"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together."

Vesta Kelly

 

Food bites... A provocative prescription for improving the food industry’s image

"It’s a mistake to simply respond defensively to the assault the industry endures from activists and media representatives. Instead, the food industry should work to communicate a message that addresses consumers’ 'higher-level' concerns, which tend to focus more generally on issues such as longevity/wellness and weight/health.
So much of what the food industry is talking about is ‘here’s the way in which our food won’t hurt you ...we need to move ourselves up the benefit ladder to higher level benefits."

Tom Nagle, Statler Nagle, a Washington, DC-based consulting firm

Editor's Stuff - Where to now for health claims?

I went to an excellent lecture last evening, organised by the Cape Branch of SAAFoST, where SA's famous pseudo-science sleuth, Dr Harris Steinman, expanded on some of the dubious products and claims he has outed and felled. He really is a one-man science patriot, who is prepared to risk his own time and money in taking on unscrupulous and often powerful entities who can get very nasty and abusive when threatened.

His talk was highly entertaining and the quackery he exposed amazing. Quacks, promising false hope, are as old as humanity and today they have more ways than ever to peddle their wares, and continue to get away with it thanks to big gaps in legislation and policing, and the perverse popular notion that anything "natural" has to be "good". The problem is serious: unproven remedies may be harmful, they waste money and, sometimes, using them keeps people from getting the medical treatment they need.

Alas, some very big names in the food industry are being accused of quackery and have been brought to book over health claims. A few weeks ago, it was Kellogg, last week it was Nestlé. Health claims have become minefield, with the FDA, the FTC and EFSA putting paid to many a food marketers' dream. Where to for functional foods is anyone's guess right now.

Some articles on this topic follow - and then I want to bring your attention to some interesting analysis of why people continue to make really poor food choices when they are perfectly well informed about healthier options. It's called behavioural economics and it poses some sticky challenges for the food industry and health regulators.

Enjoy this week's read!

Nestlé will drop claims of health benefit in drink

According to a recent Nestlé ad campaign aimed at parents, a drink called Boost Kid Essentials was so good for children that it could keep them from getting colds and missing school. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission said the ads were deceptive and announced that Nestlé had agreed to stop making the claims.

The move was the second in two months - Kellogg agreed to stop making a claim that nutrients added to its Rice Krispies cereal helped bolster children’s immunity to illnesses - aimed at deceptive advertising by a major food manufacturer for products meant for children. A commission official said that the agency was taking a close look at the proliferating number of health claims made for all types of products on supermarket shelves. New York Times. Read more

COMMENT: Do functional foods work?

Watching recent actions by scientific agencies, regulators and industry players themselves of late, one might be forgiven for thinking that the functional foods dream is falling a little short of the reality. We’re talking about the biggest food companies in the world being told the claims that help sell some of their foods are deceptive and misleading. Nestlé. Mars-owned Wrigley. The Kellogg company. Danone. General Mills. And them agreeing to change or withdraw the claims.

Nestlé and Kellogg’s of late have had their wrists slapped by the increasingly active US Federal Trade Commission over immunity claims aimed at kids. Both issued statements saying in essence, ‘We did nothing wrong, stand by the claims, but will change the claims as the FTC wishes.’ .... Er sorry ... but why go along with it if you stand by the science? Are the claims false or not? Is the science there or not? Do these products (a probiotic drink and an antioxidant- boosted cereal) work or not? Read more

REGISTER FOR IUFoST 2010!

Come for a day, or three, or just the expo - this is an envent that every food industrialist needs to be at! Go to the IUFoST 2010 website for all the details: http://www.iufost2010.org.za/

Email Brenda Neall, editor and publisher: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

FOOD INDUSTRY JOBS ADVERTISED THIS WEEK!
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Afrikaans translation: To translate this page, go to http://interpret.co.za/, and simply paste the URL into the page translator module. The translation is by no means perfect, but is a help if you want to read in your home language.

Local Food Industry Stuff

The rise of the 'no-name brand'

Sales of house-brand products - the so-called 'no name' brands - are growing significantly but for some time these have not been the cheapest options on shop shelves. In general, the popularity of house brands has increased in the past five years, says Spar group merchandising executive, Mike Prentice.

In SA, they may not be the cheapest in the product category, but are generally cheaper than the market leader's product. Coronation Fund Managers analyst, Quinton Ivan, says Woolworths probably has had a lot to do with changing consumer perceptions of house brands. FastMoving.co.za. Read more

Analysts struggle to call race between Shoprite and Pick n Pay

The battle for market share between South Africa's retail giants Shoprite Holdings and Pick n Pay seems to be hotting up. The two retailers were last year embroiled in a war of words over who controlled the biggest share of the market.

