The quality of superfoods

The quality of the products is an essential criterion of choice and the presence of certain labels certified by recognized organizations makes it possible to guarantee this quality.

The best known is the label AB for Organic Agriculture, it guarantees the absence of pesticides and synthetic chemical fertilizers in the plants, but it also and above all ensures the traceability of the products, very important when they are produced on the other side of the world! Organic Agriculture is a mode of production that combines optimal environmental practices, respect for biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and the assurance of a high level of animal welfare. Thus, our superfoods are all from organic farming, certified by Ecocert FR-BIO-01. Ecocert is a control and certification company approved by the public authorities, it intervenes in the field, unannounced or planned, in order to guarantee compliance with standards specific to organic farming.

The AB logo is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Forestry in France. At the European level we find that ofEurosheet, which meets the same criteria as the AB logo.

Other organic labels also exist such as the Bio Cohérence label, the Bio Partenaire label or the Nature et Progrès label.

It is important to check the quality of our products and this therefore involves quality control carried out in specialized, certified and accredited laboratories, which aims to verify:

• tHE organoleptic characteristics (color, appearance, taste and smell)

• there nutritional composition (amount of nutrients that make up the food)

• tHE contaminants (microbiology, heavy metals, pesticides)

Each product has its own characteristics, which is why each batch is packaged and carefully controlled according to good manufacturing practices (GMP) and ORGANIC certification.

Information like latin name or theorigin of products are also verified to guarantee optimal quality and traceability of the products. Please note that superfoods remain natural products and therefore vary depending on the climate, from one plantation to another, which is why the composition and organoleptic characteristics can sometimes vary somewhat.

Because the quality of the products depends on that of the raw materials, we rigorously select our suppliers. It is always preferable to turn to a well-identified supplier, producer or distributor with whom you can establish a relationship of trust.

The preference will obviously be for european and even French suppliers and producers in our case, whether for the quality and regulatory, local economic or even environmental aspects. Our Hemp seeds, for example, come from a preferred supplier in Brittany. Other products come from further afield such as Acai berries from Brazil or Goji berries from China. Indeed, it is often in their original country that these foods are richest in benefits, although for certain plants cultivation can be developed elsewhere.

So during the selection process, we tried to respect the region where the products were grown in order to benefit from all their benefits and promote sustainable and eco-responsible production. For each selected product, monitoring and traceability of materials are ensured in order to guarantee the best quality.

Superfoods are subject to food regulations and therefore fall under Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 known as INCO (Consumer Information) of the European Parliament and the Council. The mandatory indications for the labeling of superfoods are as follows:

• there sales name, for example “Hulled Hemp Seeds”.

• there full list of ingredients included in the composition of the product. These are generally cited in descending order as is the case for cosmetic products for example. Allergens should also be mentioned.

• there nutritional declaration with energy value, amount of fats, saturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins and salt.

• there net quantity of the product by volume or mass must appear on the labeling.

• there minimum durability date as well as conservation and storage conditions are to be specified.

• the instructions for use or using advice allowing appropriate use of the product.

• if special precautions are to be taken, they must be mentioned.

• more formal criteria such as batch number, the contact details of maker, his name and address must be provided for traceability purposes.

A superfood should not claim to prevent or treat disease. However, it is entirely possible to put messages on these products: the famous allegations! These are non-obligatory messages suggesting that the product has particular properties. Its properties are justified by a defined proportion of a particular nutrient in the food. There are two types of claims described in EC Regulation 1924/2006, nutritional claims and health claims.

• Nutritional claims : this is any claim which states, suggests or implies that a food has beneficial nutritional properties thanks to the energy (caloric value) and/or nutrients that it provides or not. They are translated by quantitative declarations, for example “rich in iron”, “source of proteins”, or by comparative claims “low in salt”.

• Health claims : they correspond to statements affirming, suggesting or implying a relationship between a product and health. For example, we find claims mentioning the role of a nutrient on growth, on psychological or behavioral functions or even on the feeling of hunger or satiety. There are also health claims relating to the reduction of the risk of disease or relating to the development of the child. For example, you can find this mention “Vitamin E helps protect cells against oxidative stress with its antioxidant action” or “EPA and DHA help maintain normal and balanced cardiac activity”.

Nowadays, we are aware that many of the foods found on our supermarket shelves undergo treatment, refining and other transformations. Processed foods are above all the result of massive industrialization of our agri-food products. This has the advantage of lowering the cost of products, reducing preparation time in our kitchens and even allowing a diversified choice. However, these processed foods, which constitute too large a part of our diet, also have many disadvantages. By processed food we mean simple products to which salt, sugar, oil or other culinary substances have been added such as canned foods, ham, cheeses, etc. Not to mention ultra-processed foods which also bring together a good number of additives and other ingredients without any nutritional benefit. Their disadvantages therefore seem quite obvious, particularly from the point of view of our health…

This therefore brings us back to fundamental things, eating foods as close as possible to nature, namely unprocessed or minimally processed foods obtained directly from plants or animals, therefore 100% natural. Among them we find our famous superfoods. And with this same perspective, it is important to focus on products that are as raw as possible because it is in this state that they keep maximum of their nutritional richness. The famous vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins or other nutritional substances can lose a large part of their nutritional value under the effect of certain thermal or chemical treatments.

Thus during the drying, dehydration or freeze-drying processes, the superfoods have not undergone no heat treatment above 42°C. This mention is important because it is considered that above 42°C, most nutrients begin to be deteriorated by heat and therefore lose their nutritional benefits.

There dehydration and the drying consists of partially or completely eliminating the water contained in the food. The microbiological risk is thus considerably reduced and most chemical or enzymatic deterioration reactions are slowed down. These techniques thus allow a better food preservation. Dried fruits have the particularity of being much more concentrated in nutrients, we can thus find up to 3 to 5 times more calories, carbohydrates or minerals than in fresh fruit.

There freeze drying is a dehydration process which consists of removing water from a food, using a very low temperature (-20°C) and vacuum. The process maintains the taste, freshness and color intact. It allows to preserve 80% of vitamins and enzymes, mainly carotene, anthocyanins and vitamin C. This technique is reserved for foodstuffs with high added value such as acai or acerola for example.

To preserve the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of superfoods, it is important to store them in a cool, dry place and protected from light.