Health benefits boost sales of broccoli sprouts By Steve Raabe
The Denver Post
Denver Post original article
(RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)
No thanks to an ex-president and his infamous anti-broccoli statement, the vegetable in its sprouted form is poised for a comeback.
Sales of broccoli sprouts are growing as word of their purported health benefits begins to spread among consumers.
A chemical compound in the sprouts, sulforaphane, could be effective in treating or preventing various cancers, research studies have shown.
Sales are surging at Northglenn-based Friends Trading Co., one of Colorado’s two major producers.
Friends’ sales have increased by an average of 25 percent a year over the past three years as the firm has landed supply contracts with Safeway, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods.
At Friends’ indoor growing facility, broccoli seeds
are placed in rotating steel drums and sprinkled with constant streams of water for four days until they sprout.
Workers package the sprouts in 4-ounce plastic cartons for distribution to retailers, where they sell for $3 to $4.
Safeway spokeswoman Kris Staaf said the sprouts have a “loyal following” among some customers. Still, the sprouts are considered a niche product.
“It’s an education challenge,” said Pat Duffus, co-owner of Friends Trading. “When you say ‘broccoli sprouts’ to 10 people, eight of them will give you a blank look.”
Broccoli sprouts resemble the more common alfalfa and clover sprouts — pale green and stringy. They’re suitable for eating raw, garnishing sandwiches or cooking.
Peer-reviewed studies at several research institutions suggest that the sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts may help stop the growth of malignant tumors stemming from breast, prostate and other cancers.
The research, however, has been conducted primarily on mice. The purported therapeutic benefits for humans have not been confirmed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may not be used in marketing of the sprouts.
Not everyone loves broccoli, perhaps most notably former President George H.W. Bush, who in 1990 said, “I do not like broccoli. I’m president of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”
Two years later, scientists at Johns Hopkins University released a study of broccoli’s potential therapeutic benefits against cancer.
The Hopkins researchers subsequently found that broccoli sprouts have 10 to 20 times more sulforaphane, ounce for ounce, than whole broccoli.
“The claims about sulforaphane are correct,” said Rajesh Agarwal, a professor of cancer pharmacology at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. “There is a lot of interest in sulforaphane as an anti-cancer agent.”
The Hopkins scientists incorporated Brassica Protection Products for research and marketing of sprouts. The firm supplies broccoli seed to growers, including Friends Trading.
Colorado’s other major grower is Denver-based Sprouts Extraordinaire, which supplies King Soopers.
Sprouts Extraordinaire manager Gary Rotello said he’s encouraged about favorable research on broccoli sprouts but described marketing of the product as “an uphill climb.”
“Sprout eaters are about 5 to 6 percent of the population,” he said. “Those people want their sprouts. But to project big growth in the market, I don’t see it yet.”
Showing promise
The claim: A compound in the sprouts, sulforaphane, could be effective in treating and preventing various cancers, including those of the breast and prostate gland.
The backing: Peer-reviewed studies at several institutions, including Johns Hopkins, Rutgers and the University of Michigan.
The caveat: In studies, mostly on rats and mice, dosages administered were far higher than most people could eat.
The business: Metro Denver is home to two major broccoli sprout producers: Friends Trading Co. and Sprouts Extraordinaire.
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Filed under: food safety, sprouts on July 13th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
