There are more than 50 types of blueberries in the world, five of which are grown in the US. The most common type is northern high bush but you can also find low bush, southern high bush, rabbit eye, and half-high blueberries. Blueberries are related to cranberries, and these are actually the only two fruits commercially produced in North America. However, as time moves on, exporters from countries such as Mexico, Peru and Morocco are starting to gain traction in the blueberry market, and the competition is getting stiff for providing the best fruit quality control over the blueberry market.
For today’s stakeholders in the blueberry industry, what’s the smartest route to taking control over a sizable chunk of this superfood’s potential? It’s all about streamlining quality control, including reducing waste, ensuring consistency across the blueberry crops, and eliminating the costly price negotiations. Quality assumed from the field needs to match expectations from wholesalers, retailers, and end users.
For a soft fruit like blueberries, every stage of the supply chain matters, from harvesting conditions, handling and storage, to transport, packaging and temperature control.
The following defects are the ones that are most likely to affect blueberry quality across the supply chain:
The following internal and external blueberry attributes are commonly used for quality evaluation:
For the full list of attributes that the Clarifresh platform currently evaluates and recommended quality standards for each, download our free app now.
The Clarifresh platform also integrates with 3rd-party technology to evaluate external tomato attributes. Learn more here.