 "The most effective way to do it is to do it."
Amelia Earhart, American aviation pioneer
Food for thought . . . Is processed food the enemy of the earth? "It is suggested by some hardcore critics that food and the way we produce it and package it is the enemy of the earth. It is anti-environment, anti-global warming, anti-green, anti-animal, anti-health. Jeez, we sure are the scourge of the planet. And no matter how we try to comply with our critics wishes, it is never enough. I say trouble is coming because our industry is not really built to handle this wave of negativism aimed at it. What our industry is built to do is respond to consumer demands, and it seems to me those demands are more and more the demands of the industry's critics ... I wish I could feel better about our industry's future, but . . . I believe we are in for a rough ride."
Editor's Stuff - Need a pothole filled? Call KFC!
 South Africans know all about potholes. And there seems to be plenty of money and initiative to put up signs warning motorists of these ubiquitous hazards, but none apparently to rather fix them? After taxis and grid-locked traffic, potholes are probably road user's biggest gripe.
But it appears that we're not alone; that this is an issue in many parts of the world even in affluent, efficient America. In a touch of marketing genius, KFC has come up with a brilliant marketing campaign in its home city of Louisville, Kentucky. In an unusual cause-marketing push, KFC is tackling its pothole problem in exchange for stamping the fresh tarmac with "Re-freshed by KFC," a chalky stencil that will fade away in the next downpour.
 "This program is a perfect example of that rare and optimal occurrence when a company can creatively market itself and help local governments and everyday Americans across the country," says Javier Benito, exec VP-marketing and food innovation at KFC. Louisville mayor, Jerry Abramson, notes that budgets are tight for cities across the country, and finding funding for road repairs is a dirty job. "It's great to have a concerned corporation like KFC create innovative private/public partnerships like this pothole refresh program."
The KFC program appears to be part of a growing body of consumer-service marketing that connects in a meaningful way. You can read more here, but what an opportunity this could be for a food marketer in SA?
In Gauteng, Radio 702 and Outsurance have created a huge well of public gratitude and positive branding with their joint "rapid-response points-men" initiative to help ease Jozi's clogged roads at peak hours. Wouldn't it be grand if someone had the vision and bucks to tackle our potholed roads in an equally rewarding manner, especially with World Cup 2010 on the horizon. Anyone out there listening?! Enjoy this week's read. All correspondence is welcome. Email Brenda
Upcoming Food Industry Seminars Focus on emerging pathogens
Despite best efforts the incidence of food-borne disease remains high, and much scientific attention is being given the potential role played by emerging and future pathogens.
Swift Micro Laboratories is hosting a one-day seminar at its Cape Town head office next Thursday on this pertinent topic, and has secured the input of four highly-regarded specialists in the field. The cost is nominal. Space is limited, so BOOK NOW!
Focus on melamine in the food chain
Melamine in the food chain is a toxic scandal that has jumped up the food safety agenda and is a key concern for the industry and consumers alike.
The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) is presenting a seminar on Wednesday, 1 April 2009, where various aspects of melamine and its effects on food will be discussed by experts in their fields of research:
• Melamine – where did it all begin?
• First acquaintance and the 2007 pet food scandal.
• Pathological aspect of melamine contamination of food.
• Analytical methods to determine melamine in foodstuffs.
• Melamine, from feed to milk, meat and eggs.
• New insights into the toxicity of melamine and other triazine analogues in man and animals.
• Quality assurance strategies to prevent melamine from occurring in food.
For bookings and further details contact Adele Botha at (021) 808 4750 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
New Product Development Course
The Department of Food Technology, CPUT, in partnership with Campden Chorleywood, UK, is repeating this popular course in back-to-back sessions in early May (4-5 May and 7-8 May) at the CPUT campus, Bellville. Last year, the initial course was over-subscribed.
The course covers NPD from idea to maintenance phases, and is both practical and interactive. It is limited to 20 delegates.
To further details and bookings email: Suné Botha:
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.
Food Industry News
 SA: Nestle opens R345-million Harrismith expansion
Nestlé South Africa has officially opened a new production line, valued at a whopping R345-million, at its baby food factory in Harrismith, Free State. Read more
Coca-Cola launches Glaceau in SA Coca-Cola, which has more than 3 000 products in its stable, has launched Glacéau Vitaminwater in SA — an energy drink — making SA the sixth country in the world and the first on the continent to taste the new product.
