Japan New Products Continue at Record Pace!

Thank you Japan!  Check out the Mintel Global New Products (GNPD) chart showing new product development in Japan with blueberries!

This steady rise beats all of the odds considering the tremendous challenges that the Japanese economy has faced since the terrible natural disasters and aftermath in March 2011.  Almost all fruit and vegetable shipments to Japan have fallen -- except for frozen highbush blueberries!

Here are some interesting products from the first few months of 2016.

Here is a delicious ice cream bar sold throughout Japan at the 7-11 convenience stores.  (all 57,500 stores and growing).  This bar integrates dried highbush blueberries and blueberry crumbles on the outside!

Kagome launched a shelf stable blueberry smoothie.   It is 100 percent juice and contains all sorts of different fruits -- but blueberries dominate!

This product is filed in the only-in Japan bin!  A gummy candy with real blueberry and chia!    This is an example of how functional foods have gone mainstream.  Blueberry guy loves the UFO mascot on the lower right of the package!