IFT Newsletter May 21, 2008

Top Stories

High food prices for food technologists

In this month’s issue, Food Technology’s editors gather up all the important information attendees will need for this year’s IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo.

The May issue covers emerging food science and technologies as well as the latest products and services from industry suppliers.

The 2008 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo will be held in New Orleans, La. from June 28 to July 1.

Food Technology, May 2008

Farm bill vetoed

According to news reports, President Bush vetoed the $300 billion farm bill today. However, since it passed both houses of Congress with veto-proof majorities, his action will likely be overridden.

The president made remarks that the legislation is fiscally irresponsible and gives away too much money increased crop subsidies.

For more on Bush’s remarks, see

* http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080521-4.html
* USDA farm bill section

Research Briefs

Watermelon ultrastructure and lycopene distribution

These researchers employed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to conduct studies on the watermelon ultrastructure of at different maturities. Micrographs from immature fruit showed incompletely formed chromoplasts. A combination of distinct pigment-bearing chromoplasts and incompletely formed chromoplasts was observed in mature watermelon micrographs. Electron micrographs showed chromoplasts changing from a less organized globular form in immature to a symmetrical form in mature to an asymmetrical form in overmature watermelons. The study gives insight into watermelon physiology and the effect of maturity on compartmentalization of lycopene.

For more, Journal of Food Science

Edible coatings extend shelf life of hard-boiled eggs

These researchers from Oregon State coated hard-boiled eggs with chitosan–lysozyme (CL), whey protein isolate (WPI), or Bake sheen (BS), and then inoculated them with Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella enterica Ser. Enteritidis at 104 CFU/g. The eggs were then stored 4 wk at 10 °C.

Coatings reduced the populations of coliforms and total plate counts, and completely inhibited mold growth during the 10-wk storage period. Coatings also reduced the weight loss of eggs, 4.1% to 4.8% on coated eggs compared with 7.5% in uncoated ones. The pH of CL-coated eggs remained stable throughout the storage period, while the control eggs increased from 7.6 to 8.6. Color changes in CL- and WPI-coated eggshells were less (P < 0.05) than those of BS-coated and the control. Chitosan-lysozyme coatings appeared to be one of the more effective treatments.

For more, Journal of Food Science

Grocery stores could improve food security for low-income families

Low-income neighborhoods that lack easy access to grocery stores could lead to a breakdown of food security for hundreds of thousands of people – not in the developing world, but in major urban areas of the U.S. That’s the conclusion from a report to be published in the inaugural issue of the International Journal Behavioural and Healthcare Research produced by Inderscience Publishers.

Economists Nathan Berg and James Murdoch of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, at the University of Texas-Dallas, have looked closely at the locations of grocery stores across Dallas County, and have classified neighborhoods according to the number of grocery stores within a one-mile radius. They have correlated this spatial distribution with data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the US Census to map distinct demographic characteristics in areas with many as opposed to few grocery stores.

“No-grocery-store neighborhoods are predominantly low-income and concentrated in southern Dallas,” the researchers say, “and African-American neighborhoods have significantly fewer grocery stores.” Many people in more prosperous neighborhoods take for granted that there are local grocery stores that can provide them with a wide variety of nutritious food at relatively low cost. This report offers new evidence that access to reasonably priced, nutritious food is much more difficult than one might hope.

Berg and Murdoch suggest that such disparities in access to nutritious food mean that as many as 400,000 low-income residents of Dallas County face significant challenges in providing healthy diets to their families, with all the repercussions for health, behavior, and society that entails.

The researchers point out that a similar disparity might be seen across the U.S. And other studies have linked poor access to reasonably priced, nutritious food to greater risks of failing to meet dietary recommendations from mainstream medical and government health organizations.

“New policy approaches are required to bring rapid improvements in food security,” the researchers say, suggesting that city leaders should recruit companies to address the problem of under-supplied locations to demonstrate untapped potential for profits and encourage other stores to follow.

“Given the importance of healthy diets, perhaps a rethinking of the institutional framework that determines food supply in the U.S. should be more prominent among issues analyzed in economics and policy-related sciences,” the researchers conclude.

For more, see http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/ip-gb052008.php

Company News

Cargill says studies confirm rebiana safety

According to a Cargill press release, research published in Food and Chemical Toxicology establishes the safety of rebiana (common or usual name for Rebaudioside A from stevia) for general use to sweeten foods and beverages.

Rebiana is a high-purity sweetener composed of rebaudioside A, part of the stevia leaf. Beginning in 2004, Cargill commissioned a rigorous safety evaluation program for rebiana in consultation with leading scientists.

Cargill, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, has developed rebiana as a zero-calorie ingredient which will be marketed by Cargill under the brand name Truvia™.

