The UK baking sector continues to provide many opportunities for California Raisins says the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC), based in the UK, who promotes the California Raisins brand.
Worth an estimated £4.14bn, bakery is one of Britain’s biggest food markets. According to the Federation of Bakers, the three principal sectors account for 75% of value: large plant with 75%, in-store 20% and craft with 5%. The Raisin Administrative Committee has developed a strong working partnership with UK bakers helping them produce new products.
TRANSPARENTLY GOOD
Around 60% of dried vine fruit imported into the UK is used in bakery and food manufacturing and you will find California raisins in hundreds of different baked goods. As well as being 100% natural, users and consumers are assured that California Raisins will be clean and ready for immediate use. California Raisins are sweet, juicy and intensely fruity. They have a variety of different uses in food manufacturing. The concentration of sugars in California Raisins is consistent, they will not crystallise, none of the flavour is lost through cracking and they will stand up to all types of manufacturing processes. California Raisins will not collapse when added to mixtures or during the manufacturing and processing and retain all their nutritional properties. As well as adding bulk and volume to foods, they do not discolour any surrounding ingredients.
The California raisin industry produces an annual total of approximately 300,000 tons, in an area within a 60 mile radius of Fresno, California, known as the central San Joaquin Valley. Japan and the United Kingdom are the top two export markets. The growers and packers in the Valley have invested heavily in sophisticated equipment and state of the art computer technology to ensure that California raisins are the cleanest and safest raisins in the world.
“Around 60% of dried vine fruit imported into the UK is used in bakery and food manufacturing and you will find California raisins in hundreds of different baked goods”
California raisins are produced from the Thompson seedless grape. The California raisin was ‘invented’ by William Thompson in 1876 when he crossed the Lady de Coverley grape with other varieties to produce a seedless grape, perfect for producing raisins. Sun dried California raisins use natural sunlight to produce raisins and take up to three weeks in the hot California sun; to produce what is commonly referred to as a Maillard effect. During sun-drying the skin of the raisin acts as a ‘cooking vessel’ retaining the juices inside and helps convert some of the sugars to primary elements. The effect also produces a rich, caramel flavour and gives California raisins their characteristic dark, rich taste.
THE POWER BEHIND THE BRAND
The Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC) has been promoting the California raisins brand to the trade and consumer in the UK for over 25 years via a wide range of marketing activities. RAC, UK supports the trade with product development and new product ideas to instore POS promotions assisting promotion of new products containing California Raisins.
Contact info@ukraisins.com to see how we can assist you.
