Baobab to Feature at 2010 FIFA World Cup

The magnificent baobab tree, with its sturdy trunk and broad, root-like crown, is one of Southern Africa’s icons and a well-known sight in photographs and travel brochures. Not as well-known is the fact that the tree’s fruit and leaves are both edible, and the baobab fruit is particularly nourishing and rich in vitamins and antioxidants.


Now, the benefits of baobab (Adansonia spp.) are to be experienced by millions of overseas consumers, with the September 2009 announcement that the US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) has approved the importation of baobab powder, made from the pulp of the fruit, into the US. This is significant for the hundreds of African farmers who derive a living from the massive trees.


Harare-based Phyto Trade Africa is the driving force behind the application for export. The announcement follows PhytoTrade’s successful application to the European Commission, which gave its approval for export to Europe in July 2008


PhytoTrade, a trade association, helps rural farmers in Southern Africa get their natural products to market. It represents thousands of producers across eight nations in the region and states its purpose as poverty alleviation and the protection of biodiversity by promoting sustainable, ethical and economically viable enterprises.


In October 2008 PhytoTrade prepared its submission to the FDA under the “generally recognised as safe” (Gras) classification. The Gras food additive classification indicates that the additive has been deemed safe for its intended use. The evaluation is performed by suitably qualified experts. Gras-certified additives are exempt from the usual full FDA pre-market review. Now that Gras status has been conferred on locally produced baobab powder, PhytoTrade and its commercial partner, plant extract specialist Afriplex, will look at launching products in the US as soon as the beginning of November 2009.


PhytoTrade communications director Dr Lucy Welford, based in Cape Town, said the application has been put together with a view to capitalising on the current popularity of African food in overseas markets such as the US.


The 2010 FIFA World Cup is another useful platform which will assist in the marketing of baobab products, by creating greater awareness of Africa and African foodstuffs. PhytoTrade hopes that products will be available locally in time for football's biggest tournament, which kicks off in June 2010.


Billion-dollar industry
PhytoTrade believes that baobab powder has the potential to spawn a billion-dollar industry, with health-conscious consumers showing increasing interest in exotic flavours and products that offer extra benefits, and adhere to Fairtrade  standards to boot. Farmers are paid fairly for their produce and, said Afriplex, the big buyers also return a portion of their sales profits to the villages to fund community projects.


According to PhytoTrade’s CE, Gus Le Breton, there is already strong interest in the powdery substance. “Dozens of companies have shown interest in baobab since we submitted the application,” he said, “and many have already conducted initial research. Now that approval has been given, they can progress to full-scale product development.”


Health benefits
Baobab’s vitamin C content is up to three times that of an orange. In addition to its high levels of antioxidants, it contains natural fibre, calcium and iron. The fruit is also a source of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid), as well as pectin and citric, malic and succinic acids. Baobab oil contains vitamins A, D and E. Both fruit and leaves can be eaten, while the bark is used to make rope. Outside Africa the fruit and leaves of the baobab are not eaten directly – the fruit is generally processed first to the fine white powder and then added to food and drink products.


Baobab powder is particularly suited as a nutritious additive for thicker drinks such as smoothies, and can also be used in jams, cereals and cereal bars, and biscuits. The healthy drinks and snacks market is a top priority for PhytoTrade.


Tree of life
In Africa, the baobab grows primarily in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, where it is the national tree. Baobabs can grow as old as 1 000 years.


According to a 2007 study written by marketing economist Ben Bennett of Britain’s Natural Resources Institute, the sustainable harvesting of baobabs has the potential to bring in an extra US$1-billion (R7.35-billion) into Africa annually. Up to 2.5-million poor households stand to gain work and income through this.


Wild harvesting of baobabs and collecting fruit from the trees or the ground will ensure the sustainability of the process. And as a source of income, baobabs will act as a deforestation deterrent because people will be more eager to protect them and less willing to chop them down to clear space for other crops.

