Download Grower Pete`s Organic Watercress Named Most Nutrient Dense Food

Contact:
Renee Cooper, Marketing Manager
Phone: 805 684-4146
Fax: 805 684 -9363
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
New Study Reveals Grower Pete’s Organic Living Watercress Contains Highest Nutrient Density
CARPINTERIA, Calif. – JUNE 9, 2014 – Hollandia Produce, L.P., a leading greenhouse grower and shipper of hydroponic
lettuce and leafy greens, today announced its organic watercress is now a category leader in a new study naming
powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV).
Jennifer Di Noia, a researcher from the William Paterson University in New Jersey, conducted
the study to provide a clear definition for “powerhouse foods and vegetables” (PFV) known to
contain the highest amounts of crucial nutrients needed to avoid chronic diseases. Of the 41
fruits and vegetables identified as meeting the criterion, watercress topped the list, with a nutrient
density score of 100.
“This is great news,” said Hollandia Produce Marketing Director Vincent Choate. “Not only does
this study validate our own third-party research and recent Superfood certification, it helps
consumers to make more informed choices about foods that can positively impact their overall
health.”
Earlier this year, Hollandia Produce’s cress products were certified as antioxidant-rich
superfoods. SCS Global Services (SCS), a third-party certifier of food quality and safety, confirmed that Live Gourmet
Living Upland Cress and Grower Pete’s Organic Watercress contain high quantities of lutein, an antioxidant known to
fight cancer-causing free radical compounds and support eye health.
The study: “Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables: A Nutrient
Density Approach” was recently published by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. It looked specifically at fiber, protein, potassium,
calcium, iron, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, folate, zinc, and the vitamins A,
B6, B12, C, D, E and K, the 15 nutrients considered of public health
importance as recommended by the United Nations' Food and
Agriculture Organization and the Institute of Medicine.
Of the 47 different foods examined, Di Noia identified 41 that meet the
powerhouse criterion for providing at least 10 percent more daily values
per 100 kcal of the 17 qualifying nutrients.
"It is a nutrients-to-calories ratio that expresses the means of percent
daily values for the qualifying nutrients the food provides per 100
calories," Di Noia explained of the scoring system that she used. "So,
higher-ranking foods provide more nutrients-per-calories."
About Hollandia Produce
Founded in 1970, Hollandia Produce, L.P. is family owned and operated agricultural business specializing in hydroponically greenhouse grown
vegetables. Located in Carpinteria, California, the company grows, ships, and distributes its certified organic label Grower Pete’s, and its Live
Gourmet® line of products, which are harvested with their roots intact to preserve freshness. The company’s signature crops, Living Butter Lettuce,
Living 3-in-1 Lettuce and Living Red Butter Lettuce are all delivered to market in the company’s award-winning clamshell packaging, which serves as
a mini-greenhouse to reduce damage, shrinkage and contaminants. As living plants, these products have exceptional long-lasting freshness that
retains flavor and color much longer than comparable varieties in the produce department. For more information, visit:
www.hollandiaproduce.com.
Hollandia Produce, L.P. | P.O. Box 1327| Carpinteria, CA 93014