Ingredient Overview
Cranberry is known for its sharp, tart fruit and long use in juice and food products. Its proanthocyanidins, commonly abbreviated PACs, are a focus of cranberry extract standardisation.
Cranberry extract is made from Vaccinium macrocarpon fruit. The characteristic tartness of cranberry is familiar from juices and dried-fruit foods. Extract development places more emphasis on fruit constituents such as PACs. This gives a cranberry ingredient a different purpose from a sweetened juice mix, with the fruit’s polyphenol composition becoming the main point of interest.