Posts Tagged “blueberries”
FOLSOM, CA — Customer interest in healthy dining options is pushing colorful fruits onto restaurant menus, according to Technomic, which surveyed more than 300 foodservice professionals.
Though they are normally found in breakfast items, blueberries are showing up in dished served all throughout the day. They are reported as the third most-purchased fruit, trailing only strawberries and apples, according to a press release.
“We learned from a top 500 chain menu survey earlier this year that blueberry mentions on menus boomed 97 percent between 2007 and 2013,” says Mark Villata, executive director for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). “Now, this usage and attitude study gives us insight into why. That is, what are the drivers influencing decision makers to increase their use of blueberries?”
When asked why they like using blueberries, the survey reports that chefs and operators say:
*Blueberries are a healthy option for customers (82 percent)
*Blueberries are low-labor and easy to use (82 percent)
*Blueberries give the entire operation a health halo (58 percent)
*Menu prices can be higher for items that include blueberries (42 percent)
“Blueberries are delicious, healthy and versatile, and add to our menu,” says David Goldstein, executive chef at Los Angeles-based Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill. “Our menu is loaded with fresh, healthy foods so when we put together our Harvest Quinoa Superfood Salad, we added dried blueberries. These days, I think customers expect to find blueberries in the healthiest options.” In addition, Sharky’s offers handmade, freshly prepared lemonades; one of their newest is Blueberry Mint made with fresh blueberries.
A survey conducted by Hebert Research in 2013 showed that 99% of Americans believe blueberries are healthy, according to a press release. With demand for healthy menu items increasing, it will be interesting to see what dishes start showing up on menus.
Eating blueberries reduces the risk of contracting Parkinson’s disease and may protect human brain performance, according to a new study.
Scientists from North Carolina State University, Purdue University and Rutgers University investigated how extracts from blueberries, grape seeds, hibiscus, blackcurrant and Chinese mulberries, all of which are rich in health-promoting phytochemicals, could suppress cell death caused by Parkinson’s. The study, Neuroprotective effects of anthocyanin- and proanthocyanidin-rich extracts in cellular models of Parkinson’s disease, was published in the March 25 issue of the Brain Research scientific journal.
Two specific classes of phytochemicals are effective against the neurodegeneration or loss of nerve cell function in the brain brought on by Parkinson’s,the study indicates. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins are naturally occurring plant compounds prevalent in some fruits and vegetables.
“Blueberries have both of these natural chemicals in high concentrations, so they pack a more powerful, 1-2 punch,” researcher Mary Ann Lila, director of North Carolina State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute in Kannapolis, N.C., said in a release. “They can have synergistic benefits that surpass many other fruits when it comes to protection against brain cell death, which in turn may reduce the risk of contracting Parkinson’s.”
In the U.S., 1 million people are estimated to suffer from Parkinson’s, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that involves the malfunction and death of vital brain nerve cells. The disease leaves people unable to control movement normally. Early symptoms include shaking, stiffness, slowed movement and difficulty walking.
Americans are nearly twice as likely to buy blueberries now as nine years ago, Hebert Research found in its recent survey of 3,765 primary household shoppers.
“We do these surveys every five years to make sure we’re moving the needle, and this one shows an excellent return on our investment,” said John Shelford, a member of the council’s promotion committee. “We went from 39 percent awareness of health benefits in 2004 to 84 percent today, more than doubling awareness in 10 years. That’s remarkable.”
As in 2008, the typical blueberry consumer in 2013 was upscale, well educated and white — but more likely to be from a minority. Consumers, primarily ages 46 to 65 in 2008, have grown more likely to be 35 to 44.
“We really have been focusing our efforts on developing the future generation,” Shelford said. “In terms of market channel, fresh has a preference with customers. We work hard to bring fresh to them, but it’s challenging given the labor situation. The industry has a number of ready-to-eat providers today thanks to new sorting methods, so the consumer can have that fruit before it’s frozen.”
Shoppers are now likely to buy blueberries based solely on health benefits, the survey found.
Asked what they like most about the fruit, consumers cited health (84%), taste (81%), convenience (61%) and versatility (44%), among other attributes.
Nutritional benefits were widely acknowledged. For example,, 99 % believe blueberries are a healthy food.
Consumption of wild blueberries can help blood vessel function and health, according to new research conducted by European researchers.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in a study supported by the Alpro Foundation Grant and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, published the report last September.
