You are here:
Home 
Current Newsletter Newsletter Archives 2009 Issue 61: 6 November 2009
Current Newsletter Newsletter Archives 2009 Issue 61: 6 November 2009
| Issue 61: 6 November 2009 |
| Thursday, 05 November 2009 | |||
 "Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory." George S Patton, World War II general Food bites . . . Kids’ cereals: Think of them as child abuse in a bowl Get them when they’re young, and you’ll have them for life . . . which may unfortunately be shortened as a result. When it comes to the breakfast cereal industry and your kids, there is good news and bad news. The good news is, the cereal makers don’t actually just shoot your kids for sport. The bad news is that they still brainwash the kids into craving appallingly unhealthy products, for money. Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity just released a smoldering report. The center’s director summed up its conclusion: “The worst cereals are being marketed very heavily to children.” Robert S. Wieder, writing for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News
|
Editor's Stuff - Woolies takes the lead again 
Dubbed "Farming for the future", the initiative, essentially combining the best of both conventional and organic production, is all about sustainability, and it aims to radically improve soil and plant health, preserve resources like water and soil and protect biodiversity. Initial trials show yields and quality are more consistent and land, water, insecticide, pesticide and fertilizer usage is reduced. And the big bonus is there's no extra cost implication for the consumer.
I think Woolies is right on the button with Farming for the future. Issues around sustainability and corporate social responsibility are fast becoming a key market differentiator for FMCG companies, and they will only grow in determining consumer choice in the future. It's the right thing to do, and it's a step that will undoubtedly boost Woolies' distinctive public image and brand positioning: it's all about product quality, brand integrity and authenticity and, perhaps most importantly, consumer trust. |  |  |
SA Food Industry News
Mike Middleton promoted to Cadbury regional marketing role
Cadbury is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Middleton as Category Director Chocolate for their Africa, Middle East region, effective 1 November 2009. In his new position, Middleton will assume responsibility for the marketing of Cadbury’s broad range of chocolate brands in Africa and The Middle East. He will report to Bharat Puri, Cadbury Global Category Director, Chocolate and to Geoff Whyte, Commercial Director Cadbury Africa, Middle East. Brands under his care will include Dairy Milk, Lunch Bar, P.S. and Flake. Read more
Revamp for Super Fruit beverages
“The fresh, eye-catching new packaging represents all the fruity goodness of Super Fruit nectars and drinks. The easily-recyclable PET bottle has an improved design for better grip and storage. Not only a delicious summer drink, Super Fruit is ideal for use in cocktails, ice-lollies, baking and cooking. All these functional uses make it the perfect product to keep stocked in the pantry,” says Continenal Beverages' brand manager, Theola Conyers. Read more
Food Industry News
US: Food manufacturers abandon Smart Choices logo
All eight US food manufacturers participating in the Smart Choices Program labelling scheme have agreed to drop the logo from their products amid claims the label could mislead consumers.The eight companies - ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Riviana Foods, Sun-Maid and Unilever - have agreed to a request from Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to remove the logo from their products - at least until investigations being conducted by Blumenthal and the US FDA are complete. Read more
US: Kraft weakness casts shadow of doubt over Cadbury deal
Kraft Foods faces a tougher task winning over Cadbury shareholders in its bid battle after disappointing results late Tuesday cut analyst estimates of what it could afford to pay for Cadbury. Kraft's results, released after the market close, reinforce the view it will rubber stamp an original offer and turn the bid hostile, before using a $9 billion bridge loan to sweeten the cash element of its offer at a later date, they added. Read more
UK: M&S follows Woolies' lead
Marks & Spencer has declared war on Waitrose, putting top brands on its shelves and cutting prices, in the battle to provide middle England consumers with their entire weekly shop as well as the luxuries and party foods it is famous for. M&S has revealed plans to stock 400 branded grocery and households goods at all UK stores as it published a 3% increase in sales in the first half of the year. Read more
SWITZERLAND: Nestle's CEO on managing in the downturn
Paul Bulcke became chief executive of Nestlé SA in April 2008, capping a career at the world's largest food company that began in 1979 as a management trainee. It's been a tough 18 months. Bulcke, a 55-year-old Belgian who ran Nestlé's huge Americas business before becoming CEO, took the helm just as shoppers world-wide were snapping purses shut.As a result, the owner of brands including Nescafe, Perrier and KitKat found itself in an escalating battle with less expensive private-label products. Read more
The way health claims about food are regulated is changing
The problem of dubious nutrition and health claims for foodstuffs is now being addressed on both sides of the Atlantic. America’s FDA said on October 20th that it would overhaul the regulation of such claims on food labels and issue new standards early next year. In the European Union, meanwhile, a legislative process that began in 2006 is grinding towards its conclusion. Read more The proof of the pudding
If food companies want to claim that their products have health benefits, they must provide solid evidence. All this has attracted the attention of regulators on both sides of the Atlantic. They are concerned that some of these health claims may be misleading or unsupported by evidence, and are tightening the rules. [Excellent commentary from The Economist. Ed] Read more
Critics Blast Kellogg's claim that cereals can boost immunity
Kellogg, the nation's largest cereal maker, is being called to task by critics who object to the swine flu-conscious claim now bannered in bold lettering on the front of Cocoa Krispies cereal boxes: "Now helps support your child's IMMUNITY." ..... Kellogg says the critics are wrong. Development of the line started more than a year ago, and it was rolled out in May 2009. "It was not created to capitalize on the current H1N1 flu situation," spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz says. "Kellogg developed this product in response to consumers expressing a need for more positive nutrition." Read more
General Mills seeks solutions through website
General Mills has created a Web portal seeking help from food scientists and inventors. The General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network could lead to funding, licensing or joint ventures to those offering ideas for meeting specific food-related challenges, such as reducing sugar in chewy granola bars and finding alternate uses for vegetable waste. Read more
A golden age for GM crops?
