Yacon New Zealand

Story of Yacon

The official introduction of yacon fruit in 1996 by New Zealand plant scientist Jim Douglas with Crop and Food Research ushered in the success of yacon cultivation in New Zealand and the introduction of this lost yet nutrient dense crop to the globe.

By conducting rigorous scientific studies, New Zealand biochemist Dr Welch developed a technology that can retain a high level of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). FOS is one of the best-known prebiotics recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Working Group. The prebiotics in yacon fruit holds potential for managing diabetics, improving digestive and cardiovascular health, the prevention of colorectal cancer, and body weight control.

With the support from Dr Douglas, Dr Welch and his team experimented on the three yacon cultivars in ten districts in New Zealand. After ten years of study, they uncovered the secrets of yacon and discovered the cultivar that accustoms best to New Zealand’s climate. Up to 16% of the cultivar’s flesh is FOS. It is among the highest in the world, and the cultivar is now known to the world as cultivar New Zealand.

The cultivation of yacon fruit in New Zealand was a great success. But Dr Welch did not just stop there. His focus of research switched to the extraction of yacon juice and the retention of FOS. In 2012, years of diligent work paid off, his technology can retain the highest level of FOS without sacrificing the plant’s other healthy constituents such as polyphenol antioxidants. The consistency of New Zealand yacon syrup is as high as 80 °Bx, of which, up to 60% is natural FOS.