AGE PROFILE of cranberry juice consumers Children 0-1616% Male 17-447% 45+19% Female 17-4417% 45+41% Info: Usage overview of cranberry juice. Year ending November 2007. In-home/lunchbox consumption Cranberry juice is worth £26m Consumers in the UK drank 196 million cranberry juice drinks in the past year - up 10% year-on-year The over 45s consume 59% and adult females 58% 46% of consumption is at breakfast. Lunchtime is next most important at 18% Health motivates more than 50% of occasions compared with 37% for fruit juice overall Cranberry juice is a healthy proposition Cranberries have been found to prevent the symptomatic recurrences of urinary tract infection, which females are more likely to be vulnerable to. As a result, cranberry juice has a strong age and gender bias. Thirty five per cent of fruit consumption is by 0-16s but they only account for 16% of cranberry juice consumption. Instead, the 45+ group, and females in particular, are key to consumption, drinking 41% of all cranberry juice. Studies have also shown cranberry juice can be good for the heart by lowering cholesterol and it also helps to protect against infection. As well as being perceived as healthy, cranberry juice is enjoyed for its taste, accounting for 25% of occasions. Breakfast consumption is potentially linked to health. Most pure juice consumption generally takes place at this time as a healthy start to the day, and cranberry juice follows this pattern, with 46% consumed at breakfast. The meal with the next highest share is lunchtime, reflecting the older profile of the consumer. The greatest share of consumption takes place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, which illustrates its role as a key part of a healthy diet for older people. Gareth Shaw

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