Imperfect plums repurposed into new food products

Nutrafruit is extending the life of overlooked Queen Garnet plums by converting them into new shelf-stable products.

Each growing season, visually imperfect plums go to waste as they fall outside the fresh market standards. As the fruit still retains its full nutritional value, Nutrafruit made the decision to repurpose the plums, providing the fruit’s nutrient-rich properties in a different form.

By freeze drying surplus plums, Nutrafruit was able to create nutrient-dense powders and shelf-stable nectar, brought to market through the company’s consumer brands PurQ and Queen Garnet.

“This fruit has always had incredible nutritional value, regardless of how it looks,” said Nutrafruit CEO Sid Ghosh.

“What we are doing is making sure more of it is used, not wasted, and that people can access those benefits beyond the harvest window.”

Bonney and Sid Ghosh. Image: Supplied

The Queen Garnet plum is claimed to have 20 times more anthocyanins than regular plums and six times more than blueberries. By repurposing the plums, the company is able to extend its short four-month harvest.

“There has always been a fruit that doesn’t make it to the shelf, even though it’s still high quality,” said Victorian grower Jimmy Kalafatis. “Now it has a purpose. It means less waste and more return from what we grow.”

Ghosh said this process proves that there can be food systems where waste is reconsidered as a resource.

“We are challenging the idea that value is only in what makes it to the shelf,” Ghosh said. “There is far more potential in every harvest. This is about making sure we use it.”

Top image caption: Queen Garnet plums. Image: Supplied