March 2018 - New Product of the Month

Here is an example of blueberry powder use in confectionery fillings. 

It's GPE Time Again!

Each year, Blueberry FoodTech attends the World's Fair of Pet Foods in Orlando, Florida -- the Global Pet Expo or as us pet people say -- G P E.

Here is a sneak preview of the many pet-products containing blueberries!

China Food Technology Seminar

USHBC will participate in a seminar for food manufacturers in Shanghai, China Thursday March 22, 2018.   This is in conjunction with the Food Ingredients China Exposition.   More than 100 attendees are expected from around China.  Mandy Chen will present a 30 minute presentation on Highbush Blueberries for the food industry.

The following is the agenda of the seminar themed “Innovative Application of U.S. Ingredients in Food Processing”. If you have any suggestions for changes, please do let me know as early as possible.

March 22 (Thursday)

Venue: Meeting Room 5-02, NECC

9:00-9:30      Set up and check in

9:30-9:40      Welcome remarks and introduction by Mr. Ryan Scott, ATO Shanghai Director

9:40-10:10    Presentation by Dr. Yi Gong, Consultant for Cranberry Marketing Committee

10:10-10:20   Q &A

10:20-10:50   Presentation by Jing Hagert, Director of Business Development, Milk Specialties Global Ingredients

10:50-11:00   Q&A

11:00-11:30   Presentation by Mandy Chen, Representative of U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

11:30-11:40   Q&A

11:40-11:50   Wrap-up by Mr. Ryan Scott, ATO Shanghai Director 

Back to the Future at Foodex

It seemed like yesterday that NABC team travelled to Japan (1989) on a cigarette smoke filled jet across the Pacific, landing moments after a major earthquake, misplacing our blueberry wine samples in the parking lot of the train station -- and rebounding to start the stir that  drove US blueberries to market success in Japan!

Taoyuan Monkey Mascot greets Visitors

This year, we relived the glory years, and no other than Jack Tomasello of Tomasello Winery in Hammonton New Jersey lugged his new Blueberry Cider 14 hrs on a plane to help promote USA blueberries!

Under Secretary Ted McKinney visits USHBC booth

It was old home week and blueberry customers old and new lined up to visit our USHBC team!

Jersey friends compare notes.

Although we have been around a long time, there is no shortage of enthusiasm for our blueberry promotions, and with new items like blueberry cider and a whole range of new blueberry ingredient solutions -- we are ready to roll!

Raj does AAHAR 2018

Raj with Delight Nuts Team at AAHAR 2018!

Always on the move, our Raj Kapoor in Delhi attends the AAHAR exposition in New Delhi this week.  This is the largest food industry exposition in India.  A few year's back this was no-where's ville for blueberries.  Now, they are all over the event with many of the 900 companies exhibiting carrying frozen and dried items and products made from.  

Here we have Raj working the USDA booth and meeting more "blueberry friends."

More about AAHAR:  The 33rd edition of AAHAR – the International Food and Hospitality Fair was inaugurated by Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India on March 13, 2018 at Hall 7 (Lounge), Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.  

The fair will be host to over 900 exhibitors with a wide range of food products, machinery and equipment from India and 18 foreign countries including USA, China, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Spain, Oman, South Korea, Thailand, UAE, Peru, Norway, Indonesia, Canada, Tunisia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.  

The five-day event will be hosted from March 13-17, 2018 with the support of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) and Association of Resource Companies for Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII), Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (HOTREMAI), All India Food Processors Association (AIFPA), Food & Hospitality Support Association of India (FHSAI), and Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI). 

Go get 'em Raj!

Blueberries in Chinese Medicine

Two decades ago, NABC contracted a professor at Wuxi University of Light Industry in East China to conduct secondary research on the Chinese perception of blueberries.   We were surprised that "blue-berries" were listed dozens of times in scientific articles on health and nutrition in Chinese medicine.   The term "blue berry" is a bit different than what we know in North America.    Throughout the far north of China in Heilongjiang province there are huge natural growths of Chinese wild blueberries.   They are normally harvested by hand in the season and utilized in beverages and winemaking.   The same occurs in the border regions of China and North Korea and areas north into the Russian Far East.

Any of you who have tried the traditional Chinese blueberry drinks will attest -- it is strong in flavor.  
Most health citations in China include general information on blueberries for women's health with references to skin care and beauty.  

This love for the medicinal blueberry has led to some interesting developments.

Here is a blueberry offering at a chain of Chinese medicine stores in Hong Kong.  The blueberries are located in the skin care department.

Grab a six pack of blueberry juice from the local convenience store.  This one features 30 percent real blueberry.  

Today, China utilizes its domestic production and has begun to import juices, juice concentrate and puree and puree concentrate.   This will be a very good target for the Real Blueberries ™

Seal in the future.

Columbia New Blueberry Products!

Our Latin America FoodTech returned from another excellent adventure in Colombia.  What a difference a year makes!   Katia is coordinating the upcoming new products awards which will be held in Bogota in the Fall.   All is set and all we need is new products.   All I can say is WOW!

Check it out!   More to come.

Truenature Blueberry Extract

Thanks to Mandy at the USHBC Folsom office who sent me this interesting link from COSTCO for a blueberry extract.

Below is the link to the product web site.    We have seen a lot of bilberry (vaccinium myrtillus) extracts in the past, but not a lot of "blueberry."   Now that blueberry extracts are produced in the USA, we will see more and more of these products as well as ingredient and cosmaceutical use.

Trunature

Now this is Real Blueberries™ Optimization

It just keeps getting better and better in Hong Kong where Maxim's bakery continues to promote a full line of blueberry-rich cakes!   This photo above is from one of the hundreds of video billboards in the MRT subway line!

Educating Vietnamese Food Manufacturers

Hana, our Vietnam-based FoodTech representative continues her mission to familiarize her peers with USA blueberries and ingredients.    Already this year, she has attended dozens of meetings, expositions and factory visits to get to know the target audience.

What we learned is -- Real Blueberries™ are top of mind!   In Vietnamese food culture, authenticity is everything.   Everyone knows the best pungent "Saigon cinnamon" black peppers from Quan Tri and highland fruits from Da Lat.

One question -- again and again -- how do we know blueberries are real?   Evidently, over the past decades, a number of products have hit the Vietnam market labeled as "blueberry."   Customers know what a fresh blueberry should look like, but when it comes to a flavored milk, muffin or bar -- who knows?

With this in mind, Hana is promoting the Real Blueberries™ Seal front and center.  

Big Time at AFFI in Vegas

Each year, USHBC hosts a booth at the hub area of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI).   The main purpose is to meet up with industry attendees.   It is a great time for all and becomes the blueberry meeting point for all.  This year, we served blueberry cider which was a hit!  
Lots of old blueberry friends old and new.  We had a chance to discuss market development, new ingredients, new products, new markets and all things blueberry!

Continual action in front of the USHBC booth at the AFFI Hub which is the main registration area.

New Tech Brochure

Check out the latest version of the US Highbush Blueberry Technical Brochure.   Better yet -- send me a note: tpayne@tjpmd.com and I will send you a hard copy or copies!

USHBC Tech Brochure

USHBC Format Sheet

When I first started work with the Cultivated Blueberry Group or what we called: C B G -- the first assignment was to develop a single source of information on our product.  At that time, this included fresh, frozen, purees and fillings as well as a new item called: cried blueberries!

Since then -- a lot has changed.   The four page tech brochure is a good item to give your customers and sellers in the field.  The insert with various formats is designed to be a work in progress and we will change, alter as we go to keep up with the new ingredient solution offerings of the highbush blueberry industry.