What are Sunsweet® Ingredients made with?

Sunsweet Ingredients are made with a variety of prune plums that originated in Agen, France, that was brought to California and grafted onto local rootstock. These prunes are much higher in sorbitol, desirable acids, fiber, and antioxidants than common table plums. Fresh or dried, Sunsweet’s prune plums are among the world’s healthiest foods. At the same time, their rich flavor, deep color, smooth texture, and bright acidity inspire a range of culinary applications.

What distinguishes Sunsweet’s plums from other prune plums is the special care and proprietary processes used to ensure they have exceptional flavor, nutritional components, and antioxidant phenolic compounds (up to 150 mg per 100gm).

Sunsweet has farming relationships in California, Chile, Argentina, and Australia, but all of our processing takes place at our 22-acre factory in Yuba City, California, the largest dried plum processing facility in the world.

Are Sunsweet® prunes GMO-free?

Yes, Sunsweet prunes and Sunsweet Ingredients are GMO-free.

Are Sunsweet® Ingredients available for consumers?

Sunsweet Ingredients are sold to professionals in the food industry and foodservice fields. For our consumer products and recipes for home cooking, please visit Sunsweet.com

How is it possible to use Sunsweet® Ingredients to reduce sugars when dried plums also contain sugar?

The sugar content of a dried prune plum is 40% lower than raisins and 50% lower than dried cranberries. Yet Sunsweet prunes still taste sweet because 20% of their sweetness comes from sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, which is not included in the calculations for sugars or calories. In addition, the natural acidity of the fruit draws out sweetness. This sweetness also comes through in our range of ingredients.

How do Sunsweet® Ingredients help reduce fat?

Sunsweet Ingredients can mimic the richness of fats in baking: the prune’s fiber and sorbitol bind water and interrupt gluten networks. For example, when Dried Plum Puree is used in cake batter in place of butter or oil, it results in a cake that is moist and tender but with fewer calories. With meat and poultry items, our ingredients help retain moisture, which also makes foods taste richer with less fat. Lean beef, lamb, or turkey burgers taste more decadent with Dried Plum Puree blended into the ground protein.

How can Sunsweet® Ingredients help to reduce salt?

For almost all recipes that have been modified to incorporate plum ingredients, it is also necessary to reduce salt to achieve the right balance of flavor. An example is with barbecue sauces. In formulations with Sunsweet Ingredients, sodium levels were reduced between 30 to 70%. The reason is that our ingredients naturally draw out flavor, accenting food much like a few drops of lemon juice can. This comes from organic acids, mostly malic and quinic, which make up about 1.5% of the ingredients.

What artificial ingredients can Sunsweet® Ingredients help eliminate?

One of the most effective technical applications for Sunsweet Ingredients is using them for moisture retention in proteins such as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey. When mixed into a marinade at small quantities, the moisture retention capabilities of the ingredients allows them to take the place of phosphates or other moisture binding ingredients. Sunsweet Ingredients also allow for the elimination of caramel color, since the ingredients naturally enhance browning.

Does the USDA approve the use of Sunsweet® Ingredients in meat and poultry products?

Fresh Plum Concentrate, Dried Plum Powder, and Dried Plum Puree are approved to be used as binders for meat and poultry in the United States. According to the USDA’s Table of Safe and Suitable Ingredients under Binders, these three ingredients can be added at levels of up to 2% of the total product formulation when used for moisture binding. This limit does not apply when the ingredients are used as a flavor component.

Can Sunsweet® Ingredients be used in meat and poultry products in Canada?

The Food Directorate at Health Canada considers Fresh Plum Concentrate a “non-additive food ingredient” in meat and poultry products. For specifics on how non-additive food ingredients can be used in meat and poultry products, consult the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) guidelines. We also recommend asking the CFIA for guidance on food labelling requirements. Fresh Plum Concentrate may not permitted in all meat and poultry products.