Blueberries command a high price: why do premium fruits sell for so much

In recent years, blueberries have been selling well in the market under the label of being "high-end and upscale," and titles such as being rich in antioxidants and vitamins have also made them command a high price. However, experts point out that although blueberries are a good fruit, this does not match their price.

Yun Wuxin, PhD in Food Engineering from Purdue University in the United States, points out that blueberries have only emerged in China for a few years, and nutritionists have increasingly praised them; some supermarkets once sold them for more than 200 yuan per kilogram. Although most Chinese people are not familiar with them, they are actually not a purely imported product. A wild fruit called "dushi" in Northeast China is actually a variety of blueberry.

Research shows that blueberries are rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals and antioxidants. "The 'health benefits' of blueberries are often related to antioxidants, and their promotion often claims that their antioxidant content is higher than that of other fruits."

Yun Wuxin points out that any food claiming to be "antioxidant" can be sold at a higher price. "Current research does indeed seem to fulfill people's wishes - blueberries 'may' have multiple 'health benefits.' However, these studies are all very preliminary, and it is still a long way from saying they 'definitely' have these functions. Some scholars even believe that antioxidants such as anthocyanins exist only in vitro and are very likely to lose activity after being eaten."

Yun Wuxin reminds consumers that what determines the beneficial effects of vegetables and fruits is not how much a single fruit contains, but how much is eaten in total. Unless one truly "does not lack money," there is no need to chase those "premium fruits" that are "expensive because they are rare."