Supermarket Perimeter - May 2022 - 77

SPOTLIGHT
power with blueberries and
healthy plant proteins.
In meat and seafood,
blueberries shine in marinades,
sauces and rubs that shoppers
can grab at the counter to
complete the protein portion
of their meals, Adler said.
Frozen, pureed and infused
blueberries also work well
with meats and seafood. The
USHBC, for instance, has
developed compound butters
using blueberry powders and
freeze-dried blueberries that
blend well into butters that can
be used as a finishing touch
on a sautéed seafood dish or
sauteed vegetables, among other
applications.
In the instore bakery,
81% said in a 2019 survey that
adding blueberries to their products
gave consumers the perception of
additional health benefits, if not actual
additional health benefits themselves.
(Rose Research)
nuts have earned the status of
" the original healthy inclusions, "
Adler said.
" Health and wellness are
obvious factors, but the sheer
pleasure principle of fruit and
nut inclusions is another, "
Adler said. " If retailers can give
their customers a dose of both
these factors, they're hitting the
sweet spot. "
Blueberries' use as inclusions
has always been high. Some of
that comes from being widely
available, consistent in quality,
offered in application-friendly
forms like IQF, freeze-dried,
infused and more, she added.
In produce departments,
blueberries are commonly found,
in dried form, in salad mixes.
And as concentrates, purees
and infused blueberries, they're
showing up in fresh dressings
and smoothies in produce
department refrigerator cases.
Blueberries can also usually be
found in the salad-build mixes in
deli department salad bars.
Fruit snacks and rollups in the
produce department are also
increasingly becoming a home
for blueberries, Adler said. So
much so, research chefs at USHBC
formulated a blueberry-ginger
fruit roll from partially thawed
frozen blueberries, fresh ginger
and black pepper, Adler said.
In deli, cheesemakers are
innovating by topping soft
cheeses with blueberry purees
or jams, and there are blueberryflavored
almond and oatmilks
that double up on the plant
blueberries are perfect for quick
breads, yeast breads, cakes,
breakfast pastries and filled
pastries, sweet or savory.
" They're familiar, flavorful,
comforting and attractive to
consumers, and they're easy to
work with for bakery operators, "
Adler said. " One option we
worked on at the USHBC is a
blueberry-allspice roll that tweaks
the classic cinnamon version.
Instead of the usual cinnamonsugar
filling, we combined dried
and canned blueberries to create
a compote-like filling that has a
structure and texture perfect for
commercial-bakery use. "
Even the deli section can put
blueberries to use in salads, grain
blends and sides. And with delis
getting more " culinary " by the
day-rivaling foodservice, even -
deli teams have to up their games
with inspired offerings, Adler said.
With that in mind, USHBC
chefs developed a blue tamale
that would be an eye-catcher in
any deli case. The tamales get
their color not from blue corn
but from a blueberry masa made
with concentrated and strained
canned blueberries, which gives
supermarketperimeter.com
them an intense natural color
and bits of actual juicy berries in
the dough.
Formulations for all blueberry
applications are available at
www.blueberrytech.org.
Flavor and function:
walnut inclusions
Nuts are also becoming a more
popular inclusion for foods sold in
grocery perimeter departments.
At the top of the list is walnuts.
" Walnut usage as an inclusion
has increased significantly in the
last couple of years as product
developers start to realize the
flavor and functional benefits
they offer, and consumers begin
to recognize the nutritional
benefits they deliver, " said
Jennifer Williams, marketing
director, branding and food
innovation, for the Folsom,
Calif.-based California Walnut
Board. " From a flavor perspective,
walnuts have the unique ability
to complement both sweet
and savory products. From a
functional standpoint, walnuts
offer the perfect crunch - not
too hard, not too soft. "
Bakery foods and packaged
salads have always been heavy
users when it comes to walnut
inclusions, Williams said. Their
versatility in an instore bakery
alone, she said, is remarkable.
" They can serve as an
indulgent inclusion in chocolate
chip cookies or brownies, while
also serving as a better-for-you
inclusion in artisan breads and
muffins. "
Recent innovations using
walnuts as inclusions include:
* Kodiak Cakes Thin and
Crispy Chocolate Chip
Walnut Cookies
* Yishi Toasted Black Sesame
Oatmeal Cups
* Microbiome Bar Cherry Walnut
* Mestemacher Walnut Protein
Bread.
MAY 2022 - 77

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Supermarket Perimeter - May 2022

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