The Important Connection Between Consumers and Blueberry Breeding

There’s a lot of bravado about making blueberry the world’s favorite berry. But escalating the popularity of blueberry is no small task. Public and private breeders are certainly making huge strides in breeding a better berry that stands up to the rigors of field production. However, this work will be meaningless if the fruit that ends up in grocery stores and consumers’ mouths is not enjoyed and the value of the fruit is not realized. Therefore, there is a need to understand what drives consumer preference and purchasing behavior and ultimately integrate that information into blueberry breeding programs.

Recent research conducted by the Vaccinium Coordinated Agricultural Project (VacCAP) socioeconomics team led by Elizabeth Canales, Mississippi State University (MSU), and R. Karina Gallardo, Washington State University (WSU), along with other VacCAP team members, sheds light on what a group of about 389 sensory taste test participants value most in their blueberries. Using northern and southern highbush blueberries harvested from Oregon and Florida, respectively, flavor consistently was the key fruit quality attribute that impacted consumer preference as well as willingness to pay for fresh blueberries. In addition to flavor, there was a preference for sweeter tasting blueberries and lower sourness intensity.

Firmness is another important trait found in previous studies to influence consumer preference and willingness to pay. Previous research shows that consumers tend to dislike soft, mealy blueberries, prompting a focus on breeding for firmer, even “crispy” fruits. Canales and Gallardo showed that increases in texture parameters associated with hardiness or firmness correlate with higher willingness to pay.

However, while consumers’ willingness to pay rises with increased firmness, they also found preliminary evidence that it does not continue to increase — and could even start to decline — for extremely firm blueberries, suggesting an optimal firmness level for breeders to target. In addition, larger fruit with caliper diameters of 17 mm or larger were associated with higher willingness to pay.

How are breeders interpreting this information? Paul Sandefur​, Director of Breeding at Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, and a VacCAP collaborator, weighed in: “Clear information on consumer preferences can provide guidance for specific trait level selection thresholds in breeding programs. Any breeding program that uses a multi-trait selection model would be amiss to not factor in consumer preference weights.”

Driving increased consumption requires understanding what marketing strategies influence consumer purchasing decisions. Former WSU PhD student, Xueying Ma, supervised by Gallardo and Canales, conducted additional work on marketing strategies with a focus on quality-related descriptors on blueberry packaging.

To gain insights, the VacCAP socioeconomics team designed a Basket-Based Choice Experiment (BBCE), which simulated an online shopping experience whereby participants selected produce from various baskets containing 14 different kinds of fresh fruits. In this virtual shopping experience, the blueberries were labeled with quality descriptors, including “sweet,” “stay fresh,” and “crunchy.”

Results showed blueberries labeled with “stay fresh” increased the likelihood of blueberry purchases among a sample of 3,200 U.S. survey participants. In contrast, terms like “sweet” and “crunchy” had no effect. Additionally, concerns about price, shelf-life, and freshness were cited as the primary reasons for infrequent consumption of blueberries. These findings highlight the value consumers place on freshness.

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Sandefur also elaborated on this finding: “New blueberry varieties with improved shelf-life have the potential to help the entire industry via reduced fruit waste in grower fields and warehouses, and increased consumption at retail.” Additionally, information on effective labeling strategies can be leveraged by marketers to design more targeted marketing strategies.

Will blueberry become the world’s favorite berry? Only time will tell, but the trajectory looks promising. Understanding key drivers of consumer preference and purchasing behavior will help breeders and marketers alike in delivering top-tier blueberry fruits to consumers. In turn, this will help consumers realize the value of adding blueberries to their shopping carts and promote expanded and repeat sales of this delicious and nutritious fruit.

The VacCAP project is funded through USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Award #:2019-51181-30015). You can learn more about VacCAP at vacciniumcap.org.