Wild Berries

Wild blueberries are a different species from cultivated highbush, and the difference is commercial rather than botanical trivia: smaller, more intensely flavoured, and higher in the anthocyanins that carry the antioxidant positioning. They are harvested from managed wild stands, which is why volume varies with the season more than a cultivated crop.

The products are overwhelmingly IQF. Specify grade, size distribution, defect and foreign-material tolerance, and whether broken fruit is included: manufacturing buyers can often take a wider tolerance at a better price; retail and foodservice cannot.

The operational risk is the cold chain rather than the fruit. IQF product that has partially thawed and refrozen clumps, and it is obvious on arrival.