"It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than 'try to be a little kinder'."

Aldous Huxley, novelist (1894-1963)

Food bites... The power of pseudo-science

"The rejection of hard-won knowledge is by no means a new phenomenon. In 1905, French mathematician and scientist Henri Poincaré said that the willingness to embrace pseudo-science flourished because people 'know how cruel the truth often is, and we wonder whether illusion is not more consoling'. Decades later, the astronomer Carl Sagan reached a similar conclusion: Science loses ground to pseudo-science because the latter seems to offer more comfort. "A great many of these belief systems address real human needs that are not being met by our society," Sagan wrote of certain Americans’ embrace of reincarnation, channeling, and extraterrestrials. "There are unsatisfied medical needs, spiritual needs, and needs for communion with the rest of the human community."

Amy Wallace, writing in Wired.com Read more  

Editor's Stuff - Changes and delays in new labelling regs

The much-debated, long-awaited new food labelling regulations finally appeared in the Government Gazette in March this year. Despite lengthy, if not excruciating, public consultation and expert input over many years, their final garb still drew much irritation from several unhappy sectors of the industry.

The Dept of Health, Directorate: Food Control, to its credit, always maintained that the regulations were never cast in stone and that they would always be open to changes and updates if warranted. That has now come about, and this week, the DoH published R1901 comprising several amendments to R146, the regulations relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foods. The most important aspect of the changes is a big breather for the industry: the new regulations will now only come into effect in 1 March 2012, a year later than originally specified. 

According to Dries Pretorius, director of the Directorate: Food Control, in reply to my email asking for some context to the amendments, this is as a result of "written motivation received from several mainstream manufacturers and retailers whom, although fully committed regarding the implementation of the new requirements, provided details of the technical and logistical challenges they are encountering to fully comply by 1 March 2011".

If only legislators and lawyers could communicate in plain language! The gazetted amendments are like Greek to me and so I asked Consultants in Food Labelling (CFL or the joint expertise of Jane Badham, Moira Byers and Nigel Sunley), to decipher them. This they have kindly done - and so I hope, dear reader, this will help you make sense of the changes to this landmark legislation that's set to demand the overhaul of virtually every food label in the land. Thank you, CFL!

Click here for the gazetted amendments

Click here for CFL's deciphering

Enjoy this week's read!

Email Brenda Neall: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Publisher & Editor

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Local Food Industry Stuff

Bread producers face possible class-action suits

Pioneer Food Group ’s public bread-breaking with the Competition Commission earlier this month may turn out to be half-baked, with two proposed class action suits threatening to increase the R855,7m burden the company already faces. Applicants in two separate actions have asked the Cape High Court for standing to sue Pioneer, along with Tiger Brands and Premier Foods, on behalf of two groups — all the consumers of the Western Cape and all bread distributors affected by the companies’ collusive behaviour. The extent of damages they are seeking is not known.

Read more

And in the latest development, Acting Cape High Court Judge Francois van Zyl said on Thursday, at the end of a day and a half of argument, that he would hand down a decision today. Business Day. Read more

Spar holds own against rivals

The Spar Group will continue with its aggressive expansion plans to open 78 new stores in the current financial year in a bid to boost its market share amid fierce competition. FastMoving.co.za. Read more

Customer-centric gets executive nod: Focus on Pick n Pay's Jonathan Ackerman

Although many companies claim to be customer-centric — that is, they focus on creating positive customer experiences at every point of contact — few South African organisations have yet gone as far as introducing dedicated customer directors or even customer service managers to their executive line-ups.

As international trends emerge, however, this looks likely to change. And, among the first South African companies to go this route is Pick n Pay, which announced last month that, after nearly 10 years as marketing director, Jonathan Ackerman would move to the newly created role of customer director. Business Day. Read more

SABMiller’s World Cup event can wins ‘Can of the Year 2010’

World Food Science Congress donation feeds hungry families

The WARMTH (War against Malnutrition, Tuberculosis and Hunger) project of the Catholic Welfare Development in Cape Town is the deserving recipient of the charity drive at August's IUFoST 15th World Congress of Food Science and Technology. FOODStuff SA. Read more

Food Industry News

IUFoST introduces outline plan of work for global food science community

The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) has just released its outline plan of work for the global food science and technology community. Known as the Cape Town Declaration, its principles were unanimously accepted by delegates to the 15th General Assembly of (IUFoST) during its recent world congress held in South Africa. Essential to the Declaration is the right of every individual to have access to adequate and safe food. It also recognises the indispensable role of food science and technology in achieving these aims of eliminating food insecurity worldwide. Read more

