Food Ingredients China

Food Ingredients China -- FI to all us FoodTechies is the big show of the year in China.  This is a huge country so it is a great opportunity to bring the food manufactures to one place.  The result -- organized chaos.

First off: our Mandy Chen from Taiwan gave an excellent 30 minute seminar to a group of 50 invited by the USDA-Agricultural Trade Office (ATO).  

Next, the exhibit doors open and here is the USHBC booth in the USA pavilion.   Food manufacturers lined up.

This was a very busy week!  We met with some of the leading dairy, baking and snack companies in China and other countries as well.   What's hot?   Ingredient solutions: dried blueberries, freeze dried blueberries, blueberry flakes, blueberry powders, purees, puree concentrates and juice concentrate to name a few.

What's hot?  Ingredients that are ready to use.   We are the ingredient solution!

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.