Ingredients
Blueberries: Going with the Grain
From Sweet Heat to Cold Comfort, this year blueberries are trending everywhere you turn. For example: Sweet Heat-if this is the moment for Sweet Heat, it couldn’t be better for blueberries. Their tinge of natural tartness, their
lush full mouthfeel, their affinity for the assertiveness of spices.... Especially successful are the contrasting heat of
various peppers with blueberries; red pepper and cilantro-garlic; blueberry jalapeno lime. The onion family marries
well with blueberries such as onion/tomato/balsamic; shallot/red wine vinegar; the pungency of curry spices; arugula
and mint.
Every day it seems brings the discovery
of “new” grains, most of them ancient!
This is a case of what’s old is new
again, especially since these grains fit
right into our current quest for healthy,
wholesome ingredients. In addition to
their high nutritional quotient, these
grains have intriguing” backgrounds
and histories. Their culinary traditions
– Mediterranean, Turkish, Lebanese –
make them among the trendiest of new/
old foods around. Best of all, they are
blueberry-friendly!
Blueberries are synergistic with grains,
such as oats, amaranth, buckwheat,
chia, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff,
kamut, farro, spelt etc. With heightened interest in gluten-free products,
blueberries are a popular ingredient;
their presence lends the gluten-free formulations a homey and old-fashioned
attraction. Blueberries can serve as the
basis for vegan snacks and formulations
as well with other special diet foods.
Blueberries are also compatible with
nuts and seeds, which are a customary
accompaniment to many grains.
Sweet and savory
Product developers, food designers and chefs exploring the magical
combination of sweet and savory have
discovered that Highbush blueberries
combine beautifully with sweet, hot,
savory and salty ingredients. In the
attached you can see how the images
of savory pot pie and bread pudding
illustrate pairings of savory and sweet
in various ways.
Blueberries are great in traditional and
trendy flavor pairings that are unusual
and inspiring, making possible cookies
and other “sweets” with a sly, savory
side: with caramelized garlic, thyme,
wasabi, salted pistachio, or ají chili peppers. They sparkle with vivid, complementary flavors like maple, orange
blossom honey, light molasses, balsamic
and ginger. For a blue-on-blue effect,
they can pair with cheeses like Stilton
or Roquefort.
According to recent trend-spotting
reports, the pairing a “new” or “innovative” or “multicultural” flavor with a fa-
miliar one is a brilliant way to appeal to
consumers’ craving for adventure while
still offering something familiar enough
to not be too intimidating. Blueberries
help ease consumers into an adventurous flavor profile because they work
well in flavor combinations with spices,
botanicals, floral, citrus and herbaceous
because blueberries complement and
enhance as well as balance flavors. Blueberry sweetness adds excitement to the
smoky qualities of sauces and salsas. In
the attached Blueberry Sauce Menu, you
can see how blueberries make luscious
synergies with cayenne, garlic, mustard,
tamarind, wasabi … ad infinitim; and
with herbs from tarragon to mint.
From the Incas and Aztecs to European
confectionery traditions, the cacao bean
has had an affinity for fruit; and so
the fruitiness of blueberries shines in
chocolate-based moles, sauces and condiments.
One of the great advantages of formulating with blueberries is the flexibility of versatile formats available
year-round: fresh, frozen, dehydrated,
freeze-dried, concentrate, juice, puree
and osmotically preserved, shelf-stable;
whole, diced, powdered. Blueberries
provide appealing color, lush flavor and
intriguing effects like blue swirls and
patterns; they add fruit identity, texture,
color and flavor excitement. Blueberry’s
attractive color and sweet, fruity, burstin-the mouth flavor provide bright, bold
possibilities in a wide variety of baking
applications.
Health and wellness trends
are having a big effect on the use of
antioxidant ingredients and blueberries
are one of the hottest ingredients in
the arsenal. Part of the reason is the
health and wellness trend, but part is
also the amazing, across-the-board
appeal of blueberries with consumers
4
food Marketing & Technology • December 2016
Ingredients
as well as product developers who
appreciate the many types of blueberry
products available for use in beverages.
