy snacks;
- and fruit antioxidants enriched functional beverages, among others.