Consistent quality of blueberries

Few fruits show such strong growth in consumption as blueberries. Blueberries have been among the fastest growing fruits on the market for more than 10 years. This is mainly because they are easy to eat, healthy, tasty and visually appealing. But how do you maintain consistent quality?

Where does the growth in blueberry consumption come from? The most important factors here are health, taste and bite. Consumers are most dissatisfied with soft and sour berries. Did you know that the origin of blueberries has a major influence on their quality?

Why are blueberries so popular?

Blueberries are riding the wave of trends such as healthy eating and foodies posting photos on social media. This has further increased the reach of blueberries. As a colourful, attractive fruit, it is a popular choice in recipes and food images. This allows people to see the versatile use of blueberries in desserts, breakfasts and as decoration. The blue colour distinguishes blueberries from other berries and complements most dishes used for online photography.

Origin of blueberries

As a retailer and supplier of blueberries, you can influence quality by looking at the origin and varieties. Dutch and Chilean berries, for example, have a softer texture, while those from Peru are generally more acidic but also firmer. South Africa and Morocco also produce high-quality berries.

"As with hard fruit, we are also seeing emerging varieties of blueberries with specific branding. These berries are used in premium brands or premium lines, which are increasingly found on retailers' shelves alongside regular blueberries. The premium berries have higher quality standards and are often firmer in texture, larger in diameter and less acidic. This results in a higher consumer rating."

Better storage conditions

As growers replace traditional blueberry varieties with better-tasting, newer varieties, taste improvement continues to drive consumption. Improved storage conditions in the chain and chilled sales in supermarkets have also contributed to better quality blueberries for consumers and a longer shelf life.

Increase in consumption

In recent years, segmentation in the number of packaging types, such as tubs and snack fruit cups, has further increased the sales of blueberries and their share in this market. This has also contributed to further growth in the consumption of blueberries as a whole. The trend for the future will be towards alternative packaging with less plastic, such as cardboard packaging or packaging with a net structure, in order to use less plastic.

Opportunities?

Thanks to better varieties, better control of the cold chain and trends that suit blueberries well, we are seeing annual growth in blueberry consumption of more than 10% in many markets. While blueberry consumption has been high in the Netherlands, England and Norway for some time, other European markets still have considerable potential for development.

Blueberry consumption continues to rise and will do so as long as we continue to secure and roll out the quality improvements that have been implemented in recent years.

Your partner in the world of fruit and vegetables

The quality and availability of fruit and vegetables fluctuate constantly. In addition to daily tasks such as inspecting fruit and vegetables, there are new challenges to face. These include reducing packaging materials, the increasing focus on taste, the fruit and vegetable knowledge of new staff, improving specifications, optimising seasonal transitions and introducing new cultivation techniques.

In this complex fruit and vegetable world, Normec Foodcare is your partner. We give you control over the quality of fresh produce. We do this by:

• Monitoring quality in the supermarket

• Product comparisons

• Shelf life testing

• Taste testing

• Store inspections

• Product specifications

• Secondment of inspectors & quality managers

• Fresh produce quality training

Author: Normec Foodcare

Knowledge partner in food safety, product quality and taste