Decas owns 500 acres of bogs and supplies more than 50-million pounds of cranberries and cranberry products annually.

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Self-described as “The Cranberry Ingredient Experts,” Carver, Mass.-based Decas Cranberry Products was founded in 1934, shortly after three brothers migrated from Greece to New England. Fascinated by the “uniquely American berry,” the company says, Nicholas, Charles and William Decas purchased several cranberry bogs and began growing, processing and marketing their own fruit.

The Decas brood was “innovative when it came to harvesting and handling cranberries,” President and CEO Jeff Carlson says. “They were the first company to put fresh cranberries into individual cellophane bags for A&P supermarket in the 1960s. Additionally, the family has been instrumental in improving the efficiency of growing and harvesting cranberries.”

The family’s flair for innovation continued through the 1990s, when the company developed a method that entailed slicing the cranberries, infusing them with sugar and other components and drying them to create sweetened dry cranberries. The patented process became the cornerstone of Decas’ business.

Today, Decas owns 500 acres of bogs and supplies more than 50-million pounds of cranberries and cranberry products annually. These include sweetened dried cranberries, cranberry concentrate, frozen whole cranberries and cranberry extracts. To meet the growing demand, the company maintains strong long-term relationships to source cranberries from more than 160 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Oregon, it says.

The Healthy Berry
The demand for cranberries has never been higher. In fact, Decas has had to expand its facilities three times in five years to accommodate the growing demand for its premium sweetened dried cranberries, Carlson says.

“Food Trend magazine [put out by market research company Mintel] reported that the United States is leading the way with launches of cranberry products rising from 16 in 2006 to 207 in 2007,” he notes. “The Canadian number rose from 12 in 2006 to 145 in 2007. Europe saw new cranberry-containing products rise from nine to 176 in the same period.” The most common cranberry-infused products hitting the market in the past year were trail mixes and snack energy bars, according to Mintel.

“We attribute these trends to the healthy aspects of cranberries,” says Doug Klaiber, general manager for Decas Botanical Synergies, the company’s health-focused division. “Cranberries are the only fruit in the world with a health claim associated with it,” he continues. “In 2004, AFSSA – the equivalent of the FDA in France – awarded the cranberry a health claim that indicates it can help prevent urinary tract infections. And it’s only been in the last 20 years or so that there is some good research that has proven the cranberry’s ability to prevent harmful bacteria from sticking.”

Further research has shown that cranberries may help prevent gastrointestinal issues related to ulcers, gum disease, heart disease, cancer and inflammatory disorders, he adds.

‘Fruitaceuticals’ Prescribed
Cranberries contain the highest amount of antioxidants of most common fruits, Klaiber notes, but Decas wanted to kick it up a notch. Using the same technology used to create its sweetened dried cranberries, Decas leveraged the process to infuse its cranberries with other healthy components under its Fruitaceuticals label. “Fruitaceuticals is our brand that makes supercharged super-fruits,” he explains. “We’ve taken our patented technology to enhance the nutritional value on something that’s already healthy and good for you. By eating dried fruit, you get much lower calorie content and sugar content than you would if you made a juice. We believe our patented technology in the dried fruit arena is a great vehicle for a lot of these new enhanced nutritionals, so we’re going to take advantage of our vertical integration to come up with supercharged super-fruits.”

Fruitaceuticals’ first two products are OmegaCrans, cranberries enhanced with extra omega-3 oil from cranberry seeds, and Pomecrans, which are cranberries infused with an extra antioxidant punch of pomegranate concentrate. Certain of its super-fruits’ success, Decas opted to take its patented process beyond its cranberry borders by applying the process to other kinds of fruit, namely goldenberries or Cape gooseberries.

“They come from the Andes Mountains and are grown at a high altitude,” Klaiber explains. “Their fiber content is four times higher than prunes and they contain other healthy ingredients such as vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants. They’re a beautiful golden color and have a tart, wonderful taste. They have a very strong citrusy note to them and would be an excellent component to a trail mix. They’re just being introduced now, but we think they will go over quite well in the United States.”

Organic Offerings
“We are one of the largest suppliers of organic cranberries, specifically in the sweetened dried organic cranberry market, and we’re taking a leading position as far as trying to acquire as much organic fruit as we can,” Carlson says. “We’re helping various cranberry growers develop certified organic cranberries as people are becoming more conscious of not just the food they eat, but how the food is grown and prepared. So, we are a certified organic manufacturer and supplier.”

“Our new BerryOrganics line will appeal to companies eager to tap into the growing market for wholesome berry products while looking for the added edge provided by organics,” Klaiber adds. “We’ve experienced, first-hand, the growth in organics though our cranberry product line and look forward to bringing our experience into the broader berry marketplace.”

Getting Green
Decas says it is also innovative when it comes to being green. “Major initiatives are underway, with one being a reclamation project where we’re trying to utilize as much of the byproduct of our cranberry processing as we can,” Carlson says.

“That way, we reduce the amount of compost being generated. We’re utilizing the full component of the cranberry from seed oil for our Fruitaceuticals brand to the pomace, which is sold for pet food.”

In addition, Decas recently converted a one-quarter of a million cubic feet of manufacturing and warehouse space to high-efficiency lighting.

The company also operates a closed-loop manufacturing water supply system on site. Its wastewater treatment plant uses captured methane from the anaerobic treatment unit to fuel its boiler. It has also reduced its manufacturing water usage by 50 percent in the past five years.

Decas is currently conducting a wind turbine electrical system plot study. “We have a grant from the state to see if we have enough wind capacity,” Carlson says. “We’re hoping to be able to utilize the wind to power our facilities.”

Community Commitment
Decas’ nine farms in southeast Massachusetts provide habitats for several species of rare and endangered plants and animals. “There are bald eagles nesting in some of our cranberry bogs,” Carlson says. “Hundreds of acres boarding the bogs have been set aside for use in various communities in the area. This is a legacy from the Decas family to future generations to allow them to use all the beautiful lakes and forests for hiking, bird watching, fishing and horseback riding.”

Going Abroad
In the coming years, Decas expects to take its brands to more international markets; presently, more than 20 percent of its business is overseas. Although they are but one of three North American native fruits, “Cranberries have been showing up around the globe,” Klaiber says.

“People are looking for more unique flavors, things that are tasty and healthy, and that has been driving a lot of this interest. Also, cranberries are very cost-effective. Blueberries, for instance, are much more expensive, so people have been looking at cranberries as a good alternative to add to their product line.”

“In recent years, the cranberry crop size has increased, but last year the harvest was flat due to a poor growing season, so satisfying the demand for cranberry products is a challenge,” Carlson admits. “But, we are stronger than we’ve ever been in the history of the industry. I think that cranberries have benefited from the healthy eating trend, which isn’t a fad, and we expect to see interest continue to grow into the foreseeable future.”