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Chocolate Covered Blueberries!   Yes, they have been around a long time in specialty shops and retailers.   but, check out the new wave of chocolate covered (panned) blueberries on the marketplace. Companies like Ghiradelli, Dove Moonstruck and others are getting into the act.   Most interesting:  note the prominent identification on the package!  We recently visited the Moonstruck facility in Portland Oregon with Chinese food editors (food editors from China).   They were amazed at the place, and me too!   (photos in an upcoming blog post!)

Here we go with new blueberry-containing product totals for the world!

For years, Blueberry Guy has preached to the blueberry industry on the importance of keeping processed blueberries in the “Research and Development” pipeline. The rationale:   about one half of all of the blueberries produced go to the food processing sector.  That is, fillings, bakery items, confections dairy and snacks.   A typical grocery store stocks 30,000 items.   And at the same time — around 2,500 new items are introduced each month!
These items are developed through a process of research and development or as we say in the business: R & D.
A typical company will have a structure with management on top and then marketing or brand management, production and processing & Quality Control and R&D.

The R&D staff work on the next product for a company.   Marketing and management express their direction and R&D will implement.   The R&D staff are normally food technologists which degrees and training in food science and sub-fields such as food engineering, microbiology and others.   The R & D job is to take general ideas and refine them into products.   First they develop prototypes or concepts.  These are tested internally and externally.   The product is refined, further tested and eventually test marketed.   It  takes a lot of time and money to bring a product to market.

Also, not very many new products are successful.   But, considering that most companies rely on new products for a large chunk of their profits — it is worth the effort. USHBC works with the Marketing and R & D of companies.  We engage and learn of the company needs and fill the information gaps with blueberry solutions.    Companies look to the USHBC as a partner in product development, and improvement.   Together we keep driving blueberries into more and more products that will keep filling the pipeline for years to come.

USHBC sponsored a visit of TV and magazine journalists to Portland Oregon this summer and  it has really helped bridge the information gap between our two countries.

Editors visited farms, packing facilities, further processors and a major blueberry candy producing company called Moonstruck.   A highlight was a visit to Voodoo Donuts in Portland and the my favorite the Burning Boar Barbecue in St. Paul, Oregon.

The editors have returned to China and are now educating their readers on the good-natured blueberry producers in the Pacific Northwest!  This is good timing as the Chinese government evaluates market access for US blueberries.

What is a webtune you ask?  Simply a cartoon posted on a website.   USHBC recently conducted a successful webtune campaign in conjunction with fresh blueberry promotions.  This included eight different episodes of a Whimsy family who discovers fresh blueberries and relies on our Super Mascot Blue-Me who saves the day in various situations including finding blueberries int he store, overcoming a bad skin day and even helping junior get better eyesight and smarts for exams.  My favorite is the episode where dad becomes a blueberry maniac and the family quickly reacts to feed his insatiable appetite for blueberries thanks to help from the super mascot.

Blueberry Guy just returned from the Americas Food Show in Miami Beach Florida.   First impression — did not hear English spoken from time the flight landed till return.   This is definitely the capital city of all of Latin America and the place where business is done.   We participated in a trade mission organized by the World Trade Center of Miami and the group sponsored buyers from all over the Caribbean  basin.   This included many of the island nations and colonies such as Bermuda, Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and others.    What we learned:  these countries are small but they import much of their food stuffs.   With the huge hotel and resort trade, they are in the market for products such as blueberries.   They want fresh, frozen and dried as well as liquid.   With growing US production in the Southeast, this is a very logical and lucrative market for the future.

Blueberry guy just returned from a visit to Turkey and was thrilled with the blueberry excitement.   In stores: fresh blueberries in produce departments, blueberry beverages, dairy and even frozen blueberries.   The star performer: dried blueberries.   Turkey has a huge dried fruit and Turkish delight confectionery tradition and blueberries fit right in!   USHBC will begin market development activities in the Turkey in the new year.

Now that we are on the Korean topic, let’s talk about the guy who helped make the blueberry fever happen.   He is on a vacation in California now and we connected for a chat and some soju last night to talk about old times in the Korean market.   Sunyong is a Food Scientist and Seoul University graduate and worked in the food industry for decades.   His hobby is mountain climbing and he maintains membership in the Seoul University Mountaineering Club.

Back in his days in the food industry Sunyong was one of the first to appreciate blueberries.  He worked to develop some of the first blueberry-containing dairy items in the early 80s.   Some of them are still selling well.   Each time I came to Korea we visited companies and promoted blueberries.     He went so far to help companies source full container loads of blueberries.   These new products gave Korean consumers a taste of blueberries and by the end of the 90s — blueberries were everywhere!

Back to his “retirement.”

Besides mountain climbing on weekends all over Korea, Sunyong is also a blueberry grower and adviser to other growers.   We attended the first annual Korea blueberry festival and feasted on blueberry bulgogi, bi bim bap and of course blueberry soju!  (alcohol beverage).  He continued to help Korean companies locate prized blueberries.    He is always contacting his buddies at Korean companies to talk new product ideas with blueberries.
Now, USHBC has finally figured a way to harness his blueberry energy and Sunyong has agreed to serve as our “blueberry food industry ambassador.”    He will be helping — doing what he already does so well.    Promote blueberries and blueberry products!