Olam Coffee, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Olam Food Ingredients, has developed a range of coffee cherry cascara products.

Cascara is the pulp and skin of the coffee cherry fruit. It has a sweet flavor with notes of cherry, raisins and caramel. The company uses a wet processing method to produce pulped cascara, which has a fruitier flavor and deeper color, and a dry processing method to produce a husk variety, which lends itself to fruit concentrates and extracts.

Olam Coffee offers a range of dry cascara products for tea infusions and flour; liquid cascara concentrates for jams, jellies, dessert toppings and bakery fillings; and soluble cascara powder for use in hot and cold ready-to-drink beverages and mixes.

The ingredients offer several health benefits, containing twice the antioxidants found in blueberries, acai and pomegranate. Cascara also contains bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and chlorogenic acid, which may help with weight control, the company said.

“There also is the environmental benefit of utilizing the skin and pulp that’s otherwise discarded as a byproduct in the primary processing stage,” says Siva Subramanian, vice president of innovation at Olam Coffee. “And as demand for this superfruit grows, upcycling cascara will provide more coffee farmers with an additional source of income.”