Mulberry leaves where to find

Unlike the white mulberry, there is really only one variety and few cultivars of black mulberry. Shape: Medium-sized tree up to 12 m with a short trunk and long spreading branches, which are often supported on props in older trees. Mature trees very often lean at an angle, like the Tower of Pisa, and trunks can even be nearly horizontal. Branches often have lots of thin, bendy twigs at the ends.

Flowers are small, green, spikey catkins. Mulberries can have both male and female flowers on the same tree, but they can also be on separate trees. Leaves are about 8 cm long, coarse, heart shaped, with toothed edges. Can be hairy on top and downy underneath. Some lower leaves and those on new shoots can be lobed, or with deep incisions. There can be several different leaf forms on a single tree. Fruit looks a bit like a large blackberry or loganberry.

These "berries" are really drupes , consisting of a cluster of tiny fruits, each with a seed. European buyers indicate that this is a key market entry requirement see competition below. Supplies need to be sustainable in terms of both quality and quantity. You can only export your mulberries to the European food supplements market if you comply with the legal requirements for natural ingredients for health products.

For food supplements, these include:. Many buyers have additional quality requirements. These can go beyond legislation and standards. They are established in buyer specifications. Examples are requirements related to:. To show that you meet the specifications of buyers, you need to develop well-structured company and product information. This includes detailed Technical Data Sheets. European food industries increasingly demand compliance with quality and food safety management.

Examples include:. The use of mulberry fruits and leaves is based on their composition and level of antioxidant activities. The main quality requirements of European buyers on these two aspects are laid down in their specifications. Various studies have been done on the chemical composition and activities of mulberry fruits and leaves , which you can use as a reference.

These are two types of compounds that have been shown to be indicators of the specific level of antioxidant activity of a product. If they are high, level of antioxidant activity is expected to be high as well.

To get your mulberries onto the European market you must comply with the following labelling requirements:. Mulberry extracts are not classified as hazardous. Packaging requirement may differ per buyer and specific product.

However, there are some general requirements you have to take into account which are included in standards. See the tips below. If you produce dried mulberry fruits, market entry barriers are relatively low. You can also expect more new entrants at this level. Industry sources indicate that the main issue with dried mulberry fruits is the continuity of supplies. Therefore, access to raw materials in case of wild mulberries , scale of production and processing is important to enter this market.

Market entry barriers increase if you produce mulberry fruit or leaf extracts for food supplements. You need more advanced technology, skilled personnel to work with this technology and you need to manage quality. European buyers may expect a much higher quality than quality requirements in your home country. Part of this is that you will also need to develop marketing materials to enter the market for food supplements with your extract. Industry sources see a potential for mulberries here, but because mulberry products are less common than other superfoods some buyers will need to be educated on their benefits.

However, although mulberry fruits are increasingly well known as a dried product on the European market, there are fewer food supplements containing mulberry fruits or leaves on the market. This also means that the threat of new entrants for food supplements or final products is substantially lower than if you export dried fruits.

If you want to produce final products such as mulberry leaf powder or leaf tea, market entry barriers are higher. You need to include costs for product development, market authorisation and marketing. India is now the main supplier for mulberry leaf final products.

According to industry sources, producers in neighbouring countries should also be able to take up this value addition step. For immune support, synthetic vitamins and minerals are the main substitute for mulberries. These products make up around half of the European food supplement market. It will be difficult to compete with these products on price, as they are much cheaper than mulberry products.

However, you can compete with these products by emphasising that mulberry products are a natural source of a wide range of nutrients and have a high level of antioxidant activity. A wide range of natural products are marketed for immune support and overall wellbeing. Other superfoods are also strong sources of product competition. Products like mulberries that are marketed as superfoods are vulnerable to being replaced by other new or trending superfoods, especially if these also boast a healthy nutritional profile, such as vitamins, or high levels of antioxidant activity.

These are often used to improve general health or immune support. Consumers use different types of products for weight management, both natural and synthetic. Mulberries can be grown in a wide range of countries in warm temperate regions.

If you produce mulberry fruits, you can expect strong competition from:. European processors are competitors for mulberry fruit extracts. These companies have a competitive advantage, as they know the market and its players very well.

Therefore, they can more easily develop an effective marketing campaign. If you produce mulberry leaves, powder or extracts, you can expect most competition from India.

This country is the leading supplier of these products, both as ingredient and final products. China is a very big producer of mulberry leaves, which are used to feed silk worms for silk production. This can give the country a competitive advantage for mulberry products, as these are waste products from silk farms. Figure 3 above covers mulberry leaves, as well as mulberry fruit and leaf extracts for the health market. Dried mulberry fruits for the food market are more commonly traded through importers that specialise in dried fruits and nuts.

In Europe, these products are often repacked. Mulberry leaves provide several compounds that may help combat diabetes. These include 1-deoxynojirimycin DNJ , which prevents the absorption of carbs in your gut 2 , 7. In particular, these leaves may reduce high levels of blood sugar and insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

In one study, 37 adults ingested maltodextrin, a starchy powder that rapidly boosts blood sugar levels. Those who took either or mg of the extract experienced a significantly lower rise in blood sugar and insulin levels than the placebo group 2.

Also, in a 3-month study, people with type 2 diabetes who took 1, mg of mulberry leaf extract 3 times daily with meals experienced significant reductions in post-meal blood sugar levels , compared with a placebo group 8. Some research suggests that mulberry leaf extract may improve heart health by reducing cholesterol and blood pressure levels, decreasing inflammation, and preventing atherosclerosis — a buildup of plaque in your arteries that can lead to heart disease.

One study gave 23 people with high cholesterol mg of mulberry leaf supplements 3 times per day. After 12 weeks, their LDL bad cholesterol dropped by 5.

Additionally, animal studies indicate that this leaf may prevent atherosclerosis and reduce cellular damage and high blood pressure levels, all of which are risk factors for heart disease 11 , 12 , Mulberry leaf contains numerous anti-inflammatory compounds, including flavonoid antioxidants.

Some research suggests that mulberry leaf may combat inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are linked to chronic disease Studies in mice on high fat diets demonstrate that supplements from this leaf reduced inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, as well as oxidative stress markers like superoxide dismutase 15 , A test-tube study in human white blood cells likewise revealed that extracts of mulberry leaf and its tea not only reduced inflammatory proteins but also significantly lowered DNA damage caused by oxidative stress Although research is limited, mulberry leaf may offer several other health benefits.

These include:. Research suggests that mulberry leaf promotes heart health, reduces inflammation, and combats diabetes. The mulberry leaf is heart-shaped, and the tops of the leaves are slightly rough in texture. The red mulberry leaf has saw-tooth-like edges.

Identify mulberry leaves by the time of year that the leaves emerge. White mulberries leaf out in early spring, red mulberries leaf in mid-spring and black mulberries leaf in late spring to early summer. Look for lobed leaves to determine whether they belong to the mulberry tree. Identify the white mulberry tree by its distinctly white buds.