The Metamorphosis of a Hawthorn: Unveiling the Complete Industry Chain from Fresh Fruit to Snack

The bright red, tangy hawthorn berry is a flavour symbol etched in the memories of generations. From a fresh fruit on wild branches to various snacks on shelves, this small fruit's journey of "transformation" conceals an entire precisely coordinated, technology-enabled industrial chain, whilst also carrying the fusion of traditional flavours with modern food industry.

The first step in hawthorn's "transformation" begins with careful cultivation at its origin. The birth of high-quality hawthorn berries relies on suitable natural conditions and standardised planting. Taking Xinglong, Hebei - "China's Hawthorn Capital" - as an example, the sandy soil at the foot of Wuling Mountain, irrigation with mountain spring water, combined with abundant sunlight, nurtures hawthorn berries that are plump, moderately acidic, and rich in flavonols, dietary fibre and other nutrients. Farmers need to thin flowers and fruits in spring, prevent pests and diseases in summer, and precisely harvest in autumn to ensure each fresh fruit meets processing standards. At this stage, the hawthorn still carries the fresh scent of the wilderness, serving as the "source code" of the entire industrial chain.
After harvesting, the fresh fruit undergoes strict pre-treatment. Freshly picked hawthorn berries are sent to washing workshops, where they are repeatedly cleaned through multiple mountain spring water soaking and patented washing technologies to remove surface impurities and pesticide residues. Then comes the sorting process, where uneven sizes and poor-quality fruits are screened out, while quality fresh fruits are divided according to their uses: some for preserved fruits and candied fruits, some for juice pressing lines, and others for deep processing workshops, achieving "whole fruit utilisation". This step is the first line of defence for flavour and safety, and also the foundation of hawthorn's "transformation".

In the processing stage, different categories of hawthorn snacks begin their own "transformation" journeys. Traditional haw flakes require first pulping the hawthorn, filtering out residue, then cooking and concentrating, scraping into sheets and drying, preserving the natural sweet and sour taste of hawthorn. Hawthorn balls need malt syrup and other ingredients added to the pulp, forming a soft and sweet taste through pelletizing and sugar coating processes. The recently popular hawthorn soup is an innovation of modern technology - after pitting the fresh fruit, it's cooked with mountain spring water, preserving both the whole fruit flesh and creating a refreshing juice, achieving a dual "drinkable and edible" experience. For health-conscious consumers, companies also offer low-sugar versions, replacing traditional cane sugar with erythritol to make the sweet and sour flavour compatible with modern dietary needs.

Beyond common snacks, hawthorn's "transformation" extends into high value-added areas. Flavonols can be extracted from the fruit skin for functional food development; the flesh can be made into concentrated juice and hawthorn wine, expanding into the beverage sector; even the commonly discarded seeds can be distilled into kernel oil antiseptic, truly achieving "maximum utilisation". Throughout this process, food testing and quality control are maintained from start to finish, from pesticide residue screening to nutritional content testing, from production environment cleanliness control to finished product sample monitoring, each step safeguarding food safety.

When the packaging workshop completes sealing and labelling, the "transformation" journey of each hawthorn berry concludes. From wild fruit to shelf snack, this small fruit has traversed the entire chain of cultivation, pre-treatment, processing, quality control, and packaging, also completing its value leap from agricultural product to consumer good.

In the hawthorn industry chain, Chengde Ruitai Food Co., Ltd. is a representative enterprise. Leveraging Xinglong's premium hawthorn production area, the company has built an integrated system combining "base planting, product processing, tourism, scientific research innovation, and e-commerce sales". Their developed products such as hawthorn soup and additive-free preserved fruits are highly favoured in the market. Meanwhile, Ruitai has overcome multiple technical challenges in hawthorn deep processing through government-industry-academia-research collaboration, both preserving traditional flavours and promoting the technological and brand upgrading of the hawthorn industry, providing strong industrial support for the small hawthorn's "transformation" journey.

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