The IBA and Austria Juice New Product Development Unit – exciting work ahead

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The world consumption of blackcurrants is low. Very low: not even a handful of blackcurrants per person and per year are consumed in whatever product (food, drinks, nutraceuticals) all over the world. In many countries, consumption of blackcurrants is zero, many people do not even know what blackcurrants are and why it could be good for them to consume blackcurrants.

We all want to see more blackcurrants in the market, and for the moment, the main product to be found is juice. But blackcurrant is a superfruit: not only it is tasty and healthy, but it can also be used in many different kinds of products. The IBA’s long term partner Austria Juice is now supporting the development of new blackcurrant based products: new opportunities can arise in the market with new products, and they may have a huge potential, especially when making a point of the health benefits of blackcurrants.

At this year’s International Blackcurrant Conference in Ashford, a contest for blackcurrant based products has taken place, and we have seen a very nice selection of excellent innovative or classical products. We have also heard about food trends all over the world, and the place that our blackcurrant could take in the market.

The time has now come to push this knowledge further and make something good of it: we need more blackcurrant based products, and we need modern, trendy products. With the support of Austria Juice, we will organize cooking contests every year in a different country. And we have to define the kind of product we want to bring forward (concentrates, purees, frozen currants…), which countries we want to focus on, which consumers we want to target, and what kind of new product we want to be put in the market.

Any IBA member can be part of this working group (and anyone can become a member of the IBA). We need to share our ideas and knowledge, and a common effort will help us to find the right direction. A first meeting of this working group (on skype) will take place before October, and anyone willing to join is most welcome! Please inform the IBA Executive if you want to participate: manager@blackcurrant-iba.com

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