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24 March 2004
New Berry Initiative
Berries are poised to give a boost to the nation's health with the launch of a new initiative which it is
hoped will see them become a regular part of the Scottish diet.
A key new appointment at the University of Dundee has been tasked with highlighting the nutritional benefits
of berries and helping them become an everyday, accessible staple food in the Scottish diet.
Funded by Scottish Food and Drink in association with Scottish Enterprise, Claire Paterson will join the
Berry Scotland Programme in the role of Marketing Co-ordinator. The Berry Scotland Programme aims to promote
an increase in the consumption of Scottish soft fruits in Scotland for the benefits of the nation's health
and the Scottish berry industry. In particular, the programme wants to make berries from our highly
successful local and national soft fruit industry more available to people who wouldn't regularly eat fresh
raspberries and strawberries.
Claire explains: "Soft fruits are currently marketed as a luxury product at the top end of the market and are
not an option for low income families. What I want to do is investigate possible partnerships with the food
industry to use pure berry purees and frozen forms of the fruit in a wide range of products so that the
health benefits are reaching people who will really benefit from them."
Soft fruit is known to have considerable health benefits including antioxidant properties which may help
prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Despite these health benefits and the
fact that soft fruit is widely grown in Scotland, Scots currently eat around 19g of soft fruits per week, the
equivalent of just 1 strawberry or 5 raspberries per week (National Food Survey 2000).
Claire will be undertaking an audit of the industry including quantities of fruits used, barriers and
opportunities to the use of Scottish soft fruits, and promotion and marketing work currently being undertaken
within the sector. She will also be working towards identifying opportunities for the development of healthy
new products containing Scottish berries that match marketing opportunity with consumer demand.
Maggie McGinlay, director of Scottish Food & Drink, Scottish Enterprise says there are sound economic
reasons for promoting more berry consumption, in addition to its nutritional qualities: "Second grade fruit
is often rejected or left unpicked , yet they contain the equivalent nutritional quality as first grade
fruit. These fruits have excellent development potential which will contribute to the local economy through
job creation. New development will also add to the range of Scottish products which can be promoted
internationally."
Berry Scotland was inspired by work in Finland where significant health benefits were recorded following a
programme which included a Berry project to increase consumption of soft fruits. The North Karelia project
was a public health programme adopted by Finland in 1972 to combat their high rate of heart disease and high
fat diet * a health record very similar to Scotland's. The berry programme was a small part of this wider
public health initiative but produced considerable benefits. Fruit and vegetable consumption increased from
about 20 kg per person annually in 1972 to 50 kg in 1992. Soft fruit products are now part of the staple diet
in Finland and school children and adults alike eat a range of berries on a regular basis.
Claire graduated from the University of Stirling in 2001 with an honours degree in marketing and worked in
both the voluntary and professional services sectors before becoming part of the Berry Scotland programme.
Notes for Editor:
The Marketing Co-ordinator will be based at the Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research in the
University of Dundee's Medical School and will work alongside the Berry Scotland Scientific Co-ordinator.
The Berry Scotland Board includes scientists, representatives from Scottish fruit growers, experts on
rural land diversification and marketing groups working together to produce a strategy to benefit health, the
economy and agriculture.
Scottish Food & Drink is an industry-led initiative to help individual companies develop through shared
experience and innovation. It is supported by the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and
facilitated by Scottish Enterprise. It offers a range of programmes and support to help companies develop and
maximise competitive advantage.
For further information contact Professor Annie Anderson 01382 496442
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk
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