In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and co-host Alicia Adler, USHBC and NABC vice president of global business development, are joined by Jake Briere, corporate chef at Chobani and a member of the USHBC R&D Advisory Board. Adler and Cronquist bring Briere on to discuss where the food industry is innovating and what that means for blueberries as an ingredient in packaged food products. 

“Having the chance to talk to this group of individuals throughout the rest of the [R&D Advisory Board], while we all collectively work with [blueberries] in some format, really gives me the full picture of the entire process from farming to processing to when it finally goes on the shelf.” - Jake Briere

“For us at Chobani...we often look at categories that we feel we can disrupt in some format and provide more healthy options for the consumer. If you give them great tasting food that’s also good for you, they’re bound to choose that option.” - Jake Briere

Topics covered include:

• The establishment of the R&D Advisory Board and Jake’s experience with the blueberry industry so far.
• Jake’s role at Chobani and how he develops recipes for commercial and business-to-business use.  
• The evolution of innovation in the food industry, particularly in the dairy category. 
• Consumer product formats that are ideal for blueberries. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru, Federico Bayá from Argentina, and making his 2021 debut on the USHBC Crop Report, Andres Armstrong from Chile. This was recorded on November 10, 2021.