Mexico Trade Mission 2017

USHBC participated in the Food Export Trade mission to Mexico City.    Meetings with Mexican food companies were arranged as well as a factory visit to Grupo Bimbo bakery plant outside of Mexico City.Meeting with research and development and management created great direct leads to Mexico for frozen and further processed blueberries.
 

Blueberry Lucha Libre tag-team at Bimbo Plant!

USHBC at ANUGA

Anuga is the largest food industry gathering in Europe and is a global gathering.

USHBC exhibited and met with food processors from throughout the world.   Lots of interest in dried and further processed blueberries as well as frozen for jam and jelly manufacturing in new markets such as Poland, Baltic countries, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia.

USHBC booth action with lots of blueberry industry visitors

Visitors from Korea

Another friend from South Korea

Several US packers also had booths in the USA pavilion and were frequent visitors to our booth.  We also featured a display of all USA blueberry products at the ANUGA

USA Dried Blueberry Supplier visits USHBC booth

USA dried blueberry supplier and Colombian visitors

China Home Baking Contest 2017 a Hit!

Home baking is on the rise in China.  USHBC worked with the USDA Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Shanghai on a unique online bakery contest to bring serious home bakers and entrepreneurs to use available USA blueberries.
Online Availability:   USA dried blueberries are available online on several of the huge home shopping websites.  Our mission was to connect the end user and the sellers.
The contest organized through a baking website challenged serious home bakers to use dried blueberries in products and submit online to the organization.
The Results!  More than 1500 unique recipes were submitted which showed innovation, creativity and lots of blueberry.  Online sellers are happy for the surge in business.  USA suppliers are happy to see this new channel developing!

Here are some shots from the awards ceremony held in Shanghai on October 18, 2017.

Mandy Chen  attends contest

Winners pose for the press.  15 media attended

Many of these serious home bakers run catering businesses and sell goods online.

Introducing the Blueberry Concha!

Viva la Blueberry concha!

For the Mexico Food Tech Summit -- we prepared a blueberry prototype for the audience!  A local chef integrated natural blueberry powder into the shell of the popular concha "shell" pastry.   Day one was an instant hit.  Day two the chef integrated powder into the interior of the concha and it was a double success.   We also added dried blueberries and frozen and all were delights!  Dozens of wholesale bakers visited and complemented the concept and we provided samples of powder for product development!

Stay tuned -- we have a winner blueberry use in Mexico.  Viva la concha!

The R & D team from Grupo Bimbo stopped in and took notice!

More blueberry concha talk!

Fine Foods Australia

Another year -- another major food safety scandal in the region involving blueberries from another origin (Asia).  Food processors using blueberries were happy to see the USHBC at the show and lots of enthusiasm and momentum for further use!

Tera Prita Truffles

Australian cookie manufacturers who sell to China market

Blueberry Smoothie in a bag!

Lotsa Lollies Candy

Lots of action at the USHBC booth!

American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC)

USHBC exhibited and participated in the 2017 annual meeting of the global cereal industry.  Members include management, research and development from some of the largest food manufacturing companies in the world -- who utilize cereals and grains.  This includes breakfast cereals, baking, brewing and all sorts of other categories.
With the rise of blueberry association and utilization in unique cereals and ingredients (flax, quinoa, teff etc), we presented blueberries in tandem with unique fruit flours -- in this case breadfruit and banana flour from our friendly US Territory of American Samoa.  Attendees were drawn to the booth which was staffed by our own Larry Allen and Alexander and Rowena Jennings of American Samoa.  Alex is the chairperson of the American Samoa Legislature Agriculture Committee!
We made dozens of contacts with food processors interested in integration of dried blueberries into all sorts of cereal products and are now following up!  

Left to right: Rep. Alexander Jennings, Swains Island Delegate to the American Samoa House of Representatives, Rowena Jennings, Larry Allen III, TJPMD.

Blueberry and Breadfruit prototypes demonstrate compatibility of blueberries in trendy new cereal products.

Meeting Food Industry in Mexico

The Mexico Food Tech Summit drew food processing companies from throughout the region.   Here are some wonderful companies who stopped by to discuss USA blueberries!

Discussion with jam manufacturer

Product developers from yogurt company show off their products with Real Blueberries

Another local company drops by to discuss their blueberry yogurt products!

Food Ingredients South America

USHBC participated in the largest regional food industry exposition in Latin America -- FISA.  Even in countries which grow -- there are opportunities for processed!  Great interest in dried, powders and other further processed ingredients.  Frozen too!

Katia and Tom

Action at booth

Interview with radio reporter

Brazilian-style products for sampling