The Wild Blueberry Association of North America in Portland, ME donated blueberry test materials (typically freeze dried powder of whole blueberries) for the study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Reading in Reading, United Kingdom, University Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany, and the University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
The findings are the first to link wild blueberry polyphenols, natural compounds that are present in goods volume in wild blueberries, to improvements in vascular function in healthy men, according to a news release from the WBANA.
“Importantly, even the lowest amount of wild blueberries tested in the study, equivalent to 3/4 cup of wild blueberries, was able to improve endothelial function, which is an amount easy to incorporate into a daily diet,” Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, from the Division of Cardiology, Pulmunology and Vascular Medicine at the University of Dusseldorf, said in the release.
“The simple message is eat your fruits and vegetables in all the colors,” said David Bell, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission. Bell said the research on health benefits may perhaps be true for cultivated blueberries, but researchers only studied wild blueberries.
Less than one percent of Maine’s wild blueberries are sold fresh, with nearly all the harvest frozen. Maine’s growers harvest about 86 million pounds of wild blueberries annually.
Bell said there are many more health studies “in the pipeline,” with more studies using clinical human trials and also delving into the “why” behind apparent health benefits.“What I think we are figuring out is that blueberries are up regulating some (positive) genes and down regulating other (negative) genes,” he said.
An Oregon State University (OSU) study has discovered two compounds found in red grapes and blueberries may be able to enhance people’s immune functions.
The university’s Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) analyzed 446 compounds to test their effects on immunity, and observed a positive correlation with resveratrol and pterostilbene, found in red grapes and blueberries respectively.
The researchers saw these compounds worked in synergy with vitamin D and had a significant impact in raising the expression of the human CAMP (cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide) gene that is involved in immune function.
“Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out,” LPI principal investigator Adrian Gombart said in a release.
“Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It’s a pretty interesting interaction.”
The two compounds, known as stilbenoids, are produced by plants to fight infections.
The studies were supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.
While the folks in New Jersey who are paid to promote Jersey agriculture, they are touting great crops of peaches, blueberries and vegetables this year. However, excessive rains the first half of June may have an impact on shipments. Just keep an eye on what you are loading in case quality has been adversely affected.
Full crops of peaches and blueberries are being forecast for this season. Blueberry loadings are just now starting in the southern part of New Jersey, while peach shipments should get underway in mid July and continue into mid August.
The asparagus harvest is underway and other vegetables are expected to follow soon.
New Jersey ranks second nationally in blueberry shipments.
However, most agricultural products are in the greenhouse and nursery products sector. Roses, chrysanthemums, geraniums, lilies, orchids and poinsettias are all grown for the urban markets. Nursery products include grass sod and ornamental shrubs (arborvitae, holly, juniper).
Concerning produce, New Jersey ships significant amounts of of asparagus, bell peppers, eggplant, endive, lettuce and spinach.
Cabbages, snap peas and corn are also raised. Additionally, the state has apples, peaches and strawberries, although the later is mainly involvedwith pick your own operations.
Two of the biggest markets for Jesery produce are New York City and Philadelphia, although shipments do occur in many other eastern markets.
While studies have shown transporting strawberries and some other produce items in a modified atmosphere extends the quality and lifespan of the items, how safe are these food items to eat that have been exposed to carbon dioxide (CO2) for nearly a week?
Rich Macleod, a scientist and basically the manager of the pallet divison for Transfresh Corp. feels this is a reasonable question for people to ask.
“The use of carbon dioxide in the handling of perishables is incredibally common,” Macleod states. He points to the use of CO2 in soda, which are the bubbles you see.
As for TransFresh, Macleod says the Organic Material Research Institute has certified the Tectrol application as organic. “So we are certified for use as an organic product,” he states. “The impact of CO2 in terms of maintaining the quality of the product….using a gas we breath in the environment, is an excellent trade off for what you get for enjoying more strawberries.”
As previously reported in this series, using the pallet covered system, Tectrol (CO2), results in less decay in strawberries (see chart).
Macleod, who started out as a lab assistant with a masters degree in post harvest science, sees the next step in research being to define what CO2 does for the nutrient value of strawberries. Such a study has never been done, he notes. He is hopeful such research will take place within the next five years.
While Tectrol’s primary use is with strawberries, it also is used with raspberries, blueberries and other items.
However, it also is found in containers on shipments by boat with items such as avocados, asparagus, and stone fruit for both imports and exports that are in transit eight to 10 days.
