Carpinteria, CA (PRWEB) June 10, 2014
Hollandia Produce, L.P., a leading greenhouse grower and shipper of hydroponic lettuce and leafy greens, announced its Grower Pete's 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."
To learn more about Hollandia Produce or Grower Pete’s Living Watercress, visit http://www.growerpetes.com/water.html.
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: hollandiaproduce.com.