Study to grow 'healthier' berries

Blackcurrant production has increased in the UK

Scientists are attempting to develop blackcurrants that are super-rich in vitamin C to help make fruit drinks healthier and tastier.

The Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee has identified how vitamin C is produced in blackcurrant bushes and now hopes to improve the process.

The £1.2m study aims to increase vitamin levels and fruit quality by altering starch deposits on the plant.

It is hoped the crop improvements will give UK farmers a competitive edge.

SCRI team leader Dr Robert Hancock said the research, which does not involve genetic modification, would benefit consumers.

"Vitamin C is vital to tissue growth and repair and gives a big boost to the immune system, but because it dissolves in water the body cannot store it.

"We need to eat vitamin C-rich food every day, but people just do not get enough.

"Blackcurrants contain more vitamin C than oranges, so boosting that even further can only be a good thing."

The research, which is also being conducted at East Malling Research in Kent, is part-funded by GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Ribena.

'Real benefits'

Other funders include the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Horticulture Development Council and the Scottish Executive.

BBSRC director Prof Nigel Brown said: "BBSRC is a strong supporter of this type of research where basic plant science can help to improve the dietary and health benefits of popular foodstuffs.

"This is an example of how collaboration between different research groups with public and commercial funding can produce real benefits for consumers, producers and the UK food industry."

Blackcurrant varieties bred at the SCRI are grown all over the world, accounting for more than half the global crop.

The different types of berry are all named after Scottish mountains, such as Ben Hope, Ben Tirran and Ben Alder.