A Miracle Fruit?

Have you ever taken a bite out of a raw onion or eaten a lemon, unfazed by the bitterness? These are just some of the things that the miracle fruit makes possible.

The miracle fruit originates from West Africa and contains a glycoprotein called Miraculin. Miraculin bonds to the mouth’s taste buds causing sour and bitter foods to taste sweet. While the berry is from West Africa, it is grown in Florida by Curtis Mozie, better known as the “miracle fruit man.”

Mozie first came across the berry by accident when he went to a nursery to look for a fruit he remembers eating as a child. It was called a hog plum tree. The nursery did not have that plant, but instead introduced him to the miracle fruit.

Mozie has been growing the miracle fruit for 12 years on over 10 acres of land in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“Everyone is involved; my children, my grandkids, even my neighbor who doesn’t speak to me,” Mozie said.

Due to increased media attention, the popularity of the miracle fruit has grown significantly since early 2007 when the Wall Street Journal first reported on the fruit. In May of 2008, The New York Times published an article called “A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue.” The article created so much buzz the fruit was back ordered for three months in June of last year.

“Before the New York Times article, I had been selling the fruit online for a year,” Mozie said.
The day after the article was published, Mozie noticed a staggering change.

“The first few hours, we received about 8,000 dollars worth of orders. We had 20,000 dollars by the end of the day and 60,000 dollars in the next two days,” Mozie said.

In the 1970’s an attempt was made to commercialize Miraculin, but the FDA would not approve products containing the protein. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, many people including Robert Harvey, founder of The Miralin Company, a major producer of miraculin based products believe that the sugar industry played a role in the FDA’s denial.

“[Miraculin] would have probably replaced 50 percent of the sugar industry,” Mozie said.

Despite the FDA’s denial, people were and still are fascinated by the berry. Parties called “flavor tripping” parties have emerged as a way to let people taste and experience the berry. The effects on the taste buds vary on the size of an individual’s mouth, but usually last from 30 minutes to three hours.

“You need to eat the skin and juice. In order to get the full effect, remove the seeds after you first bite into it,” Mozie said.

In the scientific community, there has been discussion about its benefits for diabetics and cancer patients.

“As far as diabetics, if you are not supposed to have sugar and you want something sweet; you can take some water and lemonade, eat a miracle fruit and it will satisfy your craving for sweetness,” Mozie said.

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy routinely experience side effects. One of those is a metallic taste in the mouth. The miracle berry may be able to eliminate this taste and stimulate appetite for these cancer patients. There is no conclusive evidence of this at this time.

“There is a cancer research in Tampa, Fla. I sent them some of the fruit; some of [the patients] stated that it helped, some of them stated that it did not,” Mozie explained.

The miracle fruit takes three years to grow from seed to harvest in the United States and bears fruit all year round. In Africa, it takes five years and only bears fruit twice a year because there are only two rainy seasons.

While its origins are in Africa and its harvester in Florida, anyone can grow the miracle fruit.

“You can put it in a container and grow it, and it makes a great container plant,” Mozie said. “I guess God wanted everyone to have one.”

Philadelphia's Community Gardens

Can a small plot of land in the city of Philadelphia unite residents, produce sustainable food, increase property value and provide for the less fortunate? The Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) and many community gardens in the area are doing just that.

Community gardens in Philadelphia are an overlooked treasure. It provides a space for socializing, keeps food costs down and beautifies the community so residents can be proud of where they live.

Eileen Gallagher, a City Projects Manger for PHS, manages the City Harvest Grant. This grant provides for over 35 community gardens in the area and is funded predominately by the Greenfield Foundation.

Unexpected ingredients in the City Harvest project are inmates from the Philadelphia prison system.

“The inmates grow all of the vegetables from seeds that we give out. Last year they grew 20,000 seedlings,” Gallagher said.

City Harvest collects the seedlings and delivers them to the 35 gardens it supports. The gardens decide how many veggies they can grow. The inmates involved are low risk inmates who usually only have one month to six weeks left on their sentence.

“Right now, the gardeners that participate grow food and donate it to a local food pantry,” Gallagher said.

The donation of fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantries present fresh food options for residents who could not afford fresh food for their families. That is the main focus of the grant.

“There are some gardens that have been giving to their church and their neighbors for years. We ask them to weigh and document how much food they give out each month. 25,000 pounds of food have been given in the last two years,” Gallagher said.

Vacant lots within communities used to provide opportunities for gardens to take root. In recent years, that formula has changed significantly.

“I’ve been doing this job for 20 years now. Before, when there was a vacant lot, no one really cared about that. Over the years, the real estate value of property has increased so much, that it’s hard to find a vacant lot to make a garden,” she said.

Gallagher also notes that social and community organizations have worked hard to clean up areas that housed vacant lots. Philadelphia Green is one of the organizations who has a contract from the city to clean up. They mow grass, pick up trash and put up wooden fences.

Most gardens are regulated by PHS or the Neighborhood Garden Association, very few are owned by the gardeners. The cost to maintain a plot in a community garden varies based on the garden’s size. The fee can range anywhere from $5-15.

Gallagher stresses that university students can help out and feel apart of the community.

“We work with a lot of university students, usually from March until May. That is when some of the gardens start planning and getting cleaned up from the winter,” Gallagher said.

PHS has a community outreach program called Philadelphia Green; they are responsible for recruiting volunteers and handling any interaction with the community. PHS also works closely with Mayor Nutter’s administration; there is a plan underway to ‘green’ the entire parkway.

“We’ve been getting more groups that want to come. A big part of our program is to work with volunteers. It’s a huge help for the gardeners,” Gallagher said.

While it may seem that everyone in the community would be in agreement with starting a garden, any potential plans must be made public information and anyone who wants to start a garden needs to attend a class. The class is usually once a week in the evenings for five consecutive weeks; it is offered twice a year.

“We require them to go through a course called Garden Tenders. You have to make a petition and make sure the people in the community know what’s going on. Make sure you know who owns the land,” Gallagher said.

PHS and Philadelphia Green also help to maintain and manage contracts for more high profile public spaces like Logan Square, Fairmont Park, City Hall and planting along the Delaware River.

Gallagher explains the reason why community gardens are so successful:

“The key is community involvement. The gardens that have been here for 25 or 30 years last because everyone there has a common goal.”

Food Safety

According to the Boston Globe, 5,000 Americans die of food poisoning each year and 325,000 require hospitalization. Over the past five years Americans have seen major outbreaks of salmonella in peanuts, pistachios, tomatoes, peppers, pet food, and peanut butter along with outbreaks of e-coli in bagged spinach. Is the Food and Drug Administration keeping the food supply safe? What role does the Center for Disease Control play in regards to these outbreaks?

With Globalization in full swing, it is no secret that the United States imports more than it exports. Food is no exception. According to the Boston Globe, “the United States receives 15 percent of its food from foreign countries including 60 percent of its fresh fruits and vegetables and 75 percent of its seafood.” Who is responsible for inspecting these imports before they make it supermarkets and into the homes of consumers?

These are some of the issues and questions I hope to answer in my first few stories on food safety, government bodies (FDA, USDA, CDC) and the risk for consumers.

Welcome!

Welcome to Edible Intel! My name is Morgan, I’m a journalism student at Drexel University and my passion is food. I love to cook for myself and for my friends and I enjoy exploring culture through food. Food is one of the ways that people connect with one another which is why I find it so interesting (usually it tastes good too). This blog is dedicated to news about food and what role it plays in our day-to-day lives.

Please leave me comments or ideas for future posts, I appreciate outside input!