Consumption of nutrients, like antioxidants and folic acid, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, has been linked to a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it is well settled that eating fruits high in soluble fiber can reduce cholesterol levels which protects against atherosclerosis.
Other advantages of having a diet high in fruit include better athletic performances, reduced risk of developing chronic bronchitis, a lowered risk of getting most common cancers (including breast cancer), as well as a lowered risk of getting cataracts. Additionally, fruits, like avocado, are high in protein, vitamin E, C, and beta-carotene and may be linked to stroke prevention.
While food products comprising fruits and vegetables have been linked to health benefits in humans, such products are often difficult to prepare for sale in commerce. This is true because the quality of food products comprising fruit often deteriorates (e.g., browns, darkens, grows mold and/or loses flavor) due to enzymatic reactions within the food product, thereby resulting in a product that has a short shelf life and does not have an appealing look or taste after spending a limited period of time in conventional commercial channels.
Known techniques have been used to inhibit the deterioration of food products comprising fruits and/or vegetables. These known techniques include pasteurization of the fruit, high vacuum processing for removing oxygen, and chemically treating the fruit with sulfiting agents before making the food product. The above-described known techniques do not eliminate, for example, browning and darkening in food products comprising fruit, and such techniques have adverse effects on the flavor, aroma, texture and nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables treated, as well as the food products prepared therefrom.
It is of increasing interest to develop a ready-to-serve and ambient stable fruit-based composition that does not, for example, easily brown, darken and lose flavor and that has an extended shelf life at ambient temperature. This invention, therefore, is directed to a ready-to-serve and ambient stable fruit-based composition that has not been subjected to chemical treatment, high vacuum processing and temperatures over about 85° C. The ready-to-serve ambient stable fruit-based composition of this invention is low in fat, substantially free of starch, and suitable to be a beverage, filling, dip, sauce, spread, dressing or the like. Moreover, the ready-to-serve ambient stable fruit-based composition of this invention can be prepared from under ripe, ripened and/or over-ripened fruit and is ambient stable for at least about eight (8) weeks after opening. Such a fruit-based composition has substantially the same visual, texture, aroma and taste attributes of a fruit-based composition made on demand from freshly picked fruits.