Cranberry supplier Ocean Spray (Spalding, Lincs) has launched sweetened dried cranberries (SDCs) with less sugar and more fibre to enhance the fruit’s health properties.

With 50% less sugar and twice the fibre of the original SDC, the launch enables manufacturers to produce diet or ‘light’ foods by declaring a reduced-sugar, high-fibre fruit content, says the company.

The new SDCs do not contain artificial sweeteners. Instead, their combination of complex carbohydrates lends sweetness and delivers a balanced glycaemic response.

The processing performance and appearance of the SDCs remain unaffected. SDCs retain their shape and colour during processing and are suited to baked goods, cereals, salad toppings and fruit and nut mixes.