Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

Nutritious cranberry drink flooded the Jamaican market 10 years ago and, since July of this year, the country has surpassed the United States as its number one consumer per capita based on sales of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice. Ocean Spray is a 100-year-old brand in the U.S., but Jamaica is ahead by 10 per cent in sales.

It is estimated that 20 million litres of cranberry juice are consumed annually by Jamaicans in a $1.5 billion industry.

William Mahfood, managing director of WISYNCO, distributors of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, attributes the success of cranberry in Jamaica to the health consciousness of the people.

"What it does spell out, is that Jamaican consumers are aware of what is healthy and what is good," he told The Gleaner.

Due to the large market now in the country, Mr. Mahfood said WISYNCO was in the final stages of developing a new factory to produce cranberry juice in Jamaica, for the Caribbean.

However, every product has its pros and cons and, as nutritionist Dr. Heather Little-White explains, some brands of cranberry juice on the market have added sugar and are not 100 per cent juice.

"The only problem is some brands have high fructose ... juice cocktails. There are additions of other things that could reduce the full potency of the juice itself," she told The Gleaner.

Health benefits

Research has shown that cranberries, long known as a source of vitamin A and C, potassium and fibre, play a vital role in:

Preventing food poisoning by disabling certain types of E. coli bacteria. This has been confirmed by a new study conducted by researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Cranberries also prevent urinary tract infections

Reduce the risk of gum disease, ulcers, heart disease and cancer.

According to the January 2006 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, cranberry juice can inhibit the growth of lung tumours, colon and leukaemia cells.