Kiwi Fruit & the Food Industry

Kiwi Fruit production continues to grow in response to the demand for high content of polyphenols, vitamins C and E, and folate.

For example Italy remains the worlds largest producer having achieved a 9.1 per cent volume growth, creating a market worth 297 million euros at basic prices, up a considerable 15.3 per cent on the year before.

Current global production stands at around one million tonnes, with Italy contributing over 400,000 tonnes to this figure in the year 2006 to 2007. New Zealand is next in line with about 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes, followed by Chile and a handful of other producers.

Although only a few percent of the volume of for example oranges this is quite an amazing development for a fruit that entered the market in the 1960s.

The article describes considerable developments in the ingredient, nutraceutical and even cosmeceutical markets.