Top Stories
Deli meats recalled in Canadian Listeria outbreak
Maple Leaf Foods recalled 220 deli meat products amid a listeriosis outbreak that has resulted in 12 deaths.
One of Canada’s largest food processors, Maple Leaf Foods temporarily closed the contaminated Toronto meatpacking plant where the strain of Listeria monocytogenes was found. The recalled Maple Leaf brand deli meat was used in several ready-to-eat sandwiches that have been distributed through Safeway and TakeAwayCafé. The company says it will leave no stone unturned to ensure that its products are safe. Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones released a statement reassuring Canadians that the risk posed by Listeria is very low for most people. “Even though the bacteria itself is very common in the environment, healthy people who are exposed rarely become ill,” he said. “Our greatest concern is with the risk listeriosis poses pregnant [to] women, the very old, the very young and people with weakened immune systems.”
Statement: Chief Public Health Officer
Ethanol bears blame for rising food costs
As food prices continue to increase, many are pointing fingers at the ethanol industry, but ethanol supporters say there are more factors at play.
A feature in USA Today investigates the ongoing ethanol debate. Ethanol critics say federal biofuel mandates and ethanol subsidies have driven up food prices by an 8 percent annual rate in the past three months. A quarter of corn crops were used for ethanol production last year, and experts estimate this year it will rise to about one-third.
But ethanol supporters blame bad timing and other issues for the rising food costs. They cite increased oil demand in China and India, slower agricultural productivity and the weakend U.S. dollar creating bargain grain prices for other nations as contributing factors to the tightest world grain supply in decades.
However, some economists say that even if Congress eliminated ethanol subsidies, it could still take as long as two years for the impact to show up on the supermarket shelf.
For more on the debate, read the USA Today article.
Research Briefs
Stevia: Coming to a food product near you?
As more health-conscious consumers become Stevia fans, researchers focus on determining whether the naturally occurring sweetener is safe.
Grown in South America, Stevia’s leaves are up to 300 times sweeter than table sugar. Although extracts are used in food in countries such as Brazil, Japan and Paraguay, it isn’t allowed as a food additive in the United States, but it is available as a dietary supplement.
The Los Angeles Times takes a look a series of recent studies that appear to debunk earlier findings that the sweetener causes genetic toxicity, possibly clearing the way for future use in American food products.
Fingerprinting grapes today to create vineyards of tomorrow
Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service (ARS) are creating a genebank for nearly all 2,800 wild, rare and domesticated grape varieties.
By late next summer, they expect to have taken the genetic profiles, or fingerprints, of all grapes. These fingerprints may help grape breeders pinpoint plants in the collection that have unusual traits that might appeal to shoppers in tomorrow’s supermarkets. Other grapes might be ideal for scientists who are doing basic research.
The project is part of the ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Tree Fruit and Nut Crops and Grapes, in Davis, Calif.
For more information, visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080826.htm
Dissecting demographics
Members of a Food Technology’s Trend Panel analyzed the potential for products targeted to green, gray and growing consumers at this year’s 2008 Annual Meeting & Food Expo.
The panel of industry experts offered insights into emerging market opportunities and new consumer attitudes and behaviors as well as recommendations for positioning new products and coping with the latest issues and terminology. Grasping uncharted arenas such as sustainability were also discussed.
Panelist Diane Crispell, executive editor of GfK Roper Reports, talked about new twists on mega-drivers. The first mega-driver is the aging of society, she said. Although the U.S. population is undoubtedly and inevitably graying, the twist is the notion that all American generations are viable and sizeable markets, each with a unique generational identity. One way to approach generational differences, Crispell suggested, is to look at the personal values people hold because such beliefs drive consumer behavior.
The second mega-driver, diversity, extends beyond race and ethnicity, Crispell said. It’s also a mindset. Nearly half of Americans feel close to a culture other than local American culture. Consumers’ paradoxical nature and diverse views also show up in their attitudes toward food. They want tradition and novelty, comfort and adventure, and taste and health, she said. Addressing these paradoxes can result in innovative products.
Roper surveys have found that while young adults have an experimental approach to food, about two-thirds of consumers like to stick to foods they’re familiar with, suggesting that taste innovations should be made within the context of familiar foods. Crispell also reported that snacking is popular with American consumers, with two-thirds eating snacks daily and 82 percent saying that convenience foods are important to help them maintain a healthy diet.
