Quality in blueberries: more science, less art

04/05/2015

Since volumes of blueberries could - at least - triple over the next decade, growers and traders will have to attract more palates to keep profits afloat.

The crop has enjoyed a wave of popularity in recent years, however, a higher tonnage will put prices under pressure. Therefore, demand efforts will be critical to maintain the dynamism of this small berry.

In this way, Costa Group is facing the challenge, testing new quality measurements in a developing laboratory in Corindi, New South Wales, Australia.

"In the past we used to simply evaluate quality through a visual assessment that was based on experience"Said Ulloa.

"Now we are learning how to measure not only sugar, brix levels or soluble solids, but the acidity of berries to calculate the relationship between acidity and sugar content. By doing that we can better estimate the conservation potential of the different varieties that we have", He explained.

"If we are going to leave them for long-term storage in a modified atmosphere, for example, we want to make sure that the fruit really has potential. And if it's not like that, it's better not to do it"He added.

Ulloa commented that the company has also brought the 'FirmTech 2 Fruit Firmness Tester' from the USA, which will be able to show the exact firmness levels and the fruit diameter of 25 berries at the same time.

"So far we have been measuring the firmness using only the fingers"He said.

He also stressed that the project has been running for the last couple of seasons, with the aim of making quality management a science rather than an art.

"If we can not measure it, we can not manage it," he said.

"I think we are now moving forward and really learning what the potential and capacity of a particular variety or lot is. Maybe the same variety will react differently in different conditions too"He commented.

"This is the new frontier, learn about the internal quality of the product, to be able to identify and manage it"He said.

Cranberries, an exciting case

Ulloa has witnessed the rapid transformation that the industry has experienced. He comes from Chile, a country that now ranks as the main exporter of blueberries in the world. However, he did not see fruit crops during his university studies in agronomy.

"To be honest, when we arrived in Australia we did not have blueberries in Chile. I arrived at 1987 and I did not know them"Said Ulloa.

"It took me a couple of years before I saw them here in Australia. I have spent a lot of time on other horticultural products, but for the last four years I have been working with blueberries and it is very exciting", he pointed.

"Compared to many other horticultural products, I think that blueberries are one of the best"He reflected.

Ulloa stressed that blueberries have a lot of potential, because not only are they healthy with a large amount of antioxidants, but they are also very tasty. In addition, they are more resistant than other berries in the supply chain.

"In comparison with the rest of the berries, blueberries are one of the strongest; can be kept for weeks, you can put them in modified atmosphere and travel long distances"He said.

"If you try to do the same with raspberries and strawberries, which we also have, it is very difficult"He said.

"Also from the point of view of the harvest, this is not like lettuce or other crops where you have to bend over or climb a ladder with a heavy bag like with apples, but you have a small package, you go over the harvest and it's a lot easier"He said.

According to Fall Creek Farm & Nursery's director of business development, Cort Brazelton, who prepares market reports for the Highbush Blueberry Council in the US, global blueberry production exceeded 560.000 metric tons (MT) in 2014 and it is expected to reach 770.000 MT in 2019.

Source: Fruit Portal