“These newly published data complement the body of existing scientific research on steviol glycosides, the sweet components of the stevia leaf,” said Leslie Curry, regulatory and scientific affairs director, Cargill Food and Ingredient Systems. “The rebiana research program affirmed positive safety data from earlier studies on purified steviol glycosides and addressed unresolved questions resulting from studies with crude stevia extracts.”

“Truvia natural sweetener was developed to meet the strong consumer demand for a natural, zero calorie way to sweeten foods and beverages. Rebiana provides a new great tasting alternative that meets that demand,” said Zanna McFerson, business director for Cargill Health and Nutrition. “The results of this research program pave the way to bring this long sought after sweetener to U.S. consumers.”

Although stevia today is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement, rebiana will be the first available sweetener for foods and beverages that has been purified from the stevia plant. Unlike many existing stevia products, which generally contain crude extracts of the plant, rebiana is a fully-characterized product that is consistent in quality and contains only the best-tasting components of the stevia leaf.

“We are pleased that these studies have proved definitively that rebiana is safe,” said Rhona Applebaum, vice president and chief scientific and regulatory officer of The Coca-Cola Company.

The rebiana safety evaluation program included metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies, general and multi-generational safety studies, intake studies and human studies. Cargill sponsored the studies to affirm earlier safety findings for purified steviol glycosides, and to confirm that rebiana is broken down by the body in the same way as stevioside, which has been studied extensively. Rebaudioside A – the main component of rebiana – is nearly identical in chemical structure to stevioside.

• Metabolism of rebaudioside A is similar to that of stevioside
• Safety data from stevioside studies can be applied to rebiana
• The safety of rebiana is supported by a large database of scientific research

General safety

* No negative effects on general health associated with doses equivalent to a 150-lb person drinking more than 2,000 8-ounce servings of a rebiana-sweetened beverage
* No treatment-related effects on any organ, including kidneys and male reproductive organs
* Supports safety of high-purity steviol glycoside ingredients, including rebiana
* Refutes outdated studies suggesting adverse effects of stevia or stevioside on male reproductive organs (1985, 1999) or on kidney function (1988, 1994, 1997)
* Rebiana does not affect general health or organ function

Multi-generational/ reproductive toxicology

* Daily consumption equivalent to a 150-lb person drinking nearly 1,000 8-ounce servings of a rebiana-sweetened beverage had no negative effects on general health, reproduction, growth or development of adults or their offspring
* Refutes studies (1968, 1985, 1998, 1999) suggesting potential adverse effects on male or female fertility, or health of offspring
* Rebiana does not affect reproductive health or health of offspring

Chronic blood pressure study

* Daily consumption of 1,000 mg rebiana – equivalent to drinking more than eight 8-ounce servings of a rebiana-sweetened beverage every day – for 4 weeks had no significant blood pressure effects in healthy subjects with normal or low-normal blood pressure
* Addresses questions raised by two Taiwanese studies (2000 and 2003) suggesting that stevioside (purity unknown) lowered blood pressure in people with essential hypertension
* Rebiana does not affect blood pressure

Chronic blood sugar study

* Daily consumption of 1,000 mg of rebiana – equivalent to drinking more than eight 8-ounce servings of a rebiana-sweetened beverage every day – for 16 weeks did not affect blood sugar control and was well-tolerated in people with type 2 diabetes
* Addresses questions raised by a single-dose study (2004) suggesting that stevioside reduced levels of blood sugar after meals in people with type 2 diabetes
* Rebiana does not affect blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes
* In safety studies, daily consumption of rebiana equivalent to a 150-lb person drinking between 1,000 and 2,000 8-ounce servings of rebiana-sweetened beverage had no negative effects on the general health, reproduction, growth or development of adults or their offspring.
* In clinical studies, daily consumption of 1,000 mg rebiana – equivalent to consuming 29 packets of sweetener or drinking approximately eight 8-ounce servings of a rebiana-sweetened beverage every day for 4 or 16 weeks – had no effect on blood pressure in healthy subjects with normal or low-normal blood pressure; or on blood sugar control in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

For more, http://www.allaboutrebiana.com/.

FMC to acquire hydrocolloid business from ISP

FMC Corp. announced the company has entered into an agreement to acquire the hydrocolloids ingredients business of International Specialty Products (ISP). The move will extend FMC’s leadership in hydrocolloids and enhance service to global customers in food, pharmaceutical and specialty industries. ISP’s hydrocolloid ingredients business had revenues of approximately $80 million in 2007.

Under the agreement, FMC will acquire ISP’s alginates and food blends business (other than ISP’s Germinal blending business based in Brazil), including ISP’s Girvan, Scotland, manufacturing facility and employees associated with the business. The companies expect to close the transaction following satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Alginates are extracted from seaweed and are one of the most versatile biopolymers used in a wide range of food, pharmaceutical and specialty applications. Food blends are comprised of specialty hydrocolloids that provide unique functionality in a variety of food uses. The newly acquired business will be integrated into FMC Specialty Chemicals Group’s BioPolymer Division.

