150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
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September 2016 Bluespaper
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News and Marketing Program Updates from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
Please take a moment to take our
yearly survey. The survey can be completed online by clicking here. If you are
unable to complete the survey online, please email the USHBC to obtain a hard copy of the survey. In This Issue
U.S. Cold Storage
Amerilert Signup
USHBC Fall 2016 Meeting Topics
Meetings and Events
Health Research
Food Tech/Export Update by Thomas Payne
Marketing Update
In the News
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U.S. Cold Storage Update
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
Holdings: At the end of July, 260.7 million lbs. of frozen blueberries were reported in cold storage, compared to
236.4 million at the end of July in 2015. The comparable 2014 figure was 171.7 million lbs. and in 2013 it was
166.4 million.
Movement: Reported holdings increased 102.7 million lbs. in July. The 2015 comparable figure was 103.8. The
comparable 2014 figure was 70.0 million lbs. and in 2013 it was 62.4 million.
Bottom line (opinion - Tom Peerbolt, editor): The
trend of the past few years continues as supplies now in
cold storage are at record high levels. The large number of both new and maturing acreage and generally good
harvest conditions this year in most growing regions have contributed significantly to these numbers. Hopefully
this increasing supply along with strong marketing efforts will lead to increasing demand.
The
North American Blueberry Council (NABC) sends out detailed monthly cold
storage reports by email to its members.
For further information, please send an email to [email protected]
Aerial view of Philadelphia, the destination for the 2016 NABC & USHBC Fall Meeting
USHBC Fall 2016 Meeting Topics
USHBC Finance Committee Meeting (2:00pm to 4:00pm - Wednesday, October 5, 2016)
Review of 2016 Budget and Expenditures; Current Cash Position; Assessment Collection Update and
Projected Income for 2017; Establishment and Recommendation of 2017 USHBC Budget; Selection of 2016 Audit
Firm; Review of 2017/21 Strategic Goals and Objectives
USHBC Industry Relations Committee Meeting (4:30pm to 6:30pm - Wednesday, October 5, 2016)
Update on 2016 USHBC Election Results and Discussion of Potential USHBC Officer Candidates to be
Recommended for 2017; 2016 Continuation Referendum Update and Discussion of Results; Consideration of Cost of
Production Research for USDA Purchase Proposals and Other Uses; Industry
Relations Committee Activity Updates
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
and Review of 2017 Industry Relations Committee Budget; Progress Report on 2012/17 Goals and Objectives;
Review of 2017/21 Strategic Goals and Objectives
USHBC Promotion Committee Meeting (8:00am to 12 Noon- Thursday, October 6, 2016)
Presentation of 2017 Food Manufacturer Publicity Plan and Little Blue Dynamo Awards; Presentation of 2017
Consumer/Foodservice Promotion Program; Update on 2016/17 Chilean Winter Promotional Activities; Presentation
of 2017 Food Manufacturer Export Market Promotion Activities; Update on 2017 UES Consumer Export Market
Promotion Activities; Finalization and Recommendation of 2017 Market Promotion Budget
USHBC Health Research Committee Meeting (1:30pm to 5:30pm- Thursday, October 6, 2016)
Review of 2016 Budget, Accounts Payable and Committed Funds; Review of Blueberry Bank Inventory; Review of
2017 Health Research Budget; Health Research Study Progress and/or Final Reports; Finalization of 2017 Request
for Proposals (RFP) Packet; Update on April
2017 Health Research Committee and Researcher Meeting; Discussion
of Tufts Nutrition Council Participation; Progress Report on 2012/17 Goals and Objectives; Review of 2017/21
Strategic Goals and Objectives
USHBC Good Practices Committee Meeting (8:00am to 10:00am- Friday, October 7, 2016)
USHBC Issue Management Plan Update; Update on USDA TASC Funded Blueberry
Pest Research for Fresh Market
Access and EU Phosphonate Research; Update on South Korea MRL Analysis Project; GAP Subcommittee Update;
Discussion of Bee Health Research, Revisions to Worker Protection Standard Rules, EU Consideration of Chlorate,
BAC, and DDAC Level Regulations; Review of 2016 and 2017 Good Practices Committee Budget; Progress Report
on 2012/17 Strategic Plan Goals; Review of 2017/21 Strategic Goals and Objectives
USHBC Council Meeting (10:30am to 1:30pm- Friday, October 7, 2016)
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Update; USHBC Committee Reports, Recommendations and
Establishment of 2017 Budget; Discussion of
Committee Assignment Procedure; USHBC 2017/21 Strategic Plan
Update
back to top 2016 NABC & USHBC Fall Meeting
Complimentary Tours provided by Sunny Valley International
through the Philly Tour Hub will be available Monday - Friday.
