The plant and where it grows
Myrciaria dubia is a shrub of the Myrtaceae family, the same family as guava and eucalyptus. It grows on the banks of rivers and oxbow lakes of the Peruvian Amazon, mainly in the regions of Loreto and Ucayali, in soils that stay flooded for several months a year. The plant tolerates that flooding; the fruit ripens as the waters recede.
The fruit is a round berry of 2–3 cm, green when unripe and red to purple when ripe, with a very acidic pulp and one or two seeds. Most of the Peruvian supply is still wild-harvested or comes from small riverside plantations managed by local communities.
Harvest and seasonality
Harvest follows the river cycle and has two windows a year in the Peruvian Amazon: March to June and September to November (see the seasonality calendar). Fruit is taken quickly to the processing plant because it is perishable and because vitamin C degrades with time, heat and bruising. This is why availability and price move with the season, and why forward planning of volumes matters for buyers.
Processing
Whole-fruit powder
- Reception and selection of ripe fruit.
- Washing and disinfection.
- Cutting.
- Drying at controlled temperature.
- Milling and sieving to 60 mesh.
- Packing in 150 g or 5 kg bags.
Spray-dried powder
- Reception and selection of ripe fruit.
- Pulp extraction and filtration.
- Homogenisation.
- Spray-drying under controlled temperature.
- Sieving (≥ 95 % through 60 mesh) and packing in 5 kg food-grade bags.
Neither product contains preservatives, flavourings or artificial colours, and neither is irradiated.
Quality control and traceability
- Each lot is analysed and released with a certificate of analysis covering the parameters of the specification.
- Processing runs under a HACCP system.
- Organic certification (USDA-NOP and EU) is declared in the data sheets, with Control Union as the certification body; certificates are provided with the quotation.
- Lots are traceable from the packed bag back to the harvest area and the date of processing.
Why vitamin C varies from lot to lot
Vitamin C content depends on the ripeness at harvest, the time between harvest and processing, the drying method and the storage conditions afterwards. The specification sets a floor (and, for the whole-fruit powder, a range); the certificate of analysis gives the measured value of the lot. Storing the powder sealed, dry and away from heat and light keeps the content stable within the declared shelf life.
About Amazon Andes
Amazon Andes Export S.A.C. is a Peruvian exporter of Andean and Amazonian raw materials that processes and exports superfood powders, extracts, oils and finished products. Camu camu is one of its main lines, alongside maca, cacao, aguaje, sacha inchi and other ingredients listed on amazon-andes.com.
This page describes the botanical origin, processing and technical specifications of camu camu as a food ingredient. Values are those of the product's technical data sheet; the certificate of analysis of each lot is the binding document. Nothing on this page is a health claim, and the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