“Your cut salads are all cousins to the wrapped pallet program (with modified atmospheres). In fact, the cut salad program preceeded the pallet covered program,” Macleod says.
(This is Part 5 0f 6, featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
Vancouver, B.C. – The outlook for British Columbia’s 2013 blueberry crop is strong, according to the British Columbia Blueberry Council. If current weather trends hold, picking could start as early as the first week of July, coming in a couple of weeks earlier than last year’s harvest.
Early varieties of blueberry are already in full bloom, with later varieties also progressing well. Although it’s too early in the season to predict the size of the harvest, the region has had great weather for pollination. While there have been reports of some farms experiencing a shortage of bees, British Columbia is expecting an ample supply of good quality blueberries for the 2013 season.
“The last couple of years have been record crops for BC, but picking has started late,” said Debbie Etsell, executive director of the BC Blueberry Council. “The combination of the mild winter and warm spring this year puts us on track for a harvest that is more typical, as far as timing goes, starting around the first or second week of July.”
About the British Columbia Blueberry Council
The British Columbia Blueberry Council represents over 800 blueberry growers, located in some of Canada’s most rich and fertile farmland. Plantings of premium quality highbush blueberries top 11,000 hectares in British Columbia and produce upwards of 55 million kilograms of blueberries annually. With more than $1 billion in sales in the past five years, Canada is the third largest national producer of sweet and juicy highbush blueberries in the world. Available fresh in B.C. from July through October, BC blueberries are also frozen, dried, juiced, puréed and powdered, available for year round-distribution throughout Canada and around the world.
Source: British Columbia Blueberry Council
Florida blueberry growers and shippers remain optimistic despite two consecutive years of weather challenges. Those in the industry call it the ‘blue wave.’ Shipments are continuing the increase each year.In 1995, annual per capita consumption of blueberries in North America was just 15.5 ounces. Then in the late 1990s “blues” were labeled a super food followingresearch by the late Jim Joseph, a human nutrition researcher at Tufts University in Boston. The study revealed blueberries having the highest antioxidant levels among 40 common fruits and vegetables. Anti-oxidants inhibit cell damage related to aging and diseases in the human body.
By the year 2000, per capita blueberry consumption had jumped 15 percent to 17.8 ounces, and soared through the rest of the decade, reaching 39.5 ounces in 2011.
Then scientist Paul Lyrene, a horticulture professor at the University of Florida, developed new blueberry varieties suitable for Florida’s warmer climate based on native bushes he found in the Winter Haven area,.
The USDA reports over the past 20 years Florida commercial blueberry shipments have grown from 2.1 million pounds on 1,200 acres in 1992 to 17.1 million pounds on 4.500 acres in 2012.
The Florida blueberry shipments occur generally from late March to early May, depending upon weather and market conditions. During that time, Florida is the nation’s only source of domestic blueberries.
Strawberries
While strawberry shipments from Ventura County are in a seasonal decline, berry volume from both the Santa Maria area and the Salinas/Watsonville district are on the rise.
Overall this season, I’ve been disappointed in the quality of California strawberries, both in taste and appearance. As long as your receiver knows what they are having delivered, then it should reduce your chances of claims or rejections. Hopefully quality will improve with the transition to northern shipping areas.
Studies have shown if your load has pallets with sealed bags from Tectrol with the CO2 modified atmosphere, you will have berries with better arrivals and extended shelf life.
California has refined growing methods on more than 40,000 acres and have improved yields by 44 percent since 1990, but you can’t control Mother Nature. About 90 percent of USA grown fresh strawberries are from California.
The Salinas/Watsonville district is easily the state’s most important when it comes to strawberry shipments, with loads amounting to nearly half of California’s production.
During a year, Salinas/Watsonville ships nearly 20,000 truck load equivalents of strawberries, with the Santa Maria district moving nearly 11,000 truck load equivalents and Southern Californa shipping over 12,000 truck load equivalents.
Blueberries
Although a few California growers began harvesting and shipping early blueberry varieties last March, the bulk of loadings occur in May and June, with the season ending by July.
California is now shipping blueberries and all the signs point to good volume and quality. The Golden state this year is expected to exceed the 1,100 truck load equivalents of “blues” shipped in 2012.
California is home to 80 blueberry producers and 20 handlers, and ranks fifth nationally blueberry shipments.
Blueberry volume is light, but seasonally increasing from the southern and central disticts of California. Raspberries are in light volume from Ventura County.
Salinas strawberries and vegetables – grossing about $7500 to New York City.