Spots are filling up quickly - Call to make your reservation today!
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
back to top Market Tech/Export Update
By Thomas Payne
Here in the U.S, frozen blueberries are a
staple
ingredient in the bakery and restaurant trade. USHBC is
working to introduce this versatile ingredient to the food
industry. Here are some details on the recent seminar by
Chef Michael Rosenblum, former Executive Chef and
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
F&B Manager of the Embassy of the United States in
Beijing. He is a big advocate of blueberries and we will
be seeing more of his work in China in the future! Blueberry smoothies, blueberry bars and blueberry
muffins were all demonstrated. Left: Embassy Chef Team and our Julia Zhu, who
promotes highbush blueberries in China.
Chef Rosenblum emphasized that US highbush
blueberries have a skin that allows juice to sweeten the
whole muffin and that smoothies can be made
economically with frozen blueberries.
Check out some of the demo action at the recent seminar
held in Beijing September 9, 2016:
Above: Smoothies demonstrated. Becoming very popular with image conscious youth in China.
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
Above right: Ultimate Cheesecake. This is a very popular item in China. Above left: Panna cotta with blueberries
inside and on top! Above: Ultimate blueberry muffins. Chef encouraged audience to use a lot of blueberry to provide identity.Too often
bakers are timid as they do not want to have blue color in the batter. Well, this blue color is exactly what the consumer
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
Above: Satisfied customers!
Health Research
By Leslie Wada
Did you know that the USDA conducts dietary surveys that provides information on what Americans eat? This data
can help nutritionists get a better description of the average American diet and how it changes over time.
The Food Availability Data System (FADS) is compiled by the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS). The
database contains estimates of amounts of over 200 food and beverage commodities available for consumption. The
data are used to measure U.S. food and beverage consumption trends and yearly changes in commodity
consumption. There are other dietary surveys conducted by USDA/AMS in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Human and
Health Services, National Center for Health Statistics that have collected data on dietary intakes, but the focus in
these surveys are on foods in general rather than on commodities. However, these government surveys provide
additional information on characterizing the consumers based on income, ethnicity, education, etc. In a recent report,
ERS researchers converted foods reported in these dietary surveys to intakes of specific commodities in order to
associate consumer demographics with this FADS commodity database.
The ERS researchers disaggregated 63 commodities for 15 demographic characteristics. Blueberries were grouped
within the “Berries” group which contained: fresh and frozen blueberries, fresh cranberries and cranberry juice, fresh
and frozen raspberries, fresh and frozen strawberries and frozen blackberries.
When we look at berry consumption data for the period from 1994 to 2008 we see some interesting trends.
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
The
annual, per capita berry consumption in the U.S. increased from 1994 to
2008 despite the drop in total
fruit consumption during that same period. This increase was seen in both children and adults
An increase was seen in both genders in children and adults but berry consumption was the highest in
women. When
intake among ethnic groups defined as Non Hispanic whites, Non Hispanic
blacks, Hispanics and Other
were compared, Non Hispanic whites had the highest consumption of berries. However, the ethnic group
considered as Other showed the greatest percentage increase in consumption over the time period 1994 to
2008.
Berry
consumption was greater in high income consumers (>185% poverty line) compared to low income
consumers (<185% poverty line) however consumption increased in both groups. Consumers
with a college education consumed more berries than those with a high school or less than high
school education, however all groups showed an increase in consumption
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
Refs: Lin, B, Buzby JC, Anekwe TB, Bentley JT. U.S. Food Commodity Consumption Broken Down by Demographics,
1994-2008, ERR-206, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, March 2016
Marketing News
150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
When figuring out what to eat for breakfast, parents defer to their
children about 1/3 of the time, and about 1/8 of the time for lunch
(NPD
Group), making Generation Z a highly influential target for
blueberries.
This year’s Kaleidoscope School Marketing campaign worked to drive
purchase intent among schools and households, and received high
marks with 71% of those reached reporting that they will purchase
blueberries in the future. That’s over 106,500 people who are more
inclined to purchase blueberries as a result of this year’s program!
So how did we influence so many kids, parents and decision makers
in over 580 elementary schools? Key to our success was the
distribution of a series of custom, attention-grabbing materials:
Nutrition-focused newsletters for English- and Spanishspeaking parents;
Booklets with blueberry-themed activities for students;
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
Colorful cafeteria posters with facts about blueberries; and,
Fliers providing helpful (and persuasive) information to school nutrition managers.
The 2016 partnership with Kaleidoscope led to other successes, too:
72%
of parents would like blueberries served in the cafeteria this year in comparison to 66% that
resulted from a similar program in 2015 (a 9% increase!)
