Seeds from kiwi fruit, strawberries and raspberries are among the common seeds used; while chia seeds are often added to juices or smoothies as well.
As well as making sure products look as natural as possible, seeds and other parts of the fruit can boost fiber content and offer greater viscosity, says natural ingredient company Döhler.
Chunky purees
“Seeds are the ultimate thing to show that the product is really from the fruit, you can really see it,” explained Simon Rouwen, senior product manager, Döhler, speaking to this publication at Brau Beviale in Germany this month.
“Five or ten years ago you would have had purees very smooth. What we see more and more is chunky purees… purees with little seeds inside, little particles of the skin, little parts of the fruit flesh inside.”
He uses apple puree as an example.
“You could say the standard apple puree in the market is apple puree from a peeled apple. My grandmother always told me don’t peel your apple, the best part is in the skin. And it’s true. So we have an apple puree with the particles of the skin inside. The skin does two things: it brings viscosity and fiber content.”
Rouwen sees smoothies coming back into fashion in Europe, thanks to their natural appearance. Fruit preparations for yogurt and ice cream are other categories that are turning more and more to chunky purees.