Company Press Release

Can't Stop the Crop! California Orange Crop Makes a Juicy Comeback

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2000--Sunkist Growers, one of the world's oldest and largest citrus marketing cooperatives, today announced that this winter is shaping up to be a bountiful orange season in California, which is good news for citrus lovers everywhere.

The good weather has yielded a healthier, more plentiful harvest. Last year's freezing temperatures that lasted for several days considerably reduced California's citrus crop. Now, the orange crop is back and better than ever.

``We made a great recovery from last year's freeze,'' said Sunkist grower Jayne Denni. ``The weather has been conducive to growth and the quality of crop worthy of the Sunkist name. This year, consumers can expect a more abundant crop with larger, sweeter oranges.''

The California Agricultural Statistics Service estimates the California navel orange crop this season will nearly double to 80 million 37 1/2 lb. cartons, up from last year's 42 million.

The FDA states: ``Because whole foods contain many nutrients and other substances that promote health, the use of supplements cannot substitute for proper food choices.''(1) The best source of vitamin C comes from whole foods, like Sunkist oranges. An orange provides natural sources of folic acid as well as fiber, potassium and many other vitamins and minerals that contribute to overall health.

``One phytochemical in particular, limone -- only found in oranges and other citrus -- is a particularly powerful antioxidant that protects your heart,'' said Dr. Liz Applegate, nutritionist and faculty member at University of California, Davis. ``This helps explain why people who regularly eat a diet rich in oranges and other citrus fruits have a lower risk for heart disease.''

Since Sunkist oranges are a whole food as opposed to a manufactured supplement, they provide many other benefits that cannot be bottled in a jar of vitamins, including:

• Folic Acid: The U.S. Public Health Service recently advised all women of child-bearing age to ensure an adequate intake of folic acid. A deficiency of this water-soluble vitamin can cause serious neural tube defects such as spina bifida, which causes lifelong disability and anencephaly, leading to death soon after birth. 1,250 infants born in the United States each year suffer from folic acid deficiency. The government specifically cites citrus fruits as a recommended source of folic acid.
• Carbohydrates: One medium orange contains 16 grams of carbohydrates in just 70 calories. Carbohydrates provide important fuel for the body, particularly the brain, as well as energy during exercise. During a workout, your muscles use stored carbohydrates called glycogen to fuel daily activity. Replenishing glycogen requires eating carbohydrate-rich foods like oranges.
• Fiber: This nutrient keeps your intestinal tract healthy and regular. To get a high dose of fiber, fruits like whole oranges, which boast 12 percent of the Recommended Daily Value for dietary fiber, are a good source. High-fiber diets are associated with a reduced incidence of heart disease and colon cancer.
• Potassium: A low intake of potassium has been linked to high blood pressure. Potassium is found naturally in oranges, with just one orange containing more than 7 percent of the Recommended Daily Value for potassium.

Oranges provide vitamin C, which is not produced in the body and is essential for the formation of connective tissue, absorption of iron and wound healing. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that as much as 70 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States are related to diet. For optimal health, the NCI recommends at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), ``Diets with 200 milligrams or more of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables are associated with lower cancer risk.''(2) This is based on recent studies, which show that flavonoids and antioxidant vitamins may protect against stroke.

For optimum health, eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Besides making great snacks, oranges liven up and add extra color to green salads and sweeten blender drinks. Now what fruit could be more a-``peeling?''

Sunkist Growers is one of the world's oldest and largest citrus marketing cooperatives, owned by more than 6,500 citrus growers in California and Arizona, most of whom are small family farmers.

• (1) Source: FDA/SFSAN Nutrition and Your Health: ``Dietary Guidelines for Americas,'' Fourth Edition 1995 U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• (2) Source: National Institute of Health article: ``Criteria and Recommendations for Vitamin C Intake,'' April 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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