“The integrated business will enable FMC to offer customers a broader range of alginates and functional system blends and improve our geographic coverage in key markets.” said Ted Butz, vice president and general manager, FMC Specialty Chemicals Group. “This move will further strengthen our global cost competitiveness by increasing our capabilities to source raw materials, drive production efficiencies and deliver improved supply chain economics.”

FMC Corporation is a diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial and consumer markets globally for more than a century with innovative solutions, applications and quality products. The company employs approximately 5,000 people throughout the world. The company operates its businesses in three segments: Agricultural Products, Specialty Chemicals and Industrial Chemicals.

Symrise offers flavor-masking solutions

Flavor company, Symrise is offering a new set of flavor masking solutions for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers who are looking to hide unpleasant off-tastes associated with functional and active ingredients.

Symrise Flavors provides SymLife Mask®, a new series of flavor masking solutions that come under the Get Active category of Symrise’s Taste for Life® branding platform.

According to the company, the flavors have been effective in overcoming bitter, burning, astringent, chalky, salty, metallic tastes and a host of other off-flavors and off-notes. They can be used for caffeine, aspirin, ibuprofen, dextromethorphan, green tea, calcium, solvents, proteins, soy, sweeteners, cacao, acidic and alkaline substances, and other problem ingredients. Most importantly, they can be made to be completely neutral in taste, or incorporated into flavors.

Emmanuel Laroche, Symrise’s Vice President Marketing Services & Sensory Consumer Science North America, stated, “Masking work is highly specific. There are many bitter receptors on the tongue, and no one material can mask everything. It’s necessary to find a different solution every time a customer comes to us for a customized masking solution.”

Donna Rosa, Director, Business Development, explained that the challenge is to enhance the desired flavor (such as cherry) while suppressing the unwanted notes.

Rosa said, “Symrise has four ways to mask bitter and other off-notes. The first is a palette of raw materials (some proprietary) that have specific masking characteristics against the bad flavors, but don’t interfere with the good ones. The second is to utilize materials that maximize the impact of the desired flavor. The third involves Symrise’s encapsulation technology to give flavor burst, duration and stability. The fourth is our Symsate products that can lift the flavor immediately and provide sensory effects such as mouth watering for astringent materials.”

Frutarom reports first quarter results

Flavor and food ingredients company, Frutarom reported an income of $122 million for the first quarter of 2008. The company also had sharp growth of 50.2% in gross profit for the quarter, to $ 44.8 million, and growth of 47.8% in operating profit compared with the level achieved in the same quarter last year, totaling $15.3 million for the first quarter of 2008.

According to a press release, the following factors contributed to the sharp growth in the Company’s sales in the last year: organic growth in sales of flavors produced and sold by the Flavors Division; organic growth in the Fine Ingredients Division’s sales; the merger of Acatris’s and Abaco’s activities with the Fine Ingredients Division’s global activities; the merger of Belmay’s and Jupiter’s activities with the Flavors Division’s activities in England; the merger with the Flavors Division’s activities in Israel of Raychan’s, Adumim’s and Rad’s activities; and the merger of the Gewurzmuller Group’s activities with the Flavors Division’s activities in Germany.

Frutarom operates through two Divisions: the Flavors Division, which develops, produces and markets flavor compounds and food systems, and the Fine Ingredients Division, which develops, produces and markets natural flavor extracts, natural functional food ingredients, natural pharma/nutraceutical extracts, specialty essential oils and citrus products, and aroma chemicals.

Extra credit reading

The following news was of interest this week. Extra credit is available at the end of the class:

* How much food do we throw away?
How much food do we throw away every year? The latest USDA study was in 1995. This New York Times report provides a follow-up. For more, see http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/weekinreview/18martin.htm

* Private-label goods make gains in tough economy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121134284454709965.html

Regulatory News

Cassia gum as a stabilizer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc., has filed a petition proposing that the food additive regulations be amended to provide for the safe use of cassia gum as a stabilizer in frozen dairy desserts, and to improve texture and water retention in cheeses, meat products, and poultry products.

For more, see http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-11279.htm

Chicago firm recalls ground beef

On May 16, the USDA announced that JSM Meat Holdings Company, Inc., a Chicago, Ill., firm, is voluntarily recalling an undetermined amount of beef products intended for use in ground products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

For details, see the USDA press release.

EFSA on raising aflatoxin limits in nuts

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published an opinion on the effects on consumer health if the existing maximum levels for aflatoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios and derived products are increased.

