Establishment, mission and goals of the Edible Rose Foundation

We are proud and excited to share that on February 1, 2023, the Edible Rose Foundation was officially established. The Foundation is registered as a non-profit legal entity with a public benefit purpose.

The idea for the foundation was born as a natural continuation of our work with the Bulgarian oil-yielding rose as a functional ingredient in food and beverages. In the constant search for a sustainable approach to the rose so valuable to our country, we identify the need for responsible policies and actions beyond the purely commercial activities of Rosey’s Mark, which would ensure the long-term development of the Bulgarian rose as a natural resource with special importance and potential for realization in the direction of final products with added stain in the food industry.

Although the current share of the food industry as a user of rose raw materials is around 5%, the use of rose in food and beverages has centuries-old roots and today exists as a lasting trend with constant growth worldwide.

With its beneficial properties, long exploited in cosmetics, aromatherapy, pharmacy and food supplements, in addition to its distinctive floral flavor, rose can make a valuable contribution to modern daily nutrition as an active functional ingredient. And Bulgaria’s traditions of growing and processing the highest quality oil-bearing Rosa damascena, combined with targeted efforts and long-term work for the development of the Bulgarian rose as an edible flower, have real potential to place Bulgarian rose foods as a significant factor on the world culinary map.

In Bulgaria, traditional food products that use rose are rose jam, tea and rose Turkish delight. However, in the last ten years, the use of rose as an ingredient in food and beverages has experienced a kind of flowering. There is already a variety of food products under different brands and with different quality, and the main guideline for the customer when choosing to purchase should be the composition of the product, as well as the origin of the roses used. Often, in order to achieve a lower price, the taste and aroma of the rose are achieved through artificial and synthetic flavors and flavorings. Replacing natural rose ingredients with synthetic ones achieves a lower product price, but unfortunately deprives the consumer of the functional health benefits of the damask rose. For this reason, it is highly recommended to choose foods and beverages with rose of natural origin. However, to achieve this goal, additional education of the end consumer is necessary regarding the difference between ingredients added to foods with a rose taste and aroma. Moreover, we find providing access to scientific observations regarding the bioactivity and benefits of the oil-bearing rose in various aspects for human health to be a key factor.

On this basis, the Edible Rose Foundation has the mission of researching and promoting the use and benefits of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose as an edible flower with functional properties.

Specifically, the Foundation’s goals are:

• Research, analysis and dissemination to the general public of the edible qualities of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose damascena;
• Research and demonstration of the properties of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose as a functional ingredient in foods;
• Research and demonstration of the beneficial effects of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose on the human body when consuming the rose in various forms;
• Research on the effect of the rose on emotions and mood;
• Research, development and sharing of the possible applications of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose in various forms and in various food products, and the related functional health benefits.

The Foundation will achieve its goals both through its independent activities and through interaction with other non-governmental organizations with a similar scope of activity or similar goals, as well as with institutions, organizations, individuals and legal entities in the country and abroad.

To achieve its goals, the Foundation will carry out the following activities:

• Research, systematization and summary of existing studies and commissioning new representative studies to third parties on the properties of the Bulgarian rose as a functional food;
• Development activity – research and development of applications of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose in different forms and in various food products;
• Development, commissioning for the development of balanced daily diets, thematic recipes and cooking ideas;
• Educational activity – sharing knowledge about the edible properties of the Bulgarian rose with the general public in the form of information events, seminars, webinars, articles, recipes, recipe books, etc.

To achieve its goals, the Foundation may carry out the following accompanying business activities:

• preparation, production, publication and distribution of printed and electronic materials that help to achieving the goals of the foundation;

• organizing trainings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions and other activities, subject to contracts for the performance of orders;
• intermediary activities;
• expert support, provision of information and consultations;
• other business activities closely related to the above.

If you have an idea how to cooperate in connection with the implementation of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose as a functional ingredient in modern nutrition, we will be happy to contact us!