Agriture has made a prototype of dried blueberry leaf using Japanese-grown blueberry leaves as the raw material. Blueberries (genus Vaccinium, family Ericaceae) are fruit trees grown for their berries, but pruning to shape the trees and post-harvest maintenance generate substantial amounts of leafy branches every year. Compared with the fruit, there are few opportunities for the leaves to be distributed as a raw material, and most are currently discarded.<\/p>\n\n
For this prototype, we sorted the leaves from branches produced by pruning and dried them at low temperature at our own processing facility in Kyoto Prefecture. After drying, they turn a muted green to pale brown and give off a gentle aroma typical of leaf teas. Blueberry leaves have a history of use overseas as an herbal tea ingredient, as a plant containing polyphenols, and if leaves from domestic growing fields can be turned into a raw material, they could create a source of revenue alongside fruit production. At Agriture, we avoid overstatement and design raw materials with a focus on ease of use as an ingredient and on making use of unused resources.<\/p>\n\n
- Whole leaf: retains its shape as tea leaves<\/strong> Fruit growing generates large amounts of parts other than the fruit. For blueberries, pruned branches and leaves are the main examples. If parts that are currently discarded at a cost can be taken in as raw material, growers can expect both lower disposal costs and extra income, while the raw material side secures an ingredient no one else has.<\/p>\n\n However, using leaves as a raw material requires checking certain prerequisites. There are items to confirm from a different angle than for fruit, such as the types of pesticides used during cultivation and pre-harvest intervals, pruning timing, leaf freshness and the risk of foreign matter. Aligning these conditions with the grower from the prototype stage is what decides whether you can proceed to full production.<\/p>\n\n Blueberry leaves can take advantage of the fruit's name recognition, yet there are still few leaf-based products on the market. Here are the directions we are most often asked about at Agriture.<\/p>\n\n From the standpoint of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, we recommend avoiding definitive claims of specific effects and designing messaging around the ingredient itself, such as \"a plant containing polyphenols that has also been used for tea overseas\" or \"a caffeine-free ingredient that makes use of fruit tree leaves.\"<\/p>\n\n Prototypes are accepted as one run using 500g\/1kg of fresh raw material (30,000 yen, excl. tax). We do not offer coarse crushing, but we do offer drying that keeps the leaf shape, so you can consult us from the early stage before your product concept is settled. Full production starts from 10kg, and purchase lots, lead times and packaging format are worked out through individual consultation.<\/p>\n\n Processing takes place at our own facility in Kyoto Prefecture. The best-before date is about 6 months from shipping, and we can handle commercial bulk, small bags and light-blocking packaging. Leaves take up a lot of volume once dried, so it is easier to proceed if storage space and packaging format are agreed on once before full production.<\/p>\n\n Blueberry leaf is easy to drink on its own, but combining it with other dried herbs broadens the range of blends. Dried mugwort<\/a> (Japanese herbs), Dried Moringa<\/a> (a vitamin- and mineral-type leafy green), Dried Ashitaba<\/a> (leafy greens containing chalcones) and others, a strength is that blend designs combining them can be handled together through a single raw material supplier.<\/p>\n\n We also take consultations on product designs that make use of an ingredient's background, such as Japanese-grown blend teas built around fruit tree leaves and caffeine-free series combined with Japanese herbs. Let's work out the final product's specifications, lot size and schedule together from the prototype stage.<\/p>\n\n Agriture also handles drying OEM for unused parts of fruit trees, including Japanese-grown blueberry leaves, and prototypes of commercial raw materials. Farms and companies interested in making use of pruned leaves or off-spec fruit are welcome to contact us.<\/p>\n Dried turnip can be expected to attract commercial interest as a material for soups, simmered dishes, and pickles, and if processed into powder, it can also be used as a raw material for baby food and nursing-care food. Turnip's characteristic gentle flavor is a material well compatible with children's foods and products for the elderly.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n FOR BUSINESS<\/p>\n \u4e7e\u71e5\u91ce\u83dc\u3092\u696d\u52d9\u7528\u3067\u304a\u63a2\u3057\u3067\u3059\u304b<\/p>\n \u56fd\u7523\u306e\u91ce\u83dc\u30fb\u679c\u7269\u3092\u4e7e\u71e5\u3057\u3001\u5fc5\u8981\u306b\u5fdc\u3058\u3066\u7c89\u7815\u3057\u3066\u304a\u51fa\u3057\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u6271\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u54c1\u76ee\u306f100\u7a2e\u524d\u5f8c\u3067\u3001\u898f\u683c\u306f \u4e7e\u71e5\u54c1\u306e\u4e00\u89a7<\/a>\u30fb\u30d1\u30a6\u30c0\u30fc\u306e\u4e00\u89a7<\/a> \u306b\u63b2\u8f09\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/p>\n
A dried specification that keeps the leaf shape intact. It suits applications where appearance matters when packed into tea bags, or brewing in a teapot as a loose-leaf tea. The infusion is a pale golden color, and because astringency does not come through strongly, it is easy to drink on its own.<\/p>\n\nThe Idea of Turning Pruned Leaves into a Raw Material<\/h2>\n\n
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OEM and Product Development Ideas Using Blueberry Leaf<\/h2>\n\n
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About the minimum prototype lot and processing facility<\/h2>\n\n
Combining with Other Tea Leaves and Herbal Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n
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