54%
of parents said they either strongly agree or agree that they will recommend buying blueberries
to their families and friends
93% said they would recommend the program to other schools
What’s next? We continue to find the right avenues for reaching and influencing these important consumers
who without a doubt will play a
big role in driving consumption over the next several years. Blueberries Take Over Boston at FNCE 2016 Boston
might be the home of the best lobster you’ve ever tasted, but this October 15-18, blueberries are
taking over at the Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo
(also known as FNCE). The Council has exhibited
at FNCE for years because it reaches a dynamic audience of Registered Dietitians (RDs), researchers,
health professionals, nutritionists, and students who are interested in new health findings and nutritional
information of produce.
Last year, the USHBC handed out 3,000 pieces of marketing materials, 1,600 recipe samples and hosted
two contests that led to over 1,000 connections with new blueberry ambassadors in the health arena. This
year we’re putting our key takeaways to use and developing similar
booth activities to gain the attention and
interest of even more attendees:
Fresh. Frozen. Dried. They’ll all
be the stars of this
show, as we’re sampling a different recipe and form
for each day of the conference. A 2015 crowd
favorite, Blueberry Farro Salad will be just one in the
mix of delicious dishes.
An exclusive recipe contest for attending RDs, who
will be prompted to submit blueberry recipes that
they love passing on to their clients, friends and
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
colleagues. A lucky winner will be chosen at random
to receive a prize.
For
many, blueberries are synonymous with
wellness, so it’s only fitting that the USHBC attends
as a Wellness & Prevention sponsor. USHBCfunded researcher Dr. Eric Rimm of Harvard will be
presenting to attendees on the health halo that surrounds our little blue fruit.
Check back in November for a full recap of FNCE 2016 and to see images of this year’s activities.
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In The News
Farm Management
Farmers learn to predict profits more accurately (Farm Progress, 9/9)
Food Safety
FDA provides $21.8 million for FSMA produce safety rule implementation(Produce News, 9/12)
Part 1: Protecting a diversified food chain This is Part 1 of a four-part series. Subsequent parts will
post on the next three Mondays. (Food Safety News, 9/12)
Plant Research
The secret life of plants (Western Producer, 9/8)
Technology
Fire Up Those Drones! FAA Part 107 is Live (Precision Ag, 8/29)
The tech advantage of digital oversight – Video (Good Fruit Grower, 9/1)
VIDEO: Field robots: their time is near (The Western Producer, 9/8)
Weather / Climate
California: Weather Agencies Predict Drought Could Benefit from Hot Summer and No La Niña
(AndNowUKnow, 9/8)
Drought Rages On In Northeast (Growing Produce, 9/10)
FDA provides $21.8 million for FSMA produce safety rule implementation(Produce News, 9/12)
Labor
California: Historic Farmworker Overtime Law Approved (Growing Produce, 9/12)
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
Conservation & Land
California's Water Usage Spikes 15 Percent Following Relaxation of Mandatory Cuts (AndNowUKnow, 9/9)
USDA announces $26 million investment to spur innovative conservation (Ag Professional, 9/12)
FDA provides $21.8 million for FSMA produce safety rule implementation(Produce News, 9/12)
Restored Wetlands Provide Critical Habitat for Migratory Birds, Many Other Species (USDA Blog,
9/12)
Magazine/Website Compilations
The Packer: blueberries
Growing Produce: recent berry articles
Andnowyouknow.com: blueberries
Fruitnet-Eurofruit: recent berry articles
Fresh Fruit Portal: blueberries
The Bluespaper contains links to third party sites that are not maintained by the USHBC.
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You can download the USHBC’s web app to your cell phone's home screen for easy access to blueberry
promotion news!
Just go to: Ridethebluewave.com
The USHBC Bluespaper
is compiled and reported by Tom Peerbolt and published by the U.S.
Highbush Blueberry Council; 1847 Iron Point Road, Suite 100; Folsom, California 95630. Phone
(916) 983-0111; Fax (916) 983-9022; Web Site: www.blueberry.org. or www.littlebluedynamos.com. The USHBC has adopted a diversity outreach plan to attempt to achieve a diverse representation
on the Council. USHBC programs and meetings
are open to all individuals. The USHBC prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex,
religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, parental status and
marital or family status. The USHBC fully complies with any and all applicable Federal, State, and
local equal employment opportunity statutes, ordinances and regulations, including, but not limited
to Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
Persons with disabilities
who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact the USHBC office at (916) 983-0111. To file a
complaint of
discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington D.C. 20250-9410 or call
800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD)
Copyright © 2016 US Highbush Blueberry Council, All rights reserved.
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150,000 Consumers Get Schooled About Blueberries
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