Narrator: BLUEBERRIES ARE ONE
OF
NATURE'S HEALTHIEST FOODS.
THEY'RE LOW IN CALORIES,
PACKED WITH VITAMIN C,
AND FULL OF ANTIOXIDANTS.
AND FREEZING BLUEBERRIES
DOESN'T COMPROMISE
ANY OF THAT NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
GROW MOST OF
THE WORLD'S BLUEBERRIES.
THE LENGTH OF THE HARVEST
VARIES BY CLIMATE.
IN THE SOUTH,
IT SPANS APRIL TO SEPTEMBER.
FURTHER NORTH,
MID-JUNE TO MID-AUGUST.
AT THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART
BLUEBERRY FARM,
A MECHANICAL HARVESTER
STRADDLES THE ROW
OF BLUEBERRY PLANTS
AND SHAKES THE LEAVES
WITH VIBRATING FINGERS.
THE BERRIES FALL
TO A SLOPED FLOOR BELOW
AND ROLL DOWN INTO
SIDE CONVEYOR BELTS.
THE BELTS DUMP THE BERRIES
INTO ONBOARD BINS
WHICH TRUCKS TRANSPORT
FROM THE FIELD
TO THE ON-SITE PACKING PLANT.
THE PLANT HAS TWO
SEPARATE PRODUCTION LINES --
ONE FOR BERRIES TO BE
SHIPPED OUT FRESH,
AND THIS ONE FOR BERRIES
TO BE SHIPPED OUT FROZEN.
WORKERS EMPTY THE BINS
INTO A HOPPER,
WHICH FEEDS THE BERRIES
ONTO A CONVEYOR BELT.
A VIBRATING CONVEYOR BELT
THEN FERRIES THE BERRIES
UNDER A BLOWER
THAT SUCTIONS UP LOOSE
LEAVES AND TWIGS.
THEN THE BLUEBERRIES TUMBLE
DOWN A WATERFALL.
STONES AND DEBRIS SETTLE
IN THE LEDGES.
THE BERRIES LAND IN A WASH
TANK.
MOST OF THE RIPE ONES
SINK TO THE BOTTOM
WHILE MOST OF THE UNRIPE
ONES FLOAT ON TOP
WHERE WORKERS CAN EASILY
SCOOP THEM OUT.
THE BERRIES EXIT
THE WASH TANK
WITH FEWER
UNRIPE ONES AMONG THEM.
THE MESH BELT VIBRATES
TO GENTLY SHAKE OFF WATER.
THEN IT RUNS THE BERRIES
THROUGH THE FIRST
OF TWO COLOR SORTERS.
THE MACHINE'S CAMERA IS PRESET
TO IGNORE THE COLOR BLUE
AND DETECT ONLY GREEN AND RED.
WHENEVER A GREEN
OR RED BERRY PASSES,
THE CAMERA SENDS A SIGNAL
TO THE COMPUTER
IDENTIFYING ITS EXACT LOCATION
SO THAT ONE OF THE 136 AIR
JETS
BLOWS IT OFF THE BELT
TO A COLLECTION TROUGH BELOW.
THE RIPE BLUEBERRIES FLY
OVER THE TOP
ONTO A CONVEYOR BELT
THAT TAKES THEM
TO THE FREEZER TUNNEL.
THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE
IS MINUS 29 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT.
FIVE TO 7 MINUTES LATER,
THE BERRIES EXIT
THE TUNNEL FROZEN SOLID.
WORKERS PERFORM A FINAL
VISUAL INSPECTION.
AFTER PASSING THROUGH
A METAL DETECTOR,
THE BERRIES DROP INTO
A PREPROGRAMMED SCALE
THAT WEIGHS OUT THE SPECIFIC
QUANTITY BEING PACKAGED.
MEANWHILE, IN AN ON-SITE LAB,
GOVERNMENT-TRAINED INSPECTORS
PULL SAMPLES OFF THE LINE
EVERY 20 MINUTES FOR GRADING,
WHICH THEY DETERMINE
BY ASSESSING FACTORS
SUCH AS COLOR,
AROMA, AND DEFECTS.
THE FROZEN BERRIES
GO INTO A FREEZER
UNTIL SHIPPED OUT
BY FREEZER TRUCK.
THE FRESH BERRY PRODUCTION
LINE
IS SIMILAR TO THE FROZEN LINE,
MINUS THE WASH TANK
AND, OF COURSE,
THE FREEZE TUNNEL.
HOWEVER, THE COLOR SORTERS
ON THIS LINE
ARE EVEN MORE HIGH-TECH.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY SET
TO DETECT RED
AND GREEN BERRIES,
BUT THEY ALSO HAVE
A FIRMNESS DETECTOR,
WHICH BY BOUNCING EACH BERRY
ON A PAD CAN IDENTIFY
BLUE ONES TOO SOFT
TO HAVE AT LEAST A 12-DAY
REFRIGERATED SHELF LIFE.
AIR JETS BLOW THOSE
SOFT BERRIES OFF THE CONVEYOR
SO THEY CAN BE TRANSFERRED
TO THE FROZEN-BERRY LINE.
THE REST CONTINUE TO
A FINAL VISUAL INSPECTION.
THE FRESH BERRIES
ARE READY FOR PACKAGING.
THIS ELECTRONIC FILL MACHINE
IS PRESET TO WEIGH OUT
THE SPECIFIC QUANTITY
THEY'RE PACKAGING,
IN THIS CASE,
NEARLY 2-POUND CONTAINERS.
IT DROPS THAT QUANTITY
OF BERRIES
INTO AN AWAITING
PLASTIC CONTAINER.
THE FINAL STOP ON
THE PACKAGING LINE
IS THE FLAT-SEAL MACHINE.
IT APPLIES
A PRINTED PLASTIC FILM
TO THE TOP OF THE CONTAINER,
MELTING AND BONDING IT
TO THE PERIMETER
WITHOUT A TOUCH OF HEAT.
THE FILM HAS VENTILATION HOLES
BECAUSE FRESH BERRIES
REQUIRE AIR.
FROM HERE, THE CONTAINERS
GO OFF TO
A REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSE
TO AWAIT SHIPPING TO THE STORE
BY REFRIGERATED TRUCK.
AND PROVIDED THEY REMAIN
REFRIGERATED,
THE BLUEBERRIES REMAIN
FRESH AND JUICY
FOR 10 TO 12 DAYS.
