Acai Harvesting & Sustainability

How Acai Fruit is Processed 

This berry has been used as a staple food in traditional Amazon cultures for many thousands of years - and the method of acai harvesting has changed very little since then!

Locals will climb the tall slim acai tree, with the assistance of a foot harness, until they reach a cluster of acai berries. The bunch is then cut and then dropped into a waiting cradle below.

Since this berry is so full of enzymes, there is in fact very little time in which to process the fruit before it will begin to degrade and lose its nutritional potency - usually less than 24 hours.

The acai fruit is quickly removed from its bunches by collectors below and then collected within large cane baskets. Much of the time processing facilities are nearby - thus reducing travel time so as to preserve the integrity of the berry.

  Freeze Drying - Quality is Ensured

Before processing, the acai berry is soaked in warm water for between 30 - 40 minutes, thus allowing for easier removal of the flesh. As 90% of the fruit is in fact seed, large quantities of berries must be processed. The acai is then either manually converted to pulp (as seen to the left), or reduced mechanically within large manufacturing plants.

Once the pulp is removed, it then undergoes a process called Lyophilization - more commonly known as freeze drying. At this stage, the acai pulp is frozen solid, whilst at the same time reducing the surrounding atmospheric pressure, thus allowing the frozen water in the pulp to evaporate from the solid state of ice directly into gas.

The application of high vacuum and very cool temperatures (below 50 degrees celcius), removes virtually all of the water content from the acai pulp - leaving nothing but a very fine powder. As freeze drying greatly reduces the water content, virtually all microorganisms and enzymatic activity are removed - thus allowing for a product that will not spoil or degrade. Learn more of the benefits of freeze drying...

The complexity of freeze drying inevitably adds cost to the final product - but let it be known that this is the only way in which the original nutrition and bio - availability of the acai berry remains intact!