France: Danone's Off-the-wall executive

Franck Riboud (pictured) never wanted to become chairman and chief executive of Danone, France’s largest food company and the world’s biggest yoghurt-maker. “I never in my life, thought, imagined, or wanted to be head of Danone,” insists the sports-mad 55-year-old. “I was never made for this – I preferred surfing. I never planned a career path. I came into Danone by accident.” Fourteen years later, he still looks like he is in the wrong place, especially in a country where the captains of industry tend to be conservative, formal and soignés. Rumpled, tieless, favouring zip-up jumpers and colourful language, this combative leader looks far more at ease in the company of former football player Zinedine Zidane – Danone’s ambassador for children’s program – than in boardrooms or at Davos, which he rarely attends. Financial Times. Read more

Tate & Lyle agrees sale of molasses business

Tate & Lyle has agreed the sale of its molasses business to W&R Barnett for £67 million cash, a deal that is consistent with its strategy to dispose of its bulk ingredient operations and focus instead on specialty ingredients. FoodNavigator. Read more

Food Trends, NPD and Marketing Stuff

How should brands respond when being cyber-bullied?

Many brands are struggling with the burden of social networking and the power it has put in the hands of the consumer. In days of old, you phoned a customer complaint line, and they told you that they were recording the call for quality assurance. Your complaint usually fell on deaf ears, because brands weren’t that worried about a private phone call between the company and an individual. Now imagine broadcasting that recorded message to a possible listenership of 500-million users on Facebook. Imagine thousands of people agreeing with your complaint and voicing their own on this public platform for everyone to see. It is a PR nightmare and it sees brands getting a crash course in crisis management. Memeburn.com. Read more 

Beauty-enhancing ‘functional foods’ gain momentum

Anti-ageing drinks and bread promoting health and beauty are amongst products gaining pace around the globe, according to Datamonitor's Product Launch Analytics.

Citing a surge in functional food and drink products on offer in recent months, the division of business information provider, Datamonitor, claims that manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of the value consciousness of post recession consumers. It explains that ‘value consciousness’ makes consumers more likely to assess a product’s total worth in relation to its cost, rather than simply seeking out the cheapest option. Consumers therefore see paying slightly more for a product which is significantly superior to a rival as ultimately more cost-effective. FoodandDrinkEurope. Read more

Food colouring – a global overview

The global market for food colours is expected to reach US$1.6bn by the middle of the next decade – up 10% compared with present levels, and fuelled mainly by the growth in natural colours and colouring foodstuffs, according to the latest report from Leatherhead Food Research: The Global Market for Food Colours. Demand for natural colours has increased by almost 35% in value terms since 2005... FoodBev.com. Read more

Natural colours on the rise, but synthetics not dead yet

The market for colours is shifting to favour natural colours, but there is still a big need for certain synthetic colours, according to market experts at RTS resources. FoodNavigator. Read more

Natural and healthy confectionery set to stay, says Kerry

Healthier and more natural confectionery is a trend that is set to continue, claims the confectionery division of leading supplier Kerry Ingredients. FoodandDrinkEurope. Read more

Animal welfare concerns Britons more than food safety

EU-wide survey shows while cloning and GM foods dismay other countries, here livestock conditions cause the most worry. Britons seem more worried about the welfare of farm animals than health risks from food, an EU-wide survey revealed today. While concerns in the UK over pesticides, pollution, bird flu, BSE, GM foods, food additives and salmonella have all fallen significantly in the last five years, those over the treatment of livestock have risen.

The intervening years have seen high-profile campaigns for better animal welfare by chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and plans for an 8,000-cow dairy unit in Lincolnshire have recently caused controversy. The Guardian. Read more

UK: Sherry makes a come back

Sherry, the unfashionable fortified wine, is enjoying a major revival, according to sales figures. Often dismissed as a tipple enjoyed by grandmothers at Christmas, sherry is flying off the shelves and appearing on the menus of an increasing number of restaurants, as well as being championed by celebrity chefs.

Wine experts said they were thrilled by the renaissance of the Spanish drink, proving that British consumers were becoming ever more adventurous. According to Marks & Spencer, sales of sherry have increased by 18 per cent compared with a year ago, mostly driven by younger drinkers. Other wine merchants reported that they too were selling far more of the drink than in the last couple of decades. The Telegraph. Read more

Nutrition and Health Stuff

Health becomes the new morality

Why would anyone in their right mind be "against health"? Surely the only position possible must be "for" health? Not if you talk to a growing band of dissenting academics in disciplines ranging from history and literature to medicine and law. A new book, entitled Against Health: How Health Became the New Morality, tries to capture some of the flavour of this critique.

