USHBC Delivers the Next Big Thing

Food manufacturers start the day reading the "trades."  These are the magazines like Food Technology, Food Processing and others.  They want to see what is new.  Especially want to see what the competition is doing.  They look for new ideas, new products and "The Next Big Thing!"

USHBC continues to publish articles in these magazines.  We weave the blueberry messages into scheduled editions like Nutraceuticals, Superfoods and Ancient Grains.  Editors call us because we deliver interesting and factual content that their readers look for!

This year -- the big message is Real Blueberries!

Take a look.  The value of the publicity generated this year exceeded $230,000!

Here are a few examples from 2017!

A Beautiful Promotion in Taiwan

Beauty Sells in Taiwan!  The market of 22 million was the first country outside of Japan for NABC and USHBC promotions.  Our first promotion in 2000 was called the "Blue Gem"

This ad was placed in the Women's and fashion magazines.   The subtle association of beautiful blueberries was a natural as for centuries, fruits of all kinds including blueberries have been associated with traditional Chinese medicine and skin care.

Blueberry shipments -- especially fresh -- rose to more than a million lbs in 2012!  For a small country this is very-very good!   

What goes up -- must go down, and last few years the fresh sales have lagged.  At the same time, processed blueberry sales including frozen and dried have risen -- thanks to the work of USHBC-FoodTech.   

Our Mandy Chen in Taipei (Blueberry Mandy) received a call from Wellcome Supermarket -- the leading chain in the region.   They wanted help to promote fresh California and Oregon Blueberries.    In five days, Mandy organized promotions at 17 marquee stores all over the Island and 50 days of sampling and promotions.  Here are some of the activities.

What really kicked things into high gear: Advertising and online promotions focusing on blueberries and beauty..

Results: We made a difference!  Sales all over Wellcome chain reported big spikes in sales.   Blueberry Guy visited Taiwan and saw the action and sales were brisk and spirits high at Wellcome. Sales rose -- and that is always expected from promotions.  But, what was encouraging was the re-vitalized "beauty positioning" of fresh blueberries in the marketplace.   It was the talk of the trade and Wellcome is ready to do more!  The fresh sales have also energized the processed area as well!

In short: A quick decision by Blueberry Mandy and an industry investment of $6,700 resulted in a quarter million USD gain in sales

Congratulations to Blueberry Mandy!

India Processed Blueberry Market Continues to Grow

When USA first approached India, we anticipated a market for fresh blueberries.    After USHBC primed the market with the USDA-FAS Quality Samples Program (QSP) we began to see continual growth of processed blueberry use in food products.

Indian Food Industry:
>$250 billion industry
>14% of Indian GDP

New Product Use:

Interesting Products:

Sunyong Lee Attends Shoei Expo

What makes overseas promotions work?  Importers and distributors of course.  

In Japan, USHBC works in teamwork with a number of frozen, dried and fresh importers.  Just like back in the USA -- these important "Channel partners" visit the factories, company offices, and continually develop good customer relations.

• 150 exhibitors
• 5,000 visitors

This month, Sunyong Lee -- our Blueberry FoodTech Ambassador in Korea visited Japan to attend the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Shoei Foods.   This company is one of the major importers of dried and frozen blueberries.   USHBC is thankful to Shoei Foods for the invite and all that they do so help build the market for blueberries in Japan!

Real Blueberries in Food Technology Weekly Newsletter

Members of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) receive a weekly newsletter with information on food industry news and trends.
Look what they see when they open the newsletter!

A salute to the Nut Raj!

Gunjan Jain displays his dried blueberry packs at the Gulfoods Exposition 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.   His products are sold throughout India and the entire region including the Middle East.

Gunjan Jain, (the Nut Raj) from India is an innovator in dried fruit and nut production, sales and marketing.  Two decades ago the action was in the dark always of the dried fruit markets or bazaars.  Gunjan is a fourth generation walnut grower and processor in the Jammu Kashmir state in the North of India.  He was encouraged by his grandfather to come to America -- as he did years ago to study dried fruit and nut marketing.  I was impressed when he called me out of the blue and then after three hours of public transit -- arrived at my office!   Gunjan's vision was to take the product to the consumer.  He developed delivery systems for ordering product via phone and e mail -- way before there was an internet.  Online sales followed.  He began servicing the newly developed grocery trade all over India.  (Grocery stores were not common 20 years ago).  He studied the health benefits of dried fruits and nuts and then began to use this valuable information on the pack and in advertising and media.  He also began marketing dried fruits and nuts to food processors, for baking, confectionery and snacks.   Foodservice and Ayurveda have followed.  

Gunjan was one of the first -- if not the first-- company in India to import dried blueberries from the USA!

Now -- Look at the latest development.   The Nut Lounge. A great place to sample dried blueberries too!

Blueberry Kitchen Vietnam

Welcome to Blueberry Kitchen Vietnam! 

Here is your host, Hana in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hana in Vietnam has initiated a You-Tube channel dedicated to sharing blueberry recipes!   Here is a starter with the production of a blueberry cake which she learned from her mother who ran a small cake shop in her small village.   Although Vietnamese have a rice based diet -- they also love baked goods and a strong cup of Vietnamese coffee!   After more than six decades of French rule after the 1880s -- they developed a passion for superb cakes and breads.

Enjoy:  Stay tuned for the video link.

Fresh Fruit Handling Seminar - China

Quindao - Xi'an Fresh Fruit Seminars

Although fresh blueberries from the USA are restricted for entry to China -- USHBC conducts activities to educate, engage and encourage blueberry consumption overall.   This month, we are participating with the USDA-FAS office in Beijing on educational seminars on produce handling in Quindao (Shandong Province) and Xi'an (Shaanxi) Province.

When you visit a grocery store of fruit market in China, you will notice wide differences in blueberry display and handling.  Typically, you will find a vast fresh product area and a small refrigerated area.  blueberries are often stacked from the floor in room temperature.   

Seminars will show practical information on how to protect your blueberry investment and also to get the freshest product for positive consumer experience.

Quindao Seminar

Fresh Fruit Handling Educational Workshop on November 29, 2017 0900-1400

美国大使馆农业贸易处果蔬培训

Ocean Ball Room, Intercontinental hotel in Qingdao

地点:青岛洲际酒店三层海洋厅I

时间：十一月二十九日

Xi'an Seminar

Fresh Fruit Handling Educational Workshop on December 1, 2017  0900-1400

美国大使馆农业贸易处果蔬培训

B1, Pearl Amber Crowne Meeting Room, Crowne Plaza Xi’an

地点: 西安皇冠假日酒店负一层珍珠琥珀厅

时间：十二月一日