Glacéau Vitaminwater is flavoured water enhanced with vitamins and comes in six flavours. Last year Coca-Cola began the global expansion of the product, launching it in the UK and Australia. In 2006 it earned revenue of $350m. The product is now available in SA, Australia, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. Read more
 SA: On a shopping spree?
Independent retailers generate half the sales in SA's R250bn grocery market and service three-quarters of the population. "Only a quarter of the population is serviced by the formal sector," says Massmart CEO Grant Pattison. "And the lower-end consumer is still in good shape, though this may change." Read more
 SA: Slowdown ‘may bring manufacturing sector to its knees’
Not good news for manufacturing! An unprecedented contraction in global demand, coupled with the domestic slowdown, is threatening to bring SA’s manufacturing sector to its knees. That is the grim prognosis of the Bureau for Economic Research (BER). Read more
 SA: GM maize fails to produce
A mysterious maize crop flop in three provinces has sparked a fresh row over the government’s backing of GM agriculture. Three varieties of genetically modified maize did not pollinate properly this season. Worst affected are farms in the Free State and North West. Read more
US: Foodmakers tout innovation to battle imitation If imitation is the best form of flattery, foodmakers are finding themselves dealing with an inordinate number of compliments these days. As the recession crimps household budgets, retailers are increasingly looking to woo shoppers with their own private label, or store brand, food items that often look very similar to name brand products but are sold at lower prices.
Foodmakers are defending their turf, on the grounds that they are the ones who develop innovative new products and spend marketing dollars to draw shoppers into retailers' stores. Read more
US: Candy soothes the recession blues
 For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the languishing economy. For others, candy also provides a nostalgic reminder of better times.
People may indulge themselves a little bit more when times are tough, and candy is a low-cost items that people can afford, hence many big candy makers are reporting rising sales and surprising profits even as manufacturers of other products are struggling to stay afloat. Read more
 US: Starbucks boss: we're not all froth
Attacked for business hubris and $4 confections, Howard Schultz insists the firm is all about real, Fairtrade coffee Perched on a leather sofa in a Seattle conference hall, the tall, wiry, 55-year-old Brooklyn-born tycoon is on a charm offensive. His chain of 16,680 stores is going through the toughest patch of its history as caffeine-seekers feel the pinch from straitened economic conditions. Schultz, who built the global empire from just a handful of branches in Washington state, feels misunderstood. Read more
 EU: AB InBev loses court bid to expand Budweiser rights
Anheuser-Busch InBev has lost a European Union court bid to extend its trademark rights to the name Budweiser
for beer across the region’s 27 nations in a long running fight with Budejovicky Budvar. Read more
 UK: Jamie Oliver becomes Britain's biggest selling author
Jamie Oliver has become Britain's biggest selling author with sales of his cookbooks leaping by more than 20% last year. Read more
 WORLD: Bottled water in sharp slow-down
The combined forces of the economic downturn and environmental pressures are causing a sharp slowdown in the global bottled water market, according to a recent analysis by global beverage industry specialists, Canadean. Read more
UK: Bottled water sales starting to run dry A revolt against bottled water in restaurants is growing. Last year, figures showed that, after more than three decades of year-on-year growth, bottled water sales dropped by 9%. Now a survey shows more people prefer tap water when they dine out.
Almost two thirds of the people, 63%, said they always asked for tap water or would prefer to drink tap water in restaurants rather than buy a bottle of still or sparkling. Despite that, one in four people surveyed by the WaterAid charity felt pressured to order bottled water when dining out. Read more
 UK: McCartney ex-wife signs lucrative fast food deal with Burger King
Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife, Heather Mills, has reportedly signed a $4.3 million deal to promote vegetarian food for fast food chain Burger King. The former model, who has just invested in a seaside cafe which she plans to turn into a vegetarian eaterie, has agreed to launch a new meat-free burger at the company's 11,350 outlets throughout the world, according to UK newspaper reports. Read more
 ASIA: Fortified yoghurt may fight stomach ulcer bug
A new type of yogurt, one fortified with bacteria-fighting protein called igY-urease, could help fight the Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium responsible for ulcers and gastritis, researchers claim. In Japan, anti-H pylori yoghurts are already sold under the brand "Dr. Prio", and in Korea as "Gut". Read more
A strategy when times are tough: advertise more!
 “There’s a saying: ‘When times are good, advertise. When times are tough, advertise more". This is a very good time for brands to get out there in new and different ways, comments marketing analyst Aliza Freud, chief executive at SheSpeaks in New York. Because of the economy, “consumers are talking about reassessing their brand favourites,” she adds, “not necessarily to trade down, but if they think they can get a better value at the same price.”