The basic argument is that the time has come to stand against health as currently understood. Health now means more than the absence of disease or presence of a positive state of bodily flourishing. In 2010, health also describes an ideological and commercial tool, used to make moral judgements, convey prejudice, sell products, or even to exclude groups of people from healthcare. The near-sacred status of the word has protected it from criticism for too long. New Scientist. Read more

Finally, largest ever study finds formula for lasting weight loss

As every dieter knows, losing weight is the simple bit. Keeping it off is the real challenge. Now the world's largest diet study has come up with a solution: the most effective way of maintaining weight loss is to eat a high protein/low glycaemic index (GI) diet, with lots of lean meat, beans and low-fat dairy products and fewer foods high in refined starch such as white bread and white rice. The Independent. Read more

Processed food doesn't have to mean "unhealthy food"

Consumer understanding of ‘processed foods’ needs to expand to take into account healthier products being introduced by industry, according to a presentation at the American Dietetic Association conference in Boston.

The concept of ‘food processing’ has come in for increasing criticism from diverse quarters, but Dr Marilyn Schorin, principal of Schorin Strategies, and Melissa Musiker, director of science policy, nutrition and health at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, outlined why they think such criticism of processed foods may often be unjustified, in a presentation entitled "Packaged Food Gets a Makeover: Better Fat, Less Salt, Lower Sugar". Schorin gave an overview of the role of food processing in improving food safety and food preservation, as well as in meeting some of the challenges posed by demand for healthier products. FoodNavigator-USA. Read more

Excess fructose may play role in diabetes, obesity and other health conditions

More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be. The authors provide a concise overview of recent clinical and experimental studies to understand how excessive amounts of fructose, present in added sugars, may play a role in high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). ScienceDaily. Read more

Is it time we learnt to love radiation?

For the past 60 years, the world has had only one response to radiation – fear. The atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed by four decades of the cold war with the threat of nuclear obliteration have seen to that. The idea of radiation as a killer is lodged firmly in the public mind. It takes only a train-load of nuclear waste – one travelling from France to Germany drew 3,000 protesters this month – to spark another scare. There is one thing everyone knows about radiation: avoid it at all costs.

But, to quote the subtitle of the classic Peter Sellers movie Dr Strangelove, is it time for us to stop worrying and learn to love (radiation)? Some scientists think so, and there is accumulating evidence to back their view. [While this article does not relate to food irradiation, its scope serves to put to rest the generic fear of radiation which has hampered use of a very viable food safety tool. Ed] The Independent. Read more

Obesity: India's affluent affliction

Unlike the US, where poverty and obesity go hand in hand, in India it is the moneyed middle class that is battling the bulge... The price of foods appears to be the defining factor. It's ironic that while the American poor can only afford to buy junk, in India junk is affordable only to the well off. Burgers and pastries are beyond the purse of the bulk of the population, who, to put it darkly, are insulated by their poverty in the same way that Burma is insulated from KFC and McDonald's by sanctions. The causes for body sprawl in both countries are well known. The Guardian. Read more

Nestlé India plans collaboration to help manage diabetes

Nestlé India has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation (N-DOC) to develop nutrition initiatives aimed at helping to manage diabetes. The collaboration - which focuses on increasing consumers' awareness and knowledge of their diets - will see Nestlé work with N-DOC to understand the impact of local diets and changing lifestyles on the increasing incidence of the disease in India. Read more

Red wine packed with anti-diabetes compounds

Red wine is a potent source of anti-diabetic compounds – but they might not get past your gut. The finding is sure to enliven the ongoing debate over the drink's health benefits. New Scientist. Read more

Food Science Stuff

Nanotechnology, salt intake and natural ingredients are subjects of three new IUFoST SIBS

IUFoST has released three new Scientific Information Bulletins (SIBs) on the topics of Dietary Sodium and Health, Nanotechnology and Food and Regulation of Natural Health Products, produced for the more than 200,000 members of IUFoST Adhering Bodies worldwide, legislators, experts and consumers alike and to food science departments around the world.

These SIBs present authoritative science on emerging and headline food science topics. Each SIB is prepared by an expert or small team of experts selected by the IUFoST Scientific Council. The draft is reviewed and approved by the IUFoST Scientific Council, the body responsible for the quality and integrity of IUFoST science activities. Read more 

How people perceive sour flavours

Consider the power of sour... Neurobiology researchers at the University of Southern California have made a surprising discovery about how some cells respond to sour tastes. Of the five taste sensations - sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami - sour is arguably the strongest yet the least understood. Sour is the sensation evoked by substances that are acidic, such as lemons and pickles. The more acidic the substance, the more sour the taste.

