Mini's are fruit pieces as tiny as a grain of quinoa.

WINCHESTER, VA. — Mini’s, which are new fruit pieces as tiny as a grain of quinoa, have been shown to work in fine bakery and confectionery applications such as ultra-thin biscuits and premium thin chocolate tablets, according to Taura Natural Ingredients, which has a North American office in Winchester.

Other potential uses of Mini’s include as toppings on donuts and muffins and as inclusions in fruit and nut mixes. They may be added to frozen dairy beverages and desserts. Taura Natural Ingredients has made Mini’s available to manufacturers in Europe and the United States.

“We’ve seen big demand among our customers for very small real fruit pieces that offer an alternative to ingredients that contain high levels of added sugar and other additives such as sprinkle-style products,” said Raf Vanlommel, sales and marketing manager at Taura Natural Ingredients. “Mini’s provide the perfect solution, with each piece offering a tiny burst of flavor, aroma, color and texture in a wide range of products. They look fantastic and are very easy to handle during dosing, providing more spots of fruit in the finished product than can be achieved with the same amount of larger fruit pieces.”

Taura Natural Ingredients creates Mini’s through its URC (Ultra Rapid Concentration) process. The small size and the consistency of Mini’s pieces allow them to travel easily through production equipment such as depositor nozzles and rollers, according to Taura Natural Ingredients. Mini’s have no artificial colors or preservatives. They are free-flowing and bake stable.