Healthy Berries ripe for the picking

When Peter Kohler could no longer get his favourite berry puree because the company closed, he bought it, bringing Healthy Berries Inc. back to life. Seeing the opportunity to use wild PEI blueberries to create a Superfruit Purée, he hired Alison Carver as the General Manager.

“Healthy Berries knows the value of ‘nothing added, nothing taken away’, which is evident in our product,” said Alison. “While many competitors remove the fruit’s healthiest parts, we understood that the right technology would set us apart.”

By utilizing TEKMASH technology, the entire berry is included in the puree product – the juice, peel, seed, and pulp. This process yields no waste. TEKMASH breaks down the organic material, making the berries’ natural nutrition more readily absorbed by the body. The result is a ready-to-drink purée with over 850 Canadian wild blueberries in every bottle.

Knowing they had something unique, the team at Healthy Berries had to determine the best way to bring their product to market through a food safety program, but was unsure which one to choose.

To deliver a high-level and high-end product to consumers, the company looked to Perennia for guidance with an analysis to determine facility strengths and weaknesses. With Perennia’s help, they decided on certification in the BRC Global Standards (BRCGS food safety program, formerly the British Retail Consortium). BRCGS was developed by retailers and is used by all types of organizations. It’s a market leading global brand that helps build confidence in the supply chain.

“Perennia helped Healthy Berries reach our food safety program goals. From management to expert perspectives, and knowing the answers to our questions, we felt the pressure subside as we brought our product to market,” said Alison.

This achievement was an incredible asset to the company, helping Healthy Berries stand out in the retail market. With their BRCGS certification, they’ve garnered a high level of respect and credibility from industry professionals.

As a result of the BRCGS certification, Sobeys has given Healthy Berries the green light to put their product in Atlantic Canadian stores shelves by June. The BRCGS certification also allowed Healthy Berries to launch their product outside of Canada. They sent their first order into Asian market approximately a month and a half after certification was achieved.

“Achieving certification through our collaboration with Perennia gave our company and product creditability with retailers and distributors across the country, and now the world.”