Baobab Helped My Chronic Liver Failure

A woman who has lived with chronic kidney failure for 15 years claims her condition has been dramatically eased by eating a bizarre African "wonder" fruit.


Janine Franssen, 36, was diagnosed with renal failure last year and told she urgently needed a kidney transplant as her's was functioning at only seven per cent of normal capacity.


A scramble to find a suitable donor started and Janine was surgically fitted with equipment to allow for dialysis once her kidneys failed - which she has been told is inevitable.
But after the discovery of the Baobab fruit, Janine's kidney function has improved and she has even been taken off the transplant list.


She insists it is all down to drinking ground-up Baobab in water, and said: "It feels like I have won the lottery." After nine months of worrying about her failing kidneys she says she has a new outlook, although she is well aware she has not been cured.


The discovery of the fruit was made by her partner Mark who read an article about the Baobab's high concentration of vitamins and nutrients.
They decided to import some to see if it could help Janine stay strong during the wait for a kidney donor. The large, dry fruit has only been available in Europe since July last year.
It is said to have around six times the vitamin C content of an orange, more iron than red meat, more magnesium than spinach as well as high levels of calcium and antioxidants.


It is said that this makes it a valuable aid in the prevention and treatment of gastric and irritable bowel syndrome conditions, and effective for osteoporosis, varicose veins and even haemorrhoids. Janine grinds it down and takes it with water in the morning and afternoon.


The Clydebank woman said she was "astonished" at the difference baobab made, and she credits it with her kidney function now climbing to 20 per cent. Janine, who lives on Dumbarton Road, told the Post: "Mark said I should try it for a couple of months to see if it could increase my kidney function - buying me some time to get donor tests completed. "Within that first month I started to notice some changes like my hair and nails getting stronger. "The following week I had a hospital appointment to see where my kidney function was at and miraculously it had gone from seven per cent to twelve per cent. "I was amazed as was my consultant and, not only that, but my blood pressure and cholesterol had come down."


Janine knows at some point she will need a kidney transplant - when her's succumbs to the illness she has had since 1994 - and her sisters Lesley and Annsophia, boyfriend Mark and close friend Christina have all now been tested for kidney donation. But with her improvement she has been able to return to her work as an administration assistant - something unthinkable just 12 months ago. Janine said: "I am under no illusions but I now have hope my kidneys will last a bit longer. My doctors reckon they will."

Baobab King of the Nutricosmetics Market?

Tasty new snacks and beverages are addressing beauty concerns. Will this whet the health conscious consumers appetite for nutricosmetics?  While Western consumers are showing greater interest in supplements and functional foods and beverages that claim to lower cholesterol or boost immunity, the “inner route” to beauty just might be the African Tree of Life, the mighty Baobab. Here is why

With vitamins C and E, biotin, zinc and phytonutrients, Beautiful nourishes and hydrates the skin. Where can consumers find this new skin treatment? Try the candy aisle. It’s a Dove milk chocolate bar from Mars Snack food.  The Mount Olive, US-based chocolatier is just one company touting functional foods and beverages considered nutricosmetics—the nexus of personal care and nutrition science.

The Baobab tree must be one of the most intriguing trees growing on the African continent - and is often referred to as the "upside-down" tree which can have a lifespan of up to 6,000 years. Baobab is highly moisturizing, emollient and soothing which is partly due to the ingredients found in the oil. It contains vitamins A, D, E and F. Vitamins A and F (which are polyunsaturated fatty acid) are actively involved in the rejuvenation and renewal of cell membranes, while vitamin E is a superior antioxidant, which helps to fight aging.

Baobab oil is ideal to help treat dry and damaged skin, as well as for intensive hair care and its soothing properties are helpful for eczema and psoriasis treatments due to the Omega 3, 6 and 9 contained in the oil. It is also said to alleviate pain from burns and regenerates the epithelial tissues in a short time, thereby improving skin tone and elasticity.

