Who are we
The enterprise
Established in 2004, Verger du Sureau specializes in American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) production and processing. The Verger has distinguished itself by offering sophisticated products which skilfully bring out the best that elderberry has to offer.
Concerned with environmental protection and offering high quality products, Verger du Sureau is proud to be certified organic by Ecocert Canada. This certification is a guarantee for consumers that there is no pesticide or herbicide used during production and that the final products also respect the strict norms of organic certification.
From day one, Jacinthe and Sylvain have felt very strongly about the medicinal properties of elderberry. Eager to share this passion, they obtained a site license from Health Canada. They offer a line of natural health products under the brand name « biosambucus ».
The various products made by the company are transformed on site in agreement with the rules and regulations of Health Canada and Ecocert Canada. To meet those requirements, Verger du Sureau has established standard operational procedures which, among others, allow for traceability and high quality products.
The gourmet line of products « SURO » (jams, jellies, vinaigrette...) can be found in fine and specialty food stores. It can also be found along with the line of natural health products « SURO biosambucus » in health food stores.
Jacinthe and Sylvain
Jacinthe Desmarais and Sylvain Mercier are the proud founders and owners of the Verger du Sureau. Jacinthe graduated as a health care professional. She enjoys researching plant medicine and working outdoors. Sylvain is an entrepreneur with a vision and great ingenuity. He transpires happiness and shares his passion for elderberry like no other. Together these two nature lovers have joined their strength and passion over the past few years to develop elderberry production and processing. Their mission is to increase awareness of elderberry fruit and flower by offering lines of sophisticated gourmet and natural health care products that respect nature. Elderberry fruit and flower are also sold.
The Berry
Elderberry is a purplish black berry which grows in flattened clusters. Its beautiful colour comes from anthocyanins, an antioxydant found in large amount in each fruit. As illustrated in the following chart, elderberry's antioxidant capacity is quite impressive.
Elderberries can be eaten raw.
Their taste reminds the one of blackberries and blueberries. They are wonderful for making pies, muffins, sauces, jams and jellies. Elderberry is probably the best berry for processing. Rich in vitamin C, B6, A and iron, elderberries also contain a lot of fibers. Let your imagination turn them in something delicious.
| Iron (mg) | Phosphore (mg) | Vitamin A (UI) | Vitamin B6 (mg) | Vitamin C (mg) | Fiber (g) | |
| Elderberry | 1,60 | 39 | 600 | 0,230 | 36 | 7,0 |
| Blueberry | 0,28 | 12 | 54 | 0,052 | 9,7 | 2,6 |
| Cranberry | 0,25 | 13 | 60 | 0,057 | 13,3 | 4,6 |
Source: Health Canada et USDA (Vitamin A) per 100 Grams
Medicinal properties
Amerindians and Europeans have been using elderberry as a medicinal plant for centuries. Elderberry was so intimately integrated into European's life that it was customary to give an elderberry bush to your children when they moved out to live on their own.
In traditional herbal medicine, all the parts of the plant where used. Recent studies have demonstrated that elderberry helps relieve constipation, sore throats and has antiviral properties (Zakay-Rones et al, 1995; Zakay-Rones et al, 2004).This makes elderberry a great ally when you have a cold or the flu.
American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) has shown some potential to inhibit specific strains of cancerous cells. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17201636.
A study conducted with a product made from European elderberry showed another benefit in that it activates the healthy immune system by increasing cytokines production. (Barak et al. 2001; 2002).
Blumenthal & al. 1998 reported that elderberry flowers had a diaphoretic action and helped increase bronchial secretion. They can be taken for that purpose as a herbal tea or in tincture and help in case of fever or bronchitis.
A salve made from elder leaves can be helpful in alleviating pain from rheumatism (Schneider A, 2002) and sprains (Hoffman D, 2003).
For our medicinal products : click here