As for what trends are hot, outdoor grilling is “in” with 79 percent of consumers, bottled water with 78 percent, specialty coffee with 76 percent, organic products with 75 percent and gourmet cooking with 66 percent.
For full in-depth coverage of the panel’s demographics discussion, see the August 2008 issue of Food Technology.
Company News
Sara Lee looks to make more bread
In just seven years, Sara Lee Corp. has become a major player in the bread market. Despite these gains, the company needs to improve profitability in the area where its sales are growing fastest.
With Wall Street watching, the company is banking on new technology and increased efficiencies to improve its numbers. Chicago Tribune highlights the successes Sara Lee has had in the bread business and the obstacles it still has to overcome.
Budget shopping increases grocery stores competition
Amid rising food costs and economic fears, consumers are spending less on food, prompting retailers to come up with creative ways to attract customers.
The Baltimore Sun highlights the lengths grocers will go to snag shoppers. Increased promotions, bargains and discounts are some of the strategies supermarkets are employing more frequently.
Even popular stores such as Whole Foods are forced to compete for customers. The company now offers smart shopping advice in its “Shopping on a Shoe String” classes, which offer thrifty tips such as choosing the company’s private label products, locally grown produce and frozen fish as inexpensive options.
“I think it’s a tough market, there’s no doubt,” retail consultant George Whalin told the paper. “The retail environment is as bad as I’ve seen, and Whole Foods and others are doing things they normally haven’t had to do.”
Chiquita expands appeal
In an effort to reduce its dependence on the unpredictable banana industry, Chiquita Brands International is focusing on the consumer-products market.
With recent expansion into the portable snacks and drinks field and the acquisition of Fresh Express, the company hopes one day to have Chiquita-branded fruit products on grocery store shelves and fast-food menus. Chiquita fruit has already started to become a presence at Burger King, where it is a major supplier of the chain’s Fresh Apple Fries.
The Cincinnati Enquirer interviewed Chiquita Chairman and CEO Fernando Aguirre about the company’s new ventures. “The first step is that we need to be there (on the store shelves), and then it’s eventually about replacing those kinds of foods with the kinds we offer,” Aguirre said. “We want to extend the brand as much as we possibly can and want to expand our business as much as we can, too.”
Creative cooking helps companies cut costs
Notice anything different about your favorite candy bar or yogurt snack? It could be because you’re not eating the same recipe you’ve always loved.
The Wall Street Journal investigates a growing phenomenon among food makers of substituting cheaper ingredients and adding fillers to cut costs.
The newspaper reports that among others, Hershey Co. is substituting vegetable oil for cocoa butter in some of its chocolate products and McCormick & Co. is substituting Mexican oregano for the more costly Mediterranean oregano in some of the flavor blends it supplies to food companies.
DSM closing China citric acid plant
Royal DSM N.V. plans to close its citric acid manufacturing plant in Wuxi, China, early next year.
The closure follows a request from the local government to relocate the plant from its current location to make room for future urban developments. DSM will receive a compensation amount from the Wuxi government and does not expect to incur a loss.
The market for citric acid has been under substantial pressure for several years, mainly due to structural overcapacity in China. Because the structural overcapacity is expected to remain, DSM has decided not to rebuild elsewhere, insead concentrating its production at the site in Tienen, Belgium.
DuPont announces new research developments
Thanks to new laser technology and the addition of two new research centers, DuPont is boosting its seed businesses.
The company introduced Laser-Assisted Seed Selection, a laser technology that claims to speed up the development of high-yield corn and soybean varieties. It uses a 120-watt carbon dioxide laser to score a small slice from a seed to capture its genetic information while maintaining the seed’s viability for planting. Molecular breeding techniques are used to identify desirable genetic combinations within each individual scored seed slice. Seeds identified to have superior genetics are selected for planting.
The company also opened two new seed research centers in Italy and Hungary. “The opening and expansion of these two new research centers continues our commitment to meet the challenges farmers face in Europe and around the world by providing genetic solutions farm-by-farm, field-by-field and hectare-by-hectare,” said William S. Niebur, vice president of DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development.