For more, see
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1178620761977.htm

Cream cheese, seafood operations closed

FDA has announced the shutdown of cream cheese and seafood operations at Illinois-based Lifeway Foods Inc. and its subsidiary, LFI Enterprises Inc., until they comply with food safety laws. The action follows a history of violations of food and drug law dating back to at least 2004.

For more, see http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01835.html

Texas seafood processor ordered to shut down

U.S. FDA has directed Texas-based Hope Food Supply Inc. to shut down and recall all seafood products manufactured from its facility since 2007. An earlier consent decree required the company to develop and implement an adequate Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for its fish and fishery products. Because the company has not developed this plan., it cannot restart manufacturing until an FDA-approved HACCP plan is in place. Seafood processors must implement adequate HACCP plans that identify all food safety hazards likely to occur for each kind of seafood product that they process, and set forth preventive measures to control those hazards.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01836.html

IFT & Meeting News

Restaurant show was all about cutting costs

The National Restaurant Association held its 2008 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., May 17-20. It was estimated that it had nearly 2,200 exhibiting companies and more than 70,000 restaurant-and-hospitality industry professionals in attendance.

The show helps to highlight some of the latest food and beverages trends. eco-friendly equipment; organic foods and prepared items; and technology to cut costs.

One trend that seemed to be prominent was economical choices, how to cut costs without sacrificing quality.

Restaurants are getting squeezed at the margins, their costs for meats, grains, oils, and other products are going up, but they are having difficulty raising prices for their customers.

An industry panel, “Surviving the Margin Crunch,” consisting of Ellen Koteff, editor-in-chief, Nation’s Restaurant News; Ted Balestreri, president & CEO, The Sardine Factory; Douglas Brooks, president & CEO, Brinker International, Inc.; Lorna Donatone, President, School Services, Sodexo, Inc.; and Jon Luther, chairman & CEO, Dunkin’ Brands address how the restaurant business is getting tougher as costs go higher and customers are scaling back as the economy slows.

Lee Kum Lee introduced Chef Select Soy Sauce. This product features a Japanese taste profile and is designed to be fully compatible with existing menu programs using this profile, but with significant cost savings.

Trident Seafoods introduced popcorn langostinos and lightly breaded flounder as chicken substitutes.

Register for IFT International Food Nanoscience Conference

This year’s conference, Advances in Nanoscale Science and Technology of Food, will take place in conjunction with the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, June 27 and 28 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.

The latest research and technological developments in the application of nanoscale science and technology in food science and the food industry will be examined at this third annual event. Focus areas will include food safety and defense, food processing and ingredient technologies, and food packaging. International experts will also share examples of innovations already in commerce, and address potential ethical and societal implications based on the most recent studies.

2008 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo attendees save $100 on conference registration. View the event agenda, registration information, and complete details at ift.org/IFT08.

Webcast Reduced Registration Fee! Commodity Pricing in a Time of Recession

June 5, 2008, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. CST

With price increases for most commodities at record levels, the pressure on food processors and marketers continues to build. Not only do rising prices have dire consequences on the world’s most vulnerable populations, but companies are hesitant to implement hedging strategies, such as buying commodities at favorable rates to store for tomorrow’s use.

Join former grain merchandiser and seasoned agricultural consultant Sue Goll to explore the current state of corn pricing and production. Get the latest statistics on world corn use and stocks, as well as exports and domestic use. Examine the causes and consequences of pricing as it affects your day-to-day work.

An added bonus! Submit your questions in advance, then register to hear the answers! Learn more about the reduced registration fee for this webcast at ift.org/knowledge. When registering, please enter this market code: 0508EM1199

Manage Food Safety Before it Manages You! Register for a Pre-Annual Meeting Short Course

Friday, June 27 – Saturday, June 28
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Hilton New Orleans Riverside

The recent voluntary recall of nearly 300,000 lb of meat products contaminated with bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is a good reminder of the importance of food safety. Take a proactive step by registering now for one of two related Short Courses on the subject matter:

* Recalls: Best Practices in Prevention, Management, and Crisis Communications
* Food Safety for the Non-Food Scientist

Join us for these and six other Short Courses ranging from Product Innovation, to Culinary Arts, to Microencapsulation. Get interactive learning and focused education on the issues that you face in your work. These Short Courses offer you the collective experience of expert faculty, combined with the opportunity to exchange best practices with peers. You’ll learn about the latest trends, applications, and techniques. You’ll also be part of a growing network of IFT Knowledge & Learning participants who have formed new personal connections for sharing ideas, expertise, and best practices long after the course had ended.

Remember, the connections you make at these Short Courses will not only expand your contact base, but can also help you expand your knowledge base. These courses have been designed to give you the concepts and skills that will pay off immediately back at the office.

For more information about all eight short courses, and to register, visit ift.org/IFT08. When registering, please enter this market code: 0508EM1200

Tags: ift newsletter, May 2008