Antioxidants are thought to help
protect the body against the damaging
effects of free radicals and the chronic
diseases associated with the aging
process. Blueberries contain many of
these naturally occurring antioxidants.
Phytochemicals found in fruits, such as
blueberries, continue to be investigated
for their health benefits in slowing the
aging process, including memory loss.
Studies of older laboratory animals
consuming blueberry-supplemented
diets have shown measurable
improvements in memory, coordination
and balance. Research is also uncovering
neuron regeneration in older animals
fed blueberries. The role of blueberries
is being studied rigorously in all these
areas and just as rigorous is the concern
that all claims for beneficial effects be
supported.
to-formulate ingredient for product
development in all categories, especially
beverages.
Foods like blueberries which are associated with the benefits of antioxidants
became must-haves in people’s every
day diets, but blueberries are especially
successful because they are an easy-
Beauty from within
Blueberries are a go-to ingredient for
beverage innovators exploring the current trend for “beauty from within”
drinks containing fruit extracts, anti-
oxidants and other “beauty enhancing”
ingredients. There are already blueberries in a realm of products that make
the claim for antioxidants. Products
now touting “beauty from within”
comprise a category of ingestibles also
called cosmeceuticals or nutricosmetics. Nutricosmetics are entering the
marketplace through a variety of nu-
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food Marketing & Technology • December 2016
Key No. 89221
djazagro.com
5
Ingredients
traceuticals, beverages and functional
foods that purport to beautify the body
from within. According to this trend for
“eating beauty,” fruits and veggies are
marketed as beauty enchancers. They
generally contain antioxidants, fruit extracts, sport a superfruit halo and promulgate natural approaches to nourishing skin and general wellness. Thanks
to all the good news about antioxidants
and health benefits, blueberries have a
place at the forefront of such product
development. Consumers identify
blueberries as beneficial and seek them
out in blueberry-containing products as
well as ingredients in themselves.
“Real Blueberries, Natural Choice
One ongoing trend is the emphasis
on getting one’s nutrients from real
foods and ingredients. Blueberries
have always been popular because of
their natural deliciousness but their
popularity soared with the advent of
antioxidant-awareness
According to analyses of New Product
Trends, “real ingredients” are the choice
of today’s consumers, from boomers to
millennials. They fit healthy diets from
low carb to low fat. Consumers see
blueberries as a healthful, value-added
ingredient. Research around the world
continues to study the goodness of
blueberries and heart health, anti-aging
properties, cancer prevention, improved
eyesight and better memory. The US
Highbush Blueberry Council Health Research Library is found at http://www.
blueberry.org. Real blueberries, such as
frozen, are a natural, nothing added,
no preservatives. Highbush blueberries
provide the best that nature has to offer:
6
nutrients and delicious, sweet, real fruit
benefits with rich, full flavor.
Kid-friendly/Clean Label
Parents comment that blueberries and
products containing blueberries are
favorites with their children. For today’s
consumer, food is nourishment and it is
also lifestyle. With fruity, burst in the
mouth flavor and healthy profile, blueberries give products lush taste, broad
appeal and a clean label. Virtually fatfree, low in sodium, carbohydrates and
cholesterol, blueberries are a delicious
source of minerals, folate, and vitamins.
With blueberries, beverage makers get
the perfect storm for consumer appeal:
beloved lush flavor and an established
identity with antioxidant benefits.
Sweetness without sweeteners
Convenient blueberry formats provide
sweetness and the advantage of enriching products naturally. Blueberries and
blueberry formats can mean reductions
in sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or
other sweeteners.
Functional and fabulous
Blueberries appeal to all ages in formulations from baby foods to specially
designed products for every lifestyle.
They star in new products, brightening up energy bars, dressing breakfast
oatmeal, sparkling in sports beverages,
waltzing into sauces and bringing excitement all through the dairy case.
In short, blueberry’s attractive color and
sweet, fruity, burst-in-the mouth flavor
provide bright, bold possibilities in a
wide variety of food and beverage applications.
Key No. 89326
food Marketing & Technology • December 2016