David Mackay, CEO of Kellogg (right), in a recent speech, entitled "Leading and Winning with Dynamic Branded Players in a Recessionary Environment," noted the world's largest cereal maker has increased its annual advertising budget to $1 billion -- a 33% increase over the last several years. "We believe that advertising helps grow great brands and great brands are critical to our success," he said.
A theme of one Kellogg commercial is that at 50 cents a bowl, Kellogg's cereal is the most affordable -- and low calorie -- fast food around. The company expects to see sales increase as people eat more meals at home, as they try to save money and make healthier choices. Read more
 US: Starbucks ‘super-premium’ ice cream launched by Unilever
“We are proud to add Starbucks ice cream to our portfolio of popular ice cream brands,” says John LeBoutiller, Unilever SVP of Foods USA. “This product takes one of life’s most enduring pleasures – eating ice cream – and marries it with one of consumers’ favorite brands to create an unparalleled experience.” Read more
Ingredient Stuff
 Sugar is back on food labels, this time as a selling point
Sugar is popular again as US food manufacturers are dropping high-fructose corn syrup, blamed for obesity. Sugar, the nutritional pariah that dentists and dietitians have long reviled, is enjoying a second act, dressed up as a natural, healthful ingredient. Read more
A guide to the stevia sweetener, Reb A Interest in Rebaudioside A, Rebiana, or Reb A, as it is commonly known, has grown exponentially with the recent notification from FDA that it has no objection to its GRAS status as a sweetener. Reb A, at a 95% level of purity or higher, was cleared by FDA in Dec 2008.
This natural, zero-calorie sweetener has the potential to change the sweetener industry significantly. Reb A comes on to the market at a very opportune time in the United States. The national waistline has never been greater, so the need for a natural substitute to caloric and noncaloric sweeteners is well, natural. Here’s a look at what Reb A is, its regulatory status, how it’s derived and some technical background. Read more
Food Safety & Science
 DSM's ‘breakthrough’ product for melamine testing
DSM Food Specialties has announced the launch of Delvotest MT, a breakthrough immunoassay designed to detect
the presence of melamine in milk. Read more
 US: After audit, Nestlé opted against Peanut Corp
Nestlé used its own auditors to inspect Peanut Corp of America, unlike other food makers that relied on auditors paid by the peanut supplier. Nestlé's audit found unacceptable conditions, and the food giant chose not to do business with Peanut Corp, the company responsible for the recent deadly salmonella outbreak and the costliest product recall in history. Read more
 US: Food makers oppose inspection-fee proposal
The American food industry supports efforts to give the FDA increased recall authority, but it is fighting a proposal to charge an annual fee for inspections. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and other food-industry trade groups have been meeting with key legislators as food-safety bills move through Congress. Read more
Health & Nutrition
 Fructose metabolism by the brain increases food intake and obesity
Scientists have built on the suggested link between the consumption of fructose and increased food intake, which may contribute to a high incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Read more
 Children's sweet tooth explained
A compulsion for sweets is a well-known part of childhood, and research could have now explained why children love sugar quite so much. The study, carried out in the US, found a direct link between children's growth and their preference for sugary drinks. It showed that youngsters who preferred the sweetest drinks were the ones that were growing the fastest. Read more
Fresh pot of tea strikes anti-cancer gold Researchers might one day brew up a cancer treatment in their afternoon cuppa, says a study in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.
Researchers report that chemicals in tea are the best yet discovered to make consistent, biologically-safe gold nanoparticles, which show promising anti-cancer properties. The team from University of Missouri, Columbia, literally brewed a fresh pot of Darjeeling and added gold salts, which get reduced by phytochemicals already known for their health benefits. The tea chemicals that regulate the size of these nanoparticles also increase their likelihood of being taken into breast and prostate cancer cells, improving their potential for targeted anti-cancer drugs. Read more
Another report on therapy to suppress peanut allergies Following small-scale success in the UK with a similar trial, two more clinicial trials have found that by taking small but increasing doses of the food, five children can now freely eat items containing peanuts. Read more
Sustainability & Green Stuff
Woolworths signs groundbreaking water neutral pact with WWF SAWoolworths is the first retailer to join the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) Water Neutral Scheme. The scheme, launched late last year in association with the government’s Working for Water programme, seeks to encourage corporates to become ‘water neutral’. Read more
 'Miracle rice' gives Uganda hope of its own green revolution
Uganda's attempt to copy Norman Borlaug's green revolution is built on a new breed of rice that can grow in the drier uplands instead of the traditional wetland paddy fields. The rice has doubled the country's production in only four years.
