Marketing survey report now available
: 9.2.2010
The report on marketing survey of Nordic wild berry
industry is now available as
pdf file.
The Nordic Wild Berry Seminar a success :: 8.12.2008
The Nordic Wild Berry Seminar 2008 was held in November in Oulu, Finland. The event was organized by the bilberry project participants, and it gathered a group of about 50 industry representatives and researchers from the Nordic countries, as well as from Scotland, Canada and Japan.
Read more
The Nordic Wild Berry Seminar in Oulu :: 25.4.2008
A Nordic Wild Berry Seminar will be held in Oulu on November the 6th and 7th 2008. The event will gather representatives of the Nordic wild berry field – from the industry and entrepreneurs to researchers – to take a look at the present state of the field and set visions for the future.
Read more
BILBERRY – TOWARDS FUNCTIONAL FOOD MARKETS
The University of Oulu coordinates a research project that aims to promote Nordic cooperation in order to improve wild berry production and utilisation on the Nordic and global market. This is pursued by creating a product niche focusing on quality traits based on the natural growth habit and the effects of northern environmental factors on the berry quality.
Bilberry belongs to the most significant wild berries in the Nordic countries and is recognized for its bioactive properties. Wild berries growing in the northern climate are an excellent source for functional food and a resource which should be utilised more efficiently.
In Scandinavia, only 5–8 per cent of the yearly bilberry crop is exploited. The wild berry industry as well as the whole berry sector is typically fairly small and fragmented. To meet the increasing competition, there is a great need to improve the valuation and the profit of the Nordic bilberry production.
For the validation of the bilberry production, more knowledge on the factors affecting the ripening process and quality of the fruits is needed. Moreover, better knowledge of the bilberry genome could be utilised in determining the origins of small fruits for marketing purposes. The increasing berry import and export have also emphasized the need for new methods to confirm the origin of the raw material.
The bilberry project is a part of the New Nordic Food program focusing on enhancing innovation in the food, tourism and experience industries. The program is funded by Nordic Innovation Center.
|
