| Month | News |
| December, 2010 | Blueberry new products continue at
rapid pace. According to Mintel data, more
than 1,200 new products containing blueberries were introduced in
2010. This is the third best year since new products have been
tracked in 1986.
 |
| November, 2010 | USHBC unveils new "Little Blue
Dynamos" positioning for highbush blueberries.
A new brand positioning for highbush blueberries was presented to
the USHBC at its meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 |
| October, 2010 | USHBC diabetes research shows
potential. A USHBC-funded research project conducted by researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, Baron Rouge, Louisiana, is showing some promising results in the area of diabetes. A story released by Nutra-Ingredients USA summarizes findings published in a recent edition of the Journal of Nutrition. The article notes: "A daily smoothie containing bioactive ingredients from blueberries increased sensitivity to insulin, and may reduce the risk of developing diabetes in at risk people. |
| September, 2010 | Industry organization
communicates industry commitment to food safety. The Alliance for Food and Farming is a non-profit organization made up of farmers and farm groups from throughout the United States of which the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) is a member. The mission of the Alliance for Food and Farming is to provide a voice for farmers to communicate their commitment to food safety and care for the land. The Alliance was formed in 1989 and currently has a membership of approximately 50 farmers or farm groups who represent producers of U.S. fruit, vegetable and other specialty crops. The membership includes a wide range of operations from very large to very small and farmers who incorporate a wide range of farming methods including conventional and organic. http://www.foodandfarming.info |
| August, 2010 | Blueberry per capita consumption on
the rise. The most recent North American Blueberry Council (NABC) Statistical Report is showing that the interest in fresh blueberries continues to grow. Blueberry consumption in the United States increased to an estimated 31.4 ounces per person in 2009, a +13% increase over the total of 27.8 ounces consumed the previous year. Fresh consumption came in at 15.4 ounces per person in 2009, up from 12.8 ounces per person the previous year. Frozen blueberry consumption totaled 16.0 ounces per person last year compared to 15.0 ounces in 2008. |
| July, 2010 |
July is Blueberry Month.
(details) |
| June, 2010 |
Blueberry industry mourns the passing of a leader and
friend. >June 18, 2010. Dorothy Anderson, Washington State grower and active industry leader, passed away on Friday evening, June 18, 2010 Dorothy was a great friend to many in the blueberry industry and an industry leader as both a NABC President and a key member of the Washington Blueberry Commission. >June 1, 2010. Dr. James "Jim" Joseph, prominent researcher, died. He was instrumental in documenting health benefits of blueberries and was a tremendous worldwide advocate and friend of the industry. |
| May, 2010 | USHBC promotes blueberries in
healthy beverage chain. Tropical Smoothie Café, with 280 units primarily in the Southeast, featured blueberries during a special “healthy lifestyle” promotion which ran from January 4 to February 28, 2010. Blueberry menu items such as the Tropical Smoothie “Signature Salad”, which is on the menu year round and includes fresh blueberries on greens along with chicken, almonds, pineapple, carrots and dressing, as well as blueberry smoothies were promoted through table tents, the Tropical Smoothie Café website and in an email blast to more than 45,000 of their customers |
| April, 2010 | Produce publication documents
blueberry market growth. The 2010 edition of “Fresh Trends”, published yearly by The Packer , notes that “After remaining steady over the past two years, purchases of blueberries jumped 17 percentage points in the past year, making them the commodity with the highest year-to-year growth. The likelihood of purchase increased according to household income and age, following a three-year trend in both instances. |
| March, 2010 | USDA withdraws USHBC proposal to
increase assessment rate. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that it is withdrawing the USHBC proposal to increase the current assessment rate from $12 to $24 per ton in order to fund expanded market promotion and health research activities to keep pace with increased levels of production. The withdrawal rule was published in the February 23, 2010 edition of the Federal Register (Volume 75, Number 35, Page 7985). |
| February, 2010 | USHBC to exhibit at more than 25 trade shows in the year! The Council announced a aggressive schedule to get the blueberry message into the field in 2010. This includes gatherings of bakers, food technologists, food service directors and health and nutrition influencers. The Council will also participate in international venues in Asia and Europe and the Middle East. new initiatives will include pet foods and natural cosmetics sectors. |
| January, 2010 | USHBC initiates school foodservice initiative. Blueberries will be in more and more schools in the coming year. The Council is initiating activities to promote commodity processing of items with blueberries. A number of trade shows involving school foodservice staff will be attended in the new year. |