Industry Insights and Telling Results

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When you purchase California Raisins, you’re supporting small, family-run farms. Only 2,000 growers produce 100-per-cent of California Raisins; all living within a small portion of the San Joaquin Valley. Within this 60-mile radius around Fresno, Calif., the conditions are perfect for creating the ideal raisin: lots of sunshine and dry heat combined with a consistent water source from the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains.

“California raisins have commanded a premium price on the world market for a long time – and users are happy to pay for them,” says Tim Kenny, vice-president, Marketing, at California’s Raisin Administrative Committee. “They have a superior taste and are grown under the strictest standards (both federal and state-issued) in the world. We feel the consistency of our product is high partly because they are grown in such a small area. This region of the valley is ideal for both growing the grapes and drying the raisins.”

California Natural Seedless Raisins (California Naturals) are dark in colour and are naturally dried in the sun. This is done either by laying the grapes on brown-paper trays to absorb heat from the sun and the ground, or by drying while still on the vine (with the water supply to the grapes cut off). Their dark colour is the result of oxidization and caramelisation during the drying process. California Golden Seedless Raisins are dried mechanically, resulting in their distinctive golden colour.

Recent survey results suggest raisins are one of the first things that come to Canadians’ minds when asked about dried fruits and most knew they were grown in California. Three quarters of Canadians snack on raisins, while six in 10 use them in baking and 32 per cent use them in cooking. Canadian participants aged 55 or older were also significantly more likely to be aware of the nutritional attributes of California Raisins.

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