The war over genetically modified foods is entering a new phase. At last, the GM industry has produced what it promised at the outset: a product designed to have real benefits for consumers. It's an oil from soybean modified to produce omega-3 fatty acids essential for health and proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. It can be added unobtrusively to ordinary food products, potentially bringing health benefits to millions. Read more
US FDA says omega-3 oils from GM soya are safe to eat
Good news for fish stocks at last. A genetically modified soybean that produces oil containing omega-3 fatty acids – recommended for heart and brain health – could supplement fish as a source of these nutrients. Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration made public its ruling that the oil produced by GM soybeans is safe to eat, meaning food companies can begin testing it in products such as margarine.
Developed by biotech giant Monsanto, the soybean is the first GM plant that has claimed health benefits for consumers, not just economic benefits to farmers. Two other companies, BASF (PDF) and Du Pont, say they are not far behind. Read more
Food Science & Technology Stuff
Resistant bacteria here to stay
Antibiotic resistance is never going to go away, and resistance will prevail no matter how many drugs, money or resources are thrown at it, according to a new report by the American Academy of Microbiology.Instead of trying to eliminate antibiotic resistance, the academy concludes in its report that public health officials, clinicians and scientists must find effective ways to "cope" with antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are harmful to people and animals and to "control" the development of new types of resistance. Read more
Sugar cane extract 'slows sugar take-up'
Australian scientists have identified a family of compounds they say can tone down otherwise "high GI" foods, making them less taxing on the body. The compounds have been shown to slow the way these foods release their sugar into the bloodstream after eating, says Dr Peter Twine.
"It's an extract out of sugar cane that, when applied to food, it changes the glycaemic index (rating of the food)," Dr Twine said. "In a situation where the food might provide a huge spike of blood sugar ... adding this compound slows the rate at which the glucose is absorbed." Read more
Colour specialist branches into burnt sugar flavour
Specialist food colouring company DD Williamson has developed a natural acid-stable burnt sugar flavour, which it says responds to demand for clean-label flavours in beverages and sauces. Read more
How to stop a teapot dribbling
A team of fluid dynamics experts have after exhaustive research concluded that the problem is a phenomenon known as the "hydro-capillary effect". And the answer is to deploy a "superhydrophobic" material. In other words you could put butter down the spout. They have deduced that at low pouring speeds tea starts to stick to the inside of the spout, causing the flow to momentarily stop and then start again – in other words to dribble. Read more
The appliance of science
Researchers devote years to devising the ultimate formulae for everything from tea to toast. But why? Read more
New text book on food science and technology
This new comprehensive text and reference book, edited by Geoffrey Campbell-Platt, Professor Emeritus of Food Technology at The University of Reading, UK and President, IUFoST, is designed to cover all the essential
elements of food science and technology, including all core aspects of major food science and technology degree programmes being taught worldwide.
This truly global collaboration is expertly written by eminent industry professionals, teachers and researchers from 10 different countries. All authors are recognised specialists in their respective fields and together represent some of the world's leading universities and international food science and technology organisations. The book covers: Food Chemistry, Food Biotechnology, Nutrition, Product Development, Food Marketing, Numerical Procedures and Food Engineering. Click for more information
Food Trends, Marketing and NPD Stuff
Love chocolate? Now you can inhale it
When David Edwards first unveiled an inhaler which puffs micro-particles of chocolate into your mouth he never expected the initial production run of his "Le Whif" to sell out in less than a month ... The unusual chocolate experience has struck a chord, said Edwards, who is a professor of biomedical engineering at Harvard University. Women in particular appreciate the Whif's convenient, handbag-friendly size, as well as the novelty of offering Whifs to guests after parties. Read more
The Tetra Pak Dairy Index
Offering new perspectives on the global dairy industry, Tetra Pak has launched the inaugural Tetra Pak Dairy Index, a biannual report which is designed to offer all industry watchers unique insight into the state of today’s dairy sector and the global trends shaping its future.