Uganda's early success is the first indication that the efforts of the Coalition for African Rice Development – a group of development agencies, led by Japan – to double rice production on the hungriest continent could work. Read more
 SAB water measures help global reduction targets
SA Breweries (SAB) has set itself a target to reduce water consumption by at least 10% in the coming few years. In so doing, it aims to support the SABMiller plc objective of reducing water consumption across the group by 25%. Read more
Economic recovery may rekindle food/fuel debate The steep drop in energy prices from last year's peaks has cooled the food-versus-fuel debate for the moment, but the battle may be rekindled by an eventual global economic recovery or energy price rebound.
The push to produce more biofuels like corn-based ethanol or biodiesel made from soybean oil or palm oil helped drive prices of raw food commodities to record highs last year, prompting double-digit food price inflation in some countries. It also set off a debate over the morality of using food crops to make fuel while millions around the world go hungry. Read more
Why Coca-Cola’s commitment to water sustainability is the ‘real thing’  'There are still some people who doubt just how genuine is the conversion of business to the ideas of sustainability or who fear the downturn will see environmental concerns downgraded by companies. They misunderstand the business imperative,' says Sanjay Guha, head of Coca-Cola in the UK.
In an article in the UK's The Independent newspaper, he stresses how pressure on the world’s water resources is a grave concern: " . . . These bleak forecasts should push water scarcity right to the top of all our agendas. It is a particular concern to a company like Coca-Cola. Water is the most important ingredient in all our beverages. It is essential for the production of sugar and other crops we rely on. Without it, we simply don’t have a business. . . " Read more
Coca-Cola wins "Corporate Greenwashing Award" The Coca-Cola Company has been presented with the Polaris Institute’s first "Corporate Greenwashing Award" at its annual general meeting in Wilmington, Delaware. The award is presented to companies that have pushed profits higher while investing millions of dollars into covering up environmentally-damaging practices with corporate social responsibility projects.
“After careful consideration, the Coca-Cola Company stood out as the company that has worked the hardest this year to present itself as socially and environmentally responsible – while continuing to harm environments and communities through the production and distribution of its products”, says Verda Cook, Campaigns Coordinator at the Polaris Institute.
The Polaris Institute is an organization that works with social movements in Canada and internationally to develop tools and strategies to facilitate democratic social change. Read more
 Pepsi to cut back on plastic used for bottled water
The new half-litre bottle for Aquafina, the largest US bottled-water brand, weighs about 50% less than the one it is replacing. Read more
Beware environmental 'flavours of the month' Three movements which have made the news lately -- the stop-selling-bottled-water movement, the switch-the-lights-off-for-an-hour movement, and the choose-locally-produced-food movement -- reveal several misguided trends in modern environmentalism.
The trends stem from the fact that each of these movements is guilty of asking the wrong questions in their quest for environmental sustainability, thereby distracting attention from far more effective initiatives. Read more
 Is a food revolution now in season?
The sustainable-food campaign is reaching a critical mass of influence in the United States. Advocates of organic and locally-grown food have found a receptive ear in the White House, which has vowed to encourage a more nutritious and sustainable food supply. Read more
 Eating food that’s better for you, organic or not
The American diet needs an overhaul. But “organic” food offers no guarantee of eating well, healthfully, sanely, even ethically. Read more
Packaging Stuff
Top winners in the 2008/2009 AmeriStar competition  In South Africa, the packaging "Oscars", the Gold Star Awards, are presented biannually by IPSA (the Institute of Packaging). The American equivalent are the Ameristar Awards, presented annually by the IoPP or Institute of Packaging Professionals.
Winning one of top awards this year is the Renew-a-PAK (left). Manufactured in the US by Biosphere Industries and using almost exclusively yearly-renewable starch and plant materials, Renew-a-PAK compostable rigid packaging, enables bakery items to be baked, shipped and served in a more environmentally-responsible manner with performance that matches or exceeds competitive cooking options. Read more on this and many other food/bev winnners.
Last Word Astronaut tests spaceage underpants  Before blasting off for the International Space Station recently, Japanese astronaut, Koichi Wakata, said he was looking forward to carrying out the missions for which he had trained for several years. One of these is trialing high-tech deodorant underwear. Apparently the shuttle is a pretty smelly place. There’s no way to wash clothes, so astronauts take all they need and try to change their togs as infrequently as possible. Read more
That's it for this week, folks!
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