Lucuma
Our customers use lucuma because of its natural sweetness, nutritional benefits, and appeal as a healthier alternative to refined sugars. Lucuma puree has a mild, maple-like or caramel-like flavor, making it popular in desserts, beverages, and plant-based products such as ice creams and smoothies. It is often processed into powder, which has a long shelf life and is easy to incorporate into formulations. Unlike many sweeteners, lucuma has a low glycemic impact and contains fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, supporting health-conscious and “natural” product positioning. Additionally, its use helps brands tap into consumer interest in exotic, functional ingredients while maintaining clean-label appeal.
Lucuma can be supplied as organic upon request
Botanical: Pouteria Lucuma
The Sacred Harvest of the Andes
Global Sourcing Through the Brothers International Network:
Securing a consistent, high-purity supply of lucuma puree requires direct integration with specialized agricultural processing facilities in the Andes. Lucuma trees take up to five years to produce fruit and thrive best in temperate, frost-free valley microclimates between 1,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level. Brothers International connects North American food manufacturers to these specialized growing regions through our established network of audited Peruvian and South American processing partners. By maintaining direct relationships with origin processors who pulp and freeze the fruit at peak ripeness, Brothers International ensures a stable, year-round supply of authentic Lucuma Puree that meets strict North American import and food safety standards.
Harvest Cycles & Year-Round Puree Availability:
In the Andean region, the primary lucuma harvest runs from January through June, with peak yield occurring during the South American autumn. Because fresh lucuma fruit has a short post-harvest shelf life and is highly delicate, processing must occur immediately at origin. The fruit is washed, peeled, de-seeded, pulped, flash-pasteurized, and frozen or packaged aseptically to lock in its signature maple-caramel aromatics, rich yellow color, and nutritional profile. Brothers International manages the entire import pipeline, coordinating refrigerated container shipping, USDA and FDA import clearances, customs brokerage, and strategic cold-storage warehousing across North America so your facility maintains uninterrupted production regardless of harvest seasonality.
Rigorous Quality Control, Traceability & Compliance:
Processing lucuma into an industrial-grade puree requires specialized milling and finishing equipment to reduce its dense, fibrous pulp into an ultra-smooth, homogeneous texture that won’t separate or grit on production equipment. Every supplier in the Brothers International network undergoes a comprehensive auditing process to guarantee complete supply chain traceability, sustainable agricultural practices, and strict compliance with USDA, FDA, and international food safety mandates. Through our network, we deliver Lucuma Puree backed by complete technical documentation and top-tier industry certifications, including GFSI benchmarks (BRC, SQF, FSSC 22000), USDA Organic (NOP), Kosher, Non-GMO, and Halal standards. Our quality assurance protocols include rigorous testing for microbial safety, heavy metals, pesticide residues, particle fineness, and Brix adherence.
The Brothers International
Quality Promise
Brothers International and its 4 divisions, Brothers Ingredients, Dennick Fruit Source, Hosh International and Food Partners, are trusted global importers of premium ingredients to major food and beverage manufacturers in North America. We deliver consistent quality and supply across every format the industry demands. Our Lucuma is sourced from the earth’s prime growing regions where farming expertise, climate and soil composition come together to produce Lucuma of exceptional caliber. All of our suppliers undergo a rigorous vetting process to ensure we work with only the highest-quality processors and can fully guarantee traceability, sustainability, and compliance with all international regulations.
Each of our divisions has a specialized operations team to manage shipments and coordinate with customers and suppliers. They work closely with our in-house customs team to ensure efficient clearance, and collaborate with the USDA and FDA to maintain full regulatory compliance. This ensures your ingredients move seamlessly through every stage of import, arriving on time and ready for production with complete confidence. With decades of sourcing expertise and a strong commitment to customer success, you can count on Brothers International to deliver the premium ingredients your products require.
Industry Glossary
A Reference Guide for Fruit Ingredient Terminology
Check out our glossary for a consolidated reference of commonly used terminology across the global fruit ingredient industry. It provides straightforward definitions and context for the language and concepts referenced throughout the industry.