The Dairy Index provides a snapshot of the global dairy industry and the reasons why milk consumption continues to rise worldwide – even in times of global recession; highlights the emerging markets that are driving this growth – with a special focus on India, which is both the world’s largest milk consumer and producer; and focuses on the global consumer trends that will continue to influence when, where, why and how consumers enjoy milk and other liquid dairy products ... Get the report here
Simple is better. This could be 2010's most powerful marketing mantra
If 2009's hottest sales pitch was all about buying stuff on the cheap, 2010 marketing will increasingly stress less as more, as in fewer parts, additives or ingredients. While the trend is taking hold in many product categories, including health and beauty items, nowhere is it more apparent than with things we eat and drink. Brands including Starbucks and Häagen-Dazs are finding success in selling products with fewer ingredients and touting them as simple. Datamonitor has found a 64.7% increase between 2005 and 2008 in product launches with the words "simple" or simply," and Mintel has tracked a decrease in the number of ingredients in 19 categories, including dairy
products and processed meats. Read more
UK: Bottled water sales to bounce back
Bottled water sales in the UK are set to claw back ground lost in the last couple of years, but a big proportion of consumers still believe that the product is "a bit of a con", according to new research. After rising rapidly, UK bottled water sales began to evaporate in the face of recession and campaigns by environmental groups, as well as a spate of poor summers. Volume sales fell by 11% between 2006 and 2008, according to research published by Mintel. Read more The ultimate diet drink that leaves you as full as a big meal
The ultimate diet drink that acts like a big meal in a glass and keeps you full for up to six hours is being developed by British researchers. The scientists are modifying a well known additive used as a thickener in foods like salad dressings and ice cream into a weapon against obesity. The team is converting gellan gum into a liquid which can be drunk but then turns to a gel when it reacts with the digestive juices in the stomach. The substance, which contains virtually no calories, then slowly breaks down in around six hours. By adding nutrients, the researchers believe they can make a drink that not only fills you up with no calories but is also healthy. Read more
Health and Nutrition Stuff
Why fish oils help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis
New research has revealed precisely why taking fish oils can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers describe how the body converts an ingredient found in fish oils into another chemical called Resolvin D2 and how this chemical reduces the inflammation that leads to a variety of diseases. Read more
New prescription diet drugs may soon help obese
At least three new prescription diet drugs are in the final stages of development as pharmaceutical companies race to see which one will have the next big diet medication to hit the market. Some hopeful news from the research: Obese patients who took one of the medications along with cutting calories and exercising lost about 15% of their starting weight in a year. Read more
Chronic stress is linked to consumption of high-fat foods
Researchers who interviewed more than 600 overweight or obese women found that those with chronic stress are more likely to eat high-fat foods and feel they lack control over their eating and hunger. The chronically stressed were also more likely to try to control their weight through "rigid restraint" techniques such as vowing to avoid certain foods or skipping meals -- strategies that often backfire. Read more
Lard lesson: why fat lubricates your appetite
When you've spent the weekend splurging on greasy fast foods, your bathroom scale isn't alone in reeling from the impact. Your brain does, too. New research shows just how saturated fat tricks us into eating more and elucidates the evolutionary basis for the propensity for poundage in developed nations. Our brain physiology, it seems, is glaringly out-of-date in the modern world. Read more
Just how safe are herbal medicines?
Herbal remedies made from plant leaves, bark, berries, flowers, and roots have been used to heal illnesses, diseases, and psychological disorders for centuries. Today, with the ease of the internet, you can self-diagnose, order next day delivery, and even learn how to make your own.