Shoprite claimed its share accounted for 31.67% of the market. However, Pick n Pay disputed this, saying it was the real market leader with 34.7%, a claim that was backed by research firm Nielsen. FastMoving.co.za. Read more

Large-scale frost damage hits crops - and prices

Cold weather and frost have slashed vegetable and sub-tropical fruit production, while the prices of some produce have rocketed by as much as 200%. Charles Park of the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market says that the supply of tomatoes on the market is 34% down due to cold weather damage. Tomato prices have risen 205%. FastMoving.co.za Read more  

OBIKWA SA’s Best Value Shiraz at 2010 Global Trader Shiraz Challenge

If you can't afford decent food, the good news is you can afford a decent, inexpensive red wine . . .OBIKWA Shiraz 2009 has been hailed South Africa’s Best Value Shiraz at Wine Magazine’s 2010 Global Trader Shiraz Challenge. In addition to clinching the Best Value award in terms of best quality versus price, the OBIKWA Shiraz was awarded a 3-star rating by the judges, outshining countless higher priced wines entered in the competition. FastMoving.co.za. Read more

Cibapac expands processed meat offer with purchase of Intercas

Cibapac, the multi-faceted food packaging manufacturer, has announced the acquisition of Intercas, a Gauteng-based distributor of casings for processed meat. Prize aspect of the deal is that Intercas is the exclusive local agent for Kalle sausage casings, a global market leader in the sector. FOODStuff SA. Read more

Official SA okay for PET wine bottles

The Wine and Spirit Board has approved the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for wine bottles, and local wines in such bottles will be allowed the South African Wine of Origin certification. FOODStuff SA. Read more

Safe and happy pink drums 

An initiative to protect the health of people who use old drums to carry or store potable liquids has been launched by the Responsible Packaging Management Association of Southern Africa (RPMASA). Through this ‘safe happy drums project’, street traders in KwaZulu-Natal will be able to buy brand-new 25-litre drums for transporting and storing consumable liquids, such as drinking water, juice, traditional medicines, sorghum beer, etc, at half the normal price. FOODStuff SA. Read more

Food Industry News

British financier behind massive £658m cocoa trade

 A British financier is behind a £658 million cocoa trade which single-handedly moved the global cocoa market last Friday. Anthony Ward, 50, bought 241 000 tons of cocoa beans and now owns enough to manufacture 5.3 billion x 110g chocolate bars. He also happens to own a wine farm in Paarl. The Telegraph. Read more

Large cocoa purchase to have negligible impact on choc industry, ICCO

The purchase of 240 100 tons of cocoa on the London futures market by a sole trader will not impact hugely on supply to chocolate makers, claims the ICCO. FoodNavigator. Read more  

Hedge funds hungry for African food production

Anthony "Chocfinger" Ward, the commodities trader whose group Armajaro Holdings has just cornered the cocoa market, is planning his next move into food. Having cashed in the equivalent of a Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory golden ticket last Friday, Ward, 50, is looking to improve his company's diet.

The Mayfair-based financier is among a growing group of hedge fund owners, which also includes American George Soros, who are acquiring food production capacity in Africa. The Telegraph. Read more  

Goldman denies links with global food crises

Goldman Sachs has angrily defended itself against a public campaign that claims the bank is exacerbating global food crises through its commodity trading operations. The Wall Street bank has dismissed as "disingenuous and downright misleading" the conclusions by the World Development Movement that its activities have led to increased food prices, food riots, and poverty around the world. The Telegraph. Read more

EU: Snack sizes set to go standard across EU bloc 

European snack producers are set to move towards a single portion size of 30g for snacks such as crisps and pretzels in all 27 EU member states to ensure dietary recommendations on calorie intake is met, claims the European Snack Association. Portion sizes for packaged foods are a focus area for the food industry as healthier eating and anti obesity strategies are looking to help people rebalance energy intake and expenditure. FoodDrinkEurope. Read more

US: IFT10 tops 21 000 attendees

This year’s IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Chicago came to a close on Tuesday, and from the crowds that roamed the 21 000sq m at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center and the packed Scientific Sessions it is obvious that the show was one of the biggest and the best in recent years. In all, more than 21 500 food professionals attended the 2010 meeting to learn and share the latest innovations in food science and technology. In addition, the IFT Food Expo was sold out with more than 1 000 companies exhibiting in more than 2 100 booths.

