More than 100 participants, including nutritionists, dietitians, healthcare professionals, food processors, and research and development professionals participated in the Nutrition Seminar 2026 – ‘Science behind blueberries: Latest research and practical applications’ – organised by the US Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) in Chennai recently
The programme brought together global research, clinical nutrition perspectives, culinary applications and an expert panel discussion focused on translating scientific findings into responsible and practical dietary guidance
Speaking on the occasion, J Radhakrishnan, Director General of Training and Director of Anna Institute of Management, Government of Tamil Nadu, highlighted the importance of credible nutrition education and the responsibility of professionals and institutions to communicate scientific information in a way that is accurate, practical and understandable to consumers
Raj Kapoor, India Representative of USHBC, spoke about USHBC’s efforts to engage nutrition professionals, healthcare practitioners, chefs, food manufacturers and other stakeholders in India through scientific education, research communication and practical applications
Leslie Wada, Senior Director, Nutrition and Health Research, USHBC, who made a presentation on occasion, reviewed the evolving body of research on blueberries and their naturally occurring plant compounds, particularly anthocyanins, which contribute to their characteristic blue colour
Nutrition profile
Her presentation covered research relating to areas such as cardiometabolic health, gut microbiota, exercise and immune response, and psychological well-being, while also emphasising the importance of understanding the quality and type of scientific evidence
Kavitha Reddy, CEO and Founder of Sreya Nutrition, discussed the nutritional profile of blueberries, including dietary fibre and naturally occurring phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, while reviewing research relating to glucose metabolism, cardiovascular health, oxidative stress, brain health and gastrointestinal microbiota
She also highlighted the versatility of blueberries across different formats, including fresh, frozen, dried, puree, powder and concentrate, and discussed how nutrition professionals can incorporate them into practical dietary guidance
Krithika Radhakrishnan, chef and culinary consultant, demonstrated how blueberries can be incorporated into familiar Indian and contemporary preparations across breakfast, beverages, snacks, savoury foods and desserts. She explained how different blueberry formats can be selected according to the application
A panel discussion examined how research can be translated into practical recommendations for Indian consumers and patients
Panellists discussed the role of blueberries within a balanced Indian diet, possible applications in hospital diets and post-discharge meal planning, ways to encourage children to consume a wider variety of fruits, and practical factors such as portion size, individual dietary requirements, availability, affordability and product format
