How We Make BLUEBERRY-EYE: The Bilberry’s Journey from Finland to Japan
BLUEBERRY-EYE is literally the product that started WAKASA SEIKATSU. As the first product we created, it is still our flagship product. It’s central ingredient is blueberries which are a rich source of anthocyanin, an important supplement for eye health.
The blueberries we use come from Nordic countries, mainly Finland. Nordic wild blueberries are called bilberries, and they grow naturally in the vast forests of Finland and the other Nordic countries.
Since we only produce supplements that we ourselves would take every day, we carefully select the best ingredients available. In our opinion, which is supported by our research, bilberries are the best type of blueberries. They are incredibly rich in anthrocyanin, and they grow in clean forests with pure air.
Picking Bilberries by hand
Our bilberries come from Finland, where they grow naturally. The berries are carefully picked by hand with dedicated equipment called berry-pickers. This keeps the delicate and juicy berries whole so that the maximum health benefit is achieved in our supplements.
The berries are placed in breathable cases (pictured above right) and flash frozen to preserve their freshness. After that, they are delivered to the factory.
Checking the Quality of the Berries
After the bilberries arrive at the factory, they are inspected by a special camera that checks their color. Then, they run through a machine to remove leaves and twigs from the fruit. Finally, the berries are checked by human eyes, and all cracked or dented ones are removed with a special hose made for the job. Only the highest quality bilberries make through this screening.
Extracting Anthocyanin and Blending Ingredients
Anthocyanin, the main health-benefitting component in BLUEBERRY-EYE, is extracted from the carefully screened bilberries. Around 100kg of bilberries result in 1kg of bilberry extract. Any impurities are filtered out and the rest of the ingredients are blended in with great care to maintain uniformity throughout the mixture.
Afterwards, the extract is condensed in a machine (pictured above) to ensure it reaches the ideal density.
Molding the Extract into Softgels
The blended and condensed extract is poured onto gelatin sheets, which are pressed into softgel capsules. The capsules are gradually dried on a rotating molding machine. Drying the capsules gradually reduces the risk of future leaks.
Checking the Quality of the Softgels
The softgel capsules roll onto a conveyor belt where they are again checked by human eyes. Using a precision gauge, a person can detect even the subtlest errors in the capsules. Low quality capsules are removed during this screening.
Packing
The softgel capsules are packed in an oxygen-proof and light-proof three-layer aluminum bag, which protects the capsules from oxidation and damage.
To ensure the right amount of capsules placed in each container, the packages are weighed by a computer.
Final Check
A final check is carried out to ensure that the best-before date is correct and that the package itself is in perfect condition.
Additional random screenings are carried out for further quality control.
The Finished Product: BLUEBERRY-EYE
Once the process is complete, the final BLUEBERRY-EYE packages are sent to our customers.
If you would like to read more about BLUEBERRY-EYE and its health benefits, continue to our PRODUCT PAGE.