IFT announces 2010 Innovation Award winners

At IFT10's keynote session on Sunday, incoming IFT President Bob Gravani and President-Elect Roger Clemens announced and presented five companies with the 2010 IFT Food Expo Innovation Awards. The winners are Bühler Barth AG and Log5 Corporation (co-recipients), Bunge North America, Caravan Ingredients, and Handary SA.

A panel of nine jurors from industry and government with broad expertise in research & product development, processing & packaging technology, and food safety selected the five companies and their innovations from 56 qualified entries. Only companies exhibiting at the 2010 IFT Food Expo in Chicago were eligible. Judging criteria included degree of innovation, technical advancement, benefits to food manufacturers and consumers, and scientific merit. Ausfoodnews.com.au. Read more 

UK: FSA stripped of nutrition and labelling responsibilities

The UK government has ended speculation about the future of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), announcing that the body will retain its food safety remit but be stripped, in England, of responsibility for nutrition policy and country of origin (COOL) labelling. Read more
 

Health and Nutrition Stuff

Supplementing knowledge

Many people try to manage their health by taking plant-derived dietary supplements. But despite their ubiquity, these pills and potions are not well understood by the scientific community. Toxicity is an especially murky area, either from contamination with the likes of a heavy metal, pesticide, herbicide or microbe; or perhaps worst of all, the plant might be inherently toxic.

“Everything is poisonous; it’s just a matter of dose,” says Stephen Barnes of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, paraphrasing the Renaissance physician Paracelsus. “That’s so true for dietary supplements. The big concern is that because you can get them over the counter, there’s always a possibility that people will take ridiculous amounts.” Chemical & Engineering News. Read more

Using your mind (and brain) to make healthier choices

In the US, to help fight the nation's obesity epidemic, elected officials around the country are getting into the business of legislating that restaurants post calorie and sodium content along with their menus. California enacted a law in July of 2009 mandating that fast food restaurants post calorie charts, following New York City's lead for some restaurants in 2007. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has recently begun a campaign to reduce sodium content in New York City restaurants.

These well-intentioned efforts to help consumers make wiser choices make sense, right? Unfortunately, research in behavioural economics shows that these measures often have the opposite intended effects. Paradoxically, people will eat less healthily, when they know what they're eating. Ignorance seems to be bliss when it comes to indulging our taste buds as we step into a restaurant, whatever its ilk. psychologytoday. Read more

Economics and humans behaving badly

In similar vein as the preceding article ..... George Loewenstein, Professor of Economics and Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, has pioneered important and fascinating behavioural economics research on diet and health choices; on why we make poor choices when we know we should be more sensible. You can learn more about his work including a webcast and paper available online in which he discusses factors contributing to obesity. New York Times. Read more

Turning the food pyramid upside down

Printed upon everything from cereal boxes to cans of soup, the Food Guide Pyramid is becoming about the most broadly recognized symbols in the United States. But has it actually altered your eating habits? The response appears to be a resounding no, based on a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read more

Nestlé expands novel nutrient bioavailability

At the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Chicago, Fabiola Dionisi, PhD, group leader of nutrient bioavailability at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, told attendees that the company has developed a new inorganic iron source with excellent organoleptic properties. Studies by Nestlé scientists have shown that the new source – ferrous ammonium phosphate (FAP) – is significantly more bioavailable than ferric pyrophosphate (FePyr) in adults (but less bioavailable than iron sulfate, FeSO4). NutraIngredients.com. Read more

New study examines glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis: no better than placebo

The popular dietary supplement combination of glucosamine and chondroitin appears to be no more effective at preventing joint damage caused by arthritis than a placebo. That’s the conclusion of the long-awaited second phase of the landmark Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT, which published the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. ArthritisToday.com. Read more

Why some foods labeled “sugar free” may still raise blood sugar

While sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than regular sugar — in general about 1.5 to 3 calories per gram, compared with 4 calories per gram of sugar — they can still slightly raise your blood sugar. Sugar alcohols get their name from their structure, which looks like a cross between a molecule of alcohol and sugar but is technically neither. They are added them to more and more “sugar free” products, like cookies, chewing gum, hard candy and chocolate. For people trying to manage their blood sugar, this can make interpreting nutritional labels a little tricky. New York Times. Read more

More than half the world's population gets insufficient vitamin D, says biochemist

Vitamin D surfaces as a news topic every few months. How much daily vitamin D should a person get? According to an international expert on vitamin D, half the people in North America and Western Europe get insufficient amounts of the vitamin. Elsewhere, the situation is worse. ScienceDaily. Read more

Is picky eating an early sign of autism?