Two companies welcome new hires
Food Safety Net Services promoted Timothy Santy to director of operations. He joined FSNS in 2006 and was previously facilities manager. The company also welcomed Wendy Harmon as customer service coordinator. She joins FSNS with numerous years of experience in customer service, business analysis and data management.
Caravan Ingredients appointed Gary Schmidt vice president of operations. Schmidt succeeds John Kalal, who will be taking a full time role as vice president, supply chain bakery supplies, North America for CSM, Caravan Ingredients’ parent company. Schmidt has 15 years of operations experience and previously worked for Cargill, Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery and Givaudan Flavors Corp. The company also appointed Lisa Zylkowski and James Anderson account executives in the specialty ingredients division. Zylkowski has held positions at McCormick & Co., Danisco, ConAgra Foods and Land O’Lakes. Anderson has more than 25 years of experience with Kraft Food Ingredients/ACH Food Companies, Bunge Foods and AarhusKarlshamn USA.
Extra Credit
You say tomato
Long-lost recipes fuel a resurging interest in tomato preserves.New takes on an old classic
Coca-Cola’s new design innovations includes aluminum bottles, a new family of coolers, and simple updates of Coke’s iconic branding images.Desert farming is a challenging, rewarding enterprise
Video piece examining desert farming practices in Israel.Food fight!
The tomatoes flew fast and furiously as 40,000 people participated in an annual food fight in the village of Bunol, Spain. The tomato pelting has been a ritual since the 1940s.Starbucks goes healthy
Starbucks is poised to reveal its top-secret breakfast menu redesign, which will feature new health-conscious options.Sweet science
Silicon Valley tricks are creating high-tech chocolates.
Regulatory News
2008 Farm Bill comparison released
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a side-by-side comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill with previous legislation.
The report summarizes both the new and old legislation and it offers a reference for farm bill provisions. In addition to key provisions and details by title, it includes links to related ERS publications and to analyses of previous farm acts. New features include a user’s guide, an A toZ list of major provisions and a search function.
To view the comparison materials and video, visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/farmbill/2008/.
FDA approves irradiation for spinach, iceburg lettuce
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended the food additive regulations to provide for the safe use of ionizing radiation for control of food-borne pathogens and extension of shelf-life in fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach. The amendment is approved for doses up to 4.0 kiloGrays (kGy).
This rule became effective August 22. The public may submit written or electronic objections and requests for a hearing through September 22, 2008.
The August 22, 2008 edition of the FDA Federal Register states that the action is in partial response to a petition filed by The National Food Processors Association on behalf of The Food Irradiation Coalition.
IFT & Meeting News
IFT kicks it up a notch in New Orleans
Samples, science, innovation and a stellar array of exhibitors enhanced the flavor of the 2008 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo are featured in the August issue of Food Technology magazine.
This year’s event offered nearly 200 educational sessions, organized for the first time into five application-oriented tracks. More than 950 exhibitors sprawled across 213,700 sq ft of exhibit space, showing off new products and services.
First-time features such as peer-selected Supplier Solution Sessions on the show floor and an anti-hunger volunteer initiative called IFT Cares made their debuts.
The city of New Orleans provided a warm welcome to the 15,075 attendees who arrived from 78 countries. For complete coverage of the 2008 Annual Meeting & Food Expo, see the August 2008 issue of Food Technology.
Webcast: How Do You Define “What is Natural?”
What is Natural?
September 25, 2008
12:00 – 1:30 p.m., CSTIs your organization challenged with devising its own definition of what “natural” is? Do you believe that this term should be standardized throughout the food industry? Are you unsure as to what a “natural” ingredient is? Currently, there are no specific regulations that standardize the use of this term, which has resulted in confusion among organizations’ regulatory compliance professionals.
This webcast will clarify what natural ingredients are, and expand your knowledge of policy development within this arena. It will also provide guidance on how the use of the term “natural” can be standardized throughout the food industry.
Register now and submit questions to speakers in advance to be answered during the live webcast! At the discounted rate of just $95 per member site, this webcast offers a cost-effective option for keeping current on this important topic.
For more information and to register, visit ift.org/knowledge. When registering, please enter this code: 0808EM1241.
Tags: August 2008, ift newsletter