Acids release protons. How protons activate the taste system had not been understood... ScienceDaily. Read more

Avoiding customer complaints: origins of food taints and off-flavours

The presence of compounds causing taints and off-flavours in food is a major concern to the food industry. If the organoleptic properties of a food are not as expected, this results in a lack of consumer confidence and a perception of poor quality, leading to consumer complaints, brand damage and potentially a costly product recall.

A taint in food results from contamination by a foreign chemical from an external source and there is potential for introduction of such chemicals in all parts of the global food supply chain. Off flavours, which result from internal deterioration of the food, can also originate from poor control in food production, including processing parameters, hygiene controls or packaging integrity. Download this technical paper from Reading Scientific Services

Encapsulation may slow fat digestion: Unilever R&D

Encapsulating oils with alginates may slow the digestion of the lipids in the intestines and help formulate foods with controlled fat release and weight management potential, says a new study from Unilever R&D Colworth. DairyReporter. Read more

"Hot" Stuff

Drop that spoon! The truth about breakfast cereals

Britain is one of the world's largest consumers of puffed, flaked and sugared breakfast cereals. How did that happen when many were said to contain less nutrition than the boxes they come in? Felicity Lawrence investigates in her book, "Eat Your Heart Out: Why the food business is bad for the planet and your health". An extract:

"The rise of breakfast cereal makes a revealing case study in the evolutionary process behind the modern diet. One of the earliest convenience foods, processed cereals represents a triumph of marketing, packaging and US economic and foreign policy. They are the epitome of cheap commodity converted by manufacturing to higher value goods; of agricultural surplus turned into profitable export...

"Somehow they have wormed into our confused consciousness as intrinsically healthy when by and large they are degraded foods that have to have any goodness artificially restored. I have long been intrigued by how the British breakfast was conquered and what it tells us about the rest of our food. For this is the elephant in the room of course: it is the industrial processing of food that is the real problem. To understand where not we, but rather it, all went wrong, you have to understand the economic and political structures behind today's food system." The Guardian. Read more

Biotechnology: Going beyond GMOs

Breakthroughs in this emerging scientific discipline have profoundly altered the landscape of food production, processing, and manufacturing. What are the benefits and risks?

Modification of grain, vegetable, and fruit crops has been done for centuries through traditional cultivation methods. Today, this traditional technology continues with modern tools that allow the rapid selection of plant lines for hybridization, the rapid detection of desirable traits, and the confirmation of successful plant crosses. In addition, new technologies are emerging that go far beyond traditional agriculture to the genetic modification of crops and creation of bioengineered tools used in food processing and manufacturing. This article will explore the rapid advances in food biotechnology, how these developments are benefitting food production, and what potential risks must be addressed. Food Technology. Read more

Sustainability Stuff

Former Coke chief pushes formula for reshaping capitalism

"You’re not out to save the world. You can’t do that. You need a truly engaged company. You need to take a look at a corporation’s 'footprint, handprint and blueprint'..." SA-born Neville Isdell (pictured) is pushing what he calls "Connected Capitalism" — his notion that, as more and more companies compete globally, they have to become integrated into the fabric of society in a more profound way.

Essentially, they’ll have to connect the bottom line to a social conscience. "I’m not talking about a pet project of the CEO," Isdell said. Nor is he talking about some PR campaign or monetary handout or window dressing to gloss over a company’s problems. Isdell, 66, is proposing a long-term strategy that’s consistently discussed by a company’s top leaders and board and then pushed throughout the organization. It’s designed to tackle a company’s vulnerabilities, which for Coke includes water. Atlanta Journal Constitution. Read more

Chinese dairy raises the bar for cow-pat power

A Chinese dairy farm is installing the world's largest system to turn steaming cow pats into enough electricity to power thousands of homes. The device at the Huishan Dairy is 10 times bigger than similar systems and will take the excrement from 60,000 cows and capture methane from the fermenting pats, according to Technology Review magazine. Read more

Canned tuna is often mislabeled - report

Greenpeace says a new series of tests have uncovered some weird stuff in the contents of popular tinned tuna brands from all over the world. The environmental watchdog has said that recent tests conducted by a Spanish marine research lab on canned tuna products from Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia have uncovered some inconsistencies, but offered no insight on how to avoid being mislead by incorrect labels. The Indepenent. Read more

Weird, whacky and wonderful stuff!

US: Man sues restaurant after eating entire artichoke

That’'s right, a doctor, no less, is suing because he claims no one told him how to eat an artichoke the proper way. Food and Drink Digital. Read more

That's all the stuff for this week, folks!