With all of the positive press regarding the acai berry, one would think that buying a basket full of fresh acai would merely be a matter of picking some up from the produce section of the local grocery store. However, the availability of fresh acai berries has been slow for most markets, except for those that live in the Amazon. Therefore, we wanted to find out why the acai was not an option in our local markets and to discuss some of the other options available for most of us to enjoy the health benefits of the acai.

The challenge involved in supplying distant markets with fresh acai berries is primarily a result of the composition of the acai. Up to half of the acai berry can be made up of fat. For this reason, the acai berry can begin to breakdown and degrade in about 24 hours after being picked from the tree. Clearly, this would not allow enough time for the fruit to be picked, packaged, and shipped to distant markets, such as the United States.

For this reason, the acai is generally packaged in a few different ways, which allow it to be shipped to distant markets. The first method is to extract the acai juice and put this into the form of a juice or energy drink. Additionally, the pulp of the acai berry, which is the only edible portion of the berry, can be made into a powder. this powder can be placed into a capsule for taking through the form of a daily pill. Lastly, another form of transporting the acai is gaining in popularity, which is having the berry frozen soon after harvesting. In several cases, the acai is frozen within 10 hours of being picked, which is well within the 24 hour time limit of when the fruit begins to spoil.

In summary, there are limitations to getting the acai berry to your local produce section. However, there are advances in getting the acai into the form of juice, powder, or frozen form that have made the transport of the acai much easier. So, you can expect to see more and more of the acai showing up at your local grocery store. However, it appears the acai will make its first appearance in the form of an addition to popular fruit juices on store shelves.

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