FoodStuff SA Ezine - Week 7 July 2008

We can't do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves.

Banksy, Infamous London graffiti artist

"Our wealth is part of the challenge. Many kids are walking around with cash in their pockets, giving them the means to buy junk at the convenience store. Add to that the fact that kids spend hours sitting around watching TV, playing video games and visiting social-networking sites on the Internet and you're going to have an obesity problem."

Opinion piece by Tom Purcell, Statesman-Journal.com

Food Industry News

Confectioners seek more sales in China

Hershey, Cadbury and Barry Callebaut are expanding their Chinese operations in an attempt to capture more of China's budding chocolate customers. The country's $922 million chocolate market is small, but growing by 10% annually. Read more

Chocolatiers dream in green and black

The founders of Green & Black's, Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley, authored "Sweet Dreams: The Story of Green & Black's," is now available through Random House. The book details their journey from a simple idea to their company's sale to Cadbury. Read more

Research buoys dark chocolate sales in the U.K.

Consumers in the U.K. are switching from milk chocolate to darker varieties after published research showed some health benefits of dark chocolate. Sales of dark chocolate in the U.K. jumped 96% in two years, according to reports. Bloomberg (7/4) Read more

Bunge acquires Tate & Lyle's sugar trading business

Bunge has entered into an agreement to acquire the international sugar trading and marketing division of Tate & Lyle. Read more

Britain declares war on food waste

The Government is to launch a campaign to stamp out Britain's waste food mountains as part of a global effort to curb spiralling food prices. Read more

Food price rises force biofuel U-turn

Soaring world food prices look set to force Gordon Brown into a U-turn over the use of crops such as corn, rapeseed, palm and soya to produce fuel as an alternative to petrol and diesel.
Biofuels were seen as the eco-friendly answer to global warming and rising fuel prices but a report to be published on Monday will force the Prime Minister to rethink his support for using crops to keep Britain's cars and lorries running. Read more

Biofuels "driven up food prices by 75%"

Biofuels have driven up food prices worldwide by 75%, according to the UK's the Guardian newspaper, citing an unpublished report from the World Bank. Read more

Challenges posed by high food prices

By Finance Minister Trevor Manuel

While food prices have been stable or have fallen in relation to our incomes for much of the past thirty years, the past two years have indicated clearly that the era of cheap food is over. Rising food prices place a severe burden on the poor and government must intervene to support the needy in facing higher food prices. However, higher food prices also provide an opportunity to profit from producing more food for our people. Read more

Feeding China

An analysis in the USDA Economic Research Service’s June issue of ‘Amber Waves’ sees trouble brewing in China’s agricultural economy. China has successfully modernised its industrial base while feeding its 1.3 billion citizens. According to figures, China currently produces 50% of the world’s pork, 37% of its fruit and vegetables, 30% of its rice, 25% of its cotton, and 20% of its corn. It leads the world market in farm-raised fish and shrimp, tea, garlic, and other specialties. At a time of rising food prices worldwide, 2008 has brought China a combination of increased pollution, overcrowded land use and bad weather. For some really mind-boggling facts and figures... Read more

Health and Nutrition

Live longer, eat less

A new study by researchers at Saint Louis University found some evidence to support the hypothesis that calorie restriction may be able to extend a person's lifespan ... The current study published in the June 2008 issue of Rejuvenation Research was meant to see how calorie restriction would affect the same hormone in humans. Read more

Diet sized snacks make you eat more

Diet-sized snack packets encourage people to eat more, a new study has shown. Mini packets of crisps, sweets and biscuits, are becoming increasing popular among children and those keen to watch their weight ... However, new research suggests that the size of the packaging could actually be counterproductive, convincing consumers that they can eat more of the product because it comes in a small package. Read more

Caffeine offers hope for MS treatment

Caffeine prevented mice from getting the rodent form of multiple sclerosis. Researchers said the discovery could give insight into possible treatments for humans. Read more

Food Ingredients

Blue California inches closer to stevia safety approval

Blue California expects its stevia-based sweetener to earn a "generally regarded as safe" review from an independent party by August. Stevia is still sold in the U.S. as only a dietary supplement and not for food use. Read more

New Product Development

New food review: dips and spreads get a health makeover

Manufacturers are continuing to embrace the health trend, with healthy ingredients such as omega-3 and probiotics featuring in an array of foodstuffs. This month, Productscan has recorded a probiotic ketchup and salsa, as well as an omega-3 cooking oil and peanut butter, showing that no stone has been left unturned in the quest for consumer business in the health sphere. Read more

Soup: top flavors in new products

According to the Productscan database, aside from blend, chicken was the most popular flavor of new soups launched in the 12 months to April 2008. Meanwhile, onion replaced noodle in third place, and mushroom left the list of the top 10 most popular flavors to be replaced by garlic in eighth place. Read more

Food Trends

Fresh pet food market will enjoy double-digit growth through 2012

"The key to this market and its growth rate will depend largely on the ability of marketers and pet specialty retailers of fresh pet foods to educate consumers about the benefits of these products," comments Tatjana Meerman, the Publisher of Packaged Facts. "Other factors will include marketers' abilities to expand distribution and increase production at a time when fuel and raw ingredient prices are at record highs and still increasing." Read more

Trendy grocery totes tout eco-chic style

It's an everyday conundrum, a question we're all asked once, twice, maybe several times a week: "Paper or plastic?" How about, "Neither, I've got my own"? Turns out, what was once the token accouterment of a Birkenstock-wearing few has become the latest fashion accessory. "There's an enormous amount of trendiness around the reusable-shopping-bag phenomenon," said Vincent Cobb, CEO and founder of www.reusablebags.com, a web site dedicated to reducing overconsumption of plastic shopping bags.
The US picks up on what's old hat in SA. Read more

Beverage News

Isdell helped revitalise Coke

Many industry experts credit outgoing Coca-Cola CEO Neville Isdell with the company's resurgence in the past few years. Muhtar Kent took over as CEO on Tuesday, and Isdell will hold the chairman position until the 2009 shareholders meeting. "He's got charisma and talent," one Coke board member said of Isdell. "He's made a huge difference. One of the best things he has done is bring in Muhtar." Read more

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