Last year three million Britons took herbal remedies to treat everything from fever to joint pain. But renewed debate about the safety of these remedies was sparked last week following the news of an EU crackdown on herbalists and Chinese medicine practitioners who operate unregulated at present. Under the new law, from 2011 sales of all herbal remedies except for a small number of products for minor ailments will also be banned. Regulators warn that many of us believe that "herbal" is synonymous with "safe", whereas herbal remedies can be deadly. Read more
Packaging Stuff
Industry backs bisphenol A safety in can linings
The use of bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings is both safe and vital for food protection, a host of industry bodies and companies have said in rejecting the conclusions of a report calling for a ban on the chemical.The North American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA), the American Chemistry Council (ACC), as well as food giants such as Del Monte, Campbell and General Mills have dismissed a study by the US-based Consumer Union that claimed potentially hazardous levels of BPA were leaching into foods from the epoxy linings of cans. Read more
New wine-on-tap innovation
Alternative wine packaging just gets better and better. Another innovative concept is FreshCase that's set to roll out at Sainsbury's stores in the UK later in November with the Hardys Nottage Hill brand. The 2.25-L bag-in-box container holds the equivalent of three bottles of wine while taking the space of just one bottle, and it keeps the wine fresh for up to six weeks.To operate FreshCase, a consumer turns the canister on its side and depresses the unlocking mechanism on the underneath side of the bottom plastic end. Next, they pull the tap forward until it clicks into place. Finally, they return the canister to its side and pull out the handle on the top plastic end. It adjusts into place on a countertop or the refrigerator as a stand that angles the entire package to help the last glass of wine out through the dispenser. Read more
Lids off to Napoleon
Emballage – the French had grand expectations when they bestowed such a regal name for what in English is mundanely called packaging. How is it then that the package hasn’t delivered the experience as per the grand design? Packaging expert Dean Bellefleur considers the history of convenient (and not-so-convenient) packaging designs. [Great read for anyone interested in the impact of packaging. Ed] Read more
Sustainability
Kraft will use sustainably sourced cocoa for chocolate line
Kraft Foods has announced plans to use only Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa beans in its Cote d'Or and Marabou brands by the close of 2012. "This is just the first step in our broader sustainability commitment to help secure high-quality cocoa for the longer term," a Kraft spokeswoman says. Read more 
Nestlé vows to use only sustainable palm oil by 2015
Nestlé announced it will perform a detailed review of its palm oil supply chain, and use only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil by 2015. Palm oil is linked to rain forest devastation in Indonesia and Malaysia, though Nestlé says it has no "direct links" to palm oil plantations and already works with suppliers to trace the sources of the palm oil it uses. Read more The food industry and palm oil
How to source palm oil is vexing the minds of many in the food industry. Growing consumer awareness of the links between palm oil, deforestation, the threat to wildlife and products on supermarket shelves is encouraging manufacturers and retailers to look for sustainable sources. However, only a few have grasped the nettle and, as Adam Harrison, senior food and agriculture officer for the WWF, says, the industry needs to do much, much more - and quickly. Read more 
Study claims meat creates half of all greenhouse gases
Climate change emissions from meat production are far higher than currently estimated, according to a controversial new study that will fuel the debate on whether people should eat fewer animal products to help the environment. Read more UK: Farmers have been told to go green or face the financial consequences
British farmers have been given a last chance to adopt greener practices that benefit wildlife and help to combat climate change or face deductions from their state hand-outs of cash. The government has set a tough new target which requires that the area of arable fields covered by environmental schemes should double within three years. Read more The truth about the disappearing honeybees
A movie called "Vanishing of the Bee"s opened in cinemas across the UK earlier this month. It's a feature-length documentary about the "mysterious collapse" of the honeybee population across the planet - a phenomenon that has recently attracted a great deal of attention and hand-wringing.
The idea that bees are disappearing for reasons unknown has embedded itself in the public consciousness. It is also a great story that taps into the anxieties of our age. But is it true? We think not, at least not yet. Read more
A fresh way to take the salt out of seawater
There is a lot of water on Earth, but more than 97% of it is salty and over half of the remainder is frozen at the poles or in glaciers. Meanwhile, around a fifth of the world’s population suffers from a shortage of drinking water and that fraction is expected to grow. One answer is desalination — but it is an expensive answer because it requires a lot of energy. Now, though, a pair of Canadian engineers have come up with an ingenious way of using the heat of the sun to drive the process. Such heat, in many places that have a shortage of fresh water, is one thing that is in abundant supply. Read more Miscellany
A meat-filled fashion show from Russia's favourite steakhouse
Now you've seen it all! As part of a marketing campaign called "Eat your steak. Be a man," the popular Russian Goodman Steak House restaurant mini-empire has hosted a fashion show with clothing, shawls, scarves, necklaces, and handbags all made out of real, raw meat. See meat fashion in action on the catwalk ... Read more
A history of carbonated milk drinks
The New York test of Vio, Coca-Cola’s new carbonated milk drink, has elicited much public interest. Bill Bruce of www.foodbev.com came across a series of Vio images, real or may be not, under the headline ‘The New Erotic Coca-Cola is coming!’ See some of these images, plus an interesting potted history on carbonated milk drinks. (Viewer discretion advised.) Read more
That's it for this week, folks!
