Bilberry products
Industry purchases 6–8 million kilograms of bilberries per year. Of this, over half are exported as various raw materials for international industry or as consumer products processed by Finnish companies. In addition to Europe, exports to Asia in particular have grown in the 21st century. Wild bilberries are valued due to their extremely high anthocyanin content. They also contain lots of other polyphenols.
Bilberry products manufactured by Finnish companies include frozen bilberry products, dried berries, bilberry purées, powdered bilberries and ground bilberries. Bilberry jams, juices, shots, smoothies, wines and liqueurs are also popular. Bilberries are often used as a raw ingredient in yoghurts, ice creams, chocolate, desserts, snacks, soups and mueslis. In recent years, bilberry seed oil and bilberry extracts have become increasingly common in cosmetics products and nutritional supplements. Finns begin using berries as young children. The use of berries is common in children’s food products manufactured by Finnish industry.
Companies which manufacture and sell bilberry products in Finland