Market research firm Kline and Company values the global nutricosmetic market at $1.5 billion, with Europe and Japan accounting for a whopping 96% of sales. This presents a huge growth opportunity in both the U.S. and Asia where there is growing interest in these products, especially as the public become acquainted with a wider array of functional foods and drinks that promote health.

Inside Out Beauty Ltd., a UK-based company that touts Sip, a flavored water with beauty benefits, has extended its brand with new iced lollipops. LicketySip iced lollies—available in mango, lemon and blackcurrant—contain skin-friendly ingredients such as rose petal extract sourced from an organic farm, as well as vitamin C and selenium. They have no preservatives or artificial sweeteners or colours and are flavoured with fruit extracts. Baobab fruit pulp has a particularly high antioxidant capability mainly because of its high natural vitamin C content, which is equivalent to 6 oranges per 100 g. and twice the calcium content than milk.

Magic Fruits Beauty Snack GmbH, which launched a beauty snack in Austria in 2006, continues to expand distribution throughout Europe. The snack—which contains vitamins, trace elements and secondary plant compounds contained in freshly picked fruit—is now available in Germany and Switzerland, and will make its debut in Holland, Hungary, Scandinavia and Great Britain by the end of the year.

In addition to its high levels of antioxidants, baobab contains natural fibre, calcium and iron. The fruit is also a source of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid), as well as pectin and citric, malic and succinic acids. Baobab powder is particularly suited as a nutritious additive for thicker drinks such as smoothies, and can also be used in jams, cereals and cereal bars, and biscuits. The healthy drinks and snacks market is are an ideal platform for baobab.

Drink Up!
For Tea Cakes, Luna teamed with The Republic of Tea, a company that boasts a wide range of specialty teas, including some with beauty-based functionality. The company’s Be Well Red Tea collection includes Get Gorgeous, an herbal tea that promotes healthy skin with South African Rooibos, a naturally caffeine-free, anti-allergenic herb recognized for antioxidant properties. Get Gorgeous, which has been available since 2006, also includes skin-soothing chamomile flowers rich in anti-inflammatory azulene, orange peel with bioflavonoids to strengthen veins and cell walls, hibiscus flowers for vitamin C, hormone-balancing chaste berry and burdock root.

Baobab is an example of a super fruit that started out in cosmetics but is moving into food and can now be found in so called ‘beauty foods’ such as cereal bars and smoothies. Baobab fits into the term ‘Turbo beauty trend’ that sees the power of formulations being ramped up to deliver real discernible results. Baobab is also probiotic, stimulating  the healthy bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract, the body’s silent partners for good health, optimizing the power of the immune system to fight disease and the “bad” germs.

What a Pill!

Taste doesn’t matter nearly as much in the supplement side of the nutricosmetics market, where proponents contend a quick swallow delivers key nutrition that benefits skin, hair and nails. And while P&G pulled the plug on its ingestible beauty products, others hope their new supplements will win over mass consumers. 

   

Earlier this year, Sally Hansen launched a new nutritional collection that includes topical Nail Nutrition Daily Growth Treatment and Nail Essentials Dietary Supplement. This once-a-day supplement delivers 3mg of Biotin to stimulate growth, smooth ridges and increase nail strength by 25%, according to the company. In addition, it contains vitamins to help neutralize free radicals that may compromise healthy nail growth and cystine and MSM, natural sources of sulfur that help form the supporting structure of nails.

Baobab seems to be king, it has so many beneficial properties  your natural way of getting your essential vitamins and minerals.

·         Excellent source of vitamin C

·         High calcium content

·         Antioxidant

·         Prebiotic properties

·         B-complex Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6)

·         Minerals and; organic acids

·         Natural source dietary fibers.

Dr Baobab of Wild Harvest Pharma points out the obvious link between diet and health.

