Blueberry formats offer many functional benefits

Blueberry juice and blueberry purée provide color, smooth texture and distinctive flavor, according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Available year-round, they can be used in new and existing food product formulations. Blueberries come in a range of formats for food manufacturers: fresh, frozen, dried and liquid. Liquid blueberry co-products have many applications, including smoothies, frozen desserts, ice creams and yogurts. Individually quick-frozen blueberries do not need to be thawed prior to use, the council said. They can be poured into batters, quickly incorporated into mixes or used as a topping.

650-340-8311; www.realblueberries.org

Pastry crunch coatings line includes nut, cookie inclusions 

The new line of PreGel Five Star Pastry Crunchy Coatings comprises convenient dessert coatings, complete with crunchy inclusions of nuts, wafers, cookies or rice puffs. These coatings evenly coat gelato dome cakes, terrines and semifreddo, hide imperfections and enable cleaner cuts with minimal smearing, the company said. The pastry crunch coatings are available in five flavors: gianduia, lemon, white chocolate, hazelnut and pistachio.

866-977-3435; www.pregelamerica.com

Crunchy inclusions are available in confectionery flavors

Inclusion Technologies’ new
confectionery-driven flavors of
Bits-O-Flavor Flakes — 2053 chocolate mint and 2503 vanilla — are allergen-free flavor inclusions. These premium crunchy inclusions can add instant impact to a wide variety of end-use products when used either topically or internally, the company said. They are available in various mesh profiles and in both traditional and new clean-label (natural colors and flavors) versions.

913-370-8070; www.inclusiontech.com

Tart cherries add flavor, functional benefits

Montmorency tart cherries are a U.S.-grown superfruit sourced from small family orchards, the Cherry Marketing Institute said. For dairy, the tart cherries are a flavorful and on-trend addition to creamy yogurt. For beverages, tart cherry juice and concentrate can be incorporated into either packaged or made-to-serve offerings such as mixes and smoothies. More than 60 research studies link Montmorency tart cherries to an array of important health benefits, including sleep benefits, inflammation reduction, heart health and exercise recovery, the institute said. The cherries can be found year-round in dried, canned, juice, concentrate and frozen forms.

517-669-4264; www.ChooseCherries.com

Frozen strawberries can be used in a variety of applications

Tree Top Ingredients offers frozen strawberries in straight-pack and sugar-added solid-pack formats. Its strawberries are processed in a multitude of forms, from frozen to formulated fruit preps, and can be further processed to provide customers with whole, sliced and diced fruit. Applications include ice creams, yogurts, smoothies, bakery, dairy bases and frozen novelties. The company said it can transform fresh fruits into unique and cost-effective ingredients for adding flavor.

509-697-7251; www.treetop.com

Concord grapes provide vibrant color, nutrients

Welch’s Global Ingredients Group offers a range of Concord grape purees and juice concentrates that bring the “power of purple” to dairy applications, the company said. The ingredients provide the taste, nutrition and natural color of Concord grapes for use in yogurts, smoothies, dairy desserts and ice cream. They contain no added colors or flavors and deliver only natural fruit sugars. The Concord grape is a unique dark purple variety that’s different from the standard table grape. It has a thick, vibrantly colored skin and crunchy seeds, which is where you’ll find the plant nutrients (polyphenols) in this superfruit, the company said.

978-371-3779; www.welchsgig.com