A new study finds that finicky eating does not seem to affect growth in autistic children, but such feeding problems, which can appear in infancy, may be an early symptom of the disorder. Read more

How cranberry juice fights bacteria at the molecular level

Revealing the science behind the homespun advice, researchers have identified and measured the molecular forces that enable cranberry juice to fight off urinary tract infections. The research illuminates the basic mechanics of E. coli infections, which has implications for developing new antibiotic drugs and infection-resistant materials for invasive medical devices. ScienceDaily. Read more  

Obesity is associated with reduced sensitivity to fat

New research found marked differences between obese and lean men in how they respond to the taste of fat. Fat also is less effective in obese men in stimulating certain gut hormones that are released into the bloodstream and normally suppress appetite. ScienceDaily. Read more

The shape of things to come: How slimming became big business in the Twenties

The diet industry might seem like a modern invention but the slimming craze can be traced back to your great-grandmother's day. Read more

 Food Science, Biotech & Food Safety

New IFT report reviews role of food science and technology in meeting future needs

The world's food system provides food for nearly seven billion people each day. But according to a new report from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), more advances are critical for an adequate food supply, which must nearly double during the next several decades, for the future world population.

The first-of-its-kind scientific review, to be published in the September 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, takes a historical look at the food system, the many challenges ahead, and the crucial role of food science and technology in meeting the needs of the growing population. IFT.org. Read the report here

Pulsed light in bid to revolutionise soft drinks production

A firm pioneering the use of pulsed light to kill bugs is preparing to run the first industrial trials of the technology to decontaminate sugar syrup. The pulsed light system, developed by French firm Claranor, exposes food or packaging surfaces to bursts of white light, which have a lethal effect on micro-organisms. Rather than focusing on packaging disinfection, this is the first industrial-scale trialsof the technology to decontaminate sugar syrup. Read more

Study finds no clear safety advantage for grass-fed beef

A recent study of a modest sample of US retail beef products found little difference between the levels of bacteria in grass-fed and conventionally raised beef, despite marketing claims that grass-fed beef is safer.

Reporting in Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, researchers said they found no significant differences in total coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, or Enterococcus species. They also looked at antimicrobial resistance and found mixed evidence, with some signs of increased resistance in bacteria isolated from conventional beef as compared with grass-fed beef. CIDRAP. Read more

Study sheds light on Alicyclobacillus spoilage in juices

A new study has investigated how Alicyclobacillus spoilage occurs in juices in an effort to help companies chose the right processing option. Read more 

Miscellany

Conflicted meat-eaters may deny that meat-animals have the capacity to suffer, study finds

People who wish to escape the ‘meat paradox’ i.e., simultaneously disliking hurting animals and enjoying eating meat -- may do so by denying that the animal they ate had the capacity to suffer, researchers in the UK have found in a new study. Those participating in the study also reported a reduced range of animals to which they felt obligated to show moral concern. These ranged from dogs and chimps to snails and fish. ScienceDaily. Read more

Chew on this: thank cooking for your big brain

The French have elevated it to an art form, and even the British have got better at it - but chimps can't cook at all. According to one controversial evolutionary theory, early humans developed a taste for cooked food around two million years ago, and this set in motion a series of changes that made us utterly different from any other animal.

Now the proponents of the cooked-food hypothesis are presenting fresh evidence in support of the idea - and it all comes down to how you chew. New Scientist. Read more
 

UK: Half-baked, the verdict on Tesco's bread boasts

A Tesco advert implying bread is made from scratch in-store has been banned after a complaint from food pressure group the Real Bread Campaign - who has been vindicated in its gripe that Britain's biggest supermarket was wrong to suggest its bread was baked from scratch, when most of its stores had done little more than pop near-finished loaves into the oven. Read more   

Asian 'jelly' gets a refreshing new shape and purpose

A New York City-based product design consultancy firm has envisioned a new use for agar, Asia's 'jelly' made with red seaweed and water, by giving it a dual-purpose green life as a plant nurturer and tasty edible drinking glass with Jelloware. The Independent. Read more
 

Traveling light: healthy eating for business junketeers

Every year, thousands of us travel for business to attend conferences, presentations and meetings. While these journeys are necessary, they involve a great deal of sitting and eating. Meals are often eaten in planes, hotels and cars, and may lead to weight gain, constipation, and overconsumption of junk food and caffeine. Here are a few suggestions that will help you make better eating choices on your next business trip and ensure that you're at the top of your game. ihavenet.com. Read more