“It makes so much sense to me; you are what you eat. But people are accustomed to thinking of it as topical skin care. They look at skin as a separate organ unrelated to the rest of the body,”

What’s Ahead
As experts debate their benefits, nutricosmetics and functional foods have caught the eyes of big players inside and outside the beauty industry, suggesting nutricosmetics will remain an area of focus.
   
For example, last fall, Anheuser-Busch signed an agreement with Borba to distribute and market its Skin Balance Waters and Aqua-Less Crystallines. Eyes are on Danone to see if it will bring Essensis, a “beauty” yogurt available in Europe, to the U.S. Rumors continue to swirl around the launch of Lumaé, a health and beauty soda from Coca-Cola and Nestlé, which owns a stake in L’Oréal. Kelly Just last month, Intelligent Nutrients, headed by Horst Rechelbacher, unveiled new certified organic health and beauty products including Intellimune oil and tablets, which deliver key antioxidants to prevent premature aging and combat oxidative stress. 

According to Datamonitor, sales of functional foods in the U.S. alone are expected to rise 4.7% a year to $10.6 billion by 2012. But how will U.S. consumers increase their consumption of nutricosmetics. Baobab is to be processed and exported to US food markets, bringing in better incomes for rural African farmers.  Now, the benefits of baobab (Adansonia spp.) are to be experienced by millions of overseas consumers, with the September 2009 announcement that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the importation of baobab powder, made from the pulp of the fruit, into the US.

 This is significant for the hundreds of thousands of African harvesters, producers and sellers  who derive a living from the massive trees. Zimbabwe's Harare-based PhytoTrade Africa is the driving force behind the application for export. The announcement follows PhytoTrade’s successful application to the European Commission, which gave its approval for export to Europe in July 2008. In October 2008 PhytoTrade prepared its submission to the FDA under the “generally recognised as safe” (Gras) classification. The Gras food additive classification indicates that the additive has been deemed safe for its intended use.

PhytoTrade believes that baobab powder has the potential to spawn a billion-dollar industry, with health-conscious consumers showing increasing interest in exotic flavours and products that offer extra benefits, and adhere to Fairtrade standards to boot.

According to a 2007 study written by marketing economist Ben Bennett of Britain’s Natural Resources Institute, the sustainable harvesting of baobabs has the potential to bring in an extra US$1-billion into Africa annually. Up to 2.5-million poor households stand to gain work and income through this.

Wild harvesting of baobabs and collecting fruit from the trees or the ground will ensure the sustainability of the process. And as a source of income, baobabs will act as a deforestation deterrent because people will be more eager to protect them and less willing to chop them down to clear space for other crops.

Zebra Cyber Cafe

Thank you for visiting Zebra Cyber Cafe. We are a family run business and we have learned a great deal about being an entrepreneurs and running a small business in The Gambia. When the Internet began here in 1998, there was only one cyber cafe, today, there are several Internet cafes and hot spots all over The Gambia and the demand for public Internet access keeps growing geometrically. 


As one would except, Internet cafes come in all shapes and sizes: some have many computers, others just one; some offer a full menu and some no food or beverages at all; and some provide a large variety of printing and peripheral services, whilst others do not. So what makes CYBERCAFE different? Well, we put a big emphasis on service. Right from the beginning, we believed that technology is only as good as the people supporting it. And for public Internet access in The Gambia this means providing a friendly and knowledgeable staff who can help you with most questions. In addition, we designed Zebra Cyber Cafe to be very comforting. This is achieved in a variety of ways including our range of workstations, the soothing light panel walls, and selection of additional services like colour printing, scanning and webcams. At Zebra Cyber Cafe, you can check your email and listen to the latest news online. 


Our family business have always believed that the combination of a unique, relaxing atmosphere and superb service is essential to the growth of public Internet facilities. Since our launch of Zebra Net we have had so much fun and I hope you will enjoy the Zebra Cyber Cafe experience as much as we do. 
Thank you again! Fonyaato!
Zebra Internet Cafe Team
                        

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