Thursday, January 31, 2013

Obesity in girls tied to higher multiple sclerosis risk


New research suggests that obese kids - adolescent girls, in particular - are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) than normal-weight youth.

That doesn't prove carrying around some extra weight in childhood causes MS - in which the protective coating around nerve fibers breaks down, slowing signals traveling between the brain and body.

But it does suggest rising levels of obesity in young people could mean more MS diagnoses than in the past, according to lead study author Dr. Annette Langer-Gould from Kaiser Permanente of Southern California and her colleagues.

"Obesity is increasing the risk of so many different kinds of diseases," said Kassandra Munger, who studies MS at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston but was not involved in the new work.

"This current study now adds to the evidence that it's also dangerous and increases the risk of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis," Munger told Reuters Health.

For their study, Langer-Gould and her colleagues compared the heights and weights of 75 kids with pediatric MS and its possible precursor, a condition called clinically isolated syndrome - and more than 900,000 kids without the diseases.

Just over half of the kids and teens with MS were overweight or obese, compared to 37 percent of other youth, according to findings published Wednesday in the journal Neurology.

Being overweight or moderately obese was tied to a slightly higher chance of MS in adolescent girls, but the results were based on a small number of cases and could have been due to chance. Extreme obesity, on the other hand, was linked more clearly with a three- to four-fold higher risk of MS.

A five-foot, 12-year-old girl is considered overweight at 112 pounds and extremely obese at over 155 pounds.

There was no clear pattern between boys' weights and how likely they were to be diagnosed with MS, Langer-Gould's team found.

Roughly 400,000 people in the United States have MS - usually diagnosed in adulthood. Just one or two out of every 100,000 children are diagnosed with pediatric MS, Langer-Gould said.

Based on limited evidence about any effects of weight, she said she was "actually surprised" her team found any link with MS risk.

"It's not something we think of as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis," Langer-Gould told Reuters Health.

According to Munger, there are a number of possible explanations for why heavy people could be at increased risk, including their vitamin levels and the greater amounts of chemicals - such as inflammation-inducing signaling molecules - secreted by their fat cells.

But, "It's not easy to tease those out," Munger told Reuters Health. "From a biological perspective, we don't know what the link is between obesity and MS."

Langer-Gould and her colleagues are continuing to track children in their study over time and are also working on another project to see if adults' weight affects their chance of developing MS.

"MS in children is extremely rare, but this is one more reason to encourage children to be a healthy weight," she said.

 

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Eating Deep Fried Foods Increases Prostate Cancer Risk

Men who eat deep fried foods, such as French fries, fried chicken, fried fish and/or doughnuts, at least once a week have a higher risk of prostate cancer compared to men who eat the same types of food less than once a month, according to a new study published in The Prostate journal. The findings also suggest weekly consumption of fried foods increases the risk of more aggressive forms of the disease.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center examined the association between intake of deep-fried food and risk of prostate cancer. They analyzed data from two prior population-based case-control studies involving a total of 1,549 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1,492 age-matched healthy controls. The men were Caucasian and black Seattle-area residents and ranged in age from 35 to 74 years. Participants were asked to fill out a dietary questionnaire about their usual food intake, including specific deep-fried foods.

They found men who ate one or more of deep fried foods at least weekly had an increased risk of prostate cancer that ranged from 30% to 37%.

Weekly consumption of the foods also was associated with a slightly greater risk of more aggressive prostate cancer. The researchers controlled for factors such as age, race, family history of prostate cancer, body-mass index and PSA screening history when calculating the association between eating deep-fried foods and prostate cancer risk.

“The link between prostate cancer and select deep-fried foods appeared to be limited to the highest level of consumption—defined in our study as more than once a week—which suggests that regular consumption of deep-fried foods confers particular risk for developing prostate cancer," said corresponding author Janet L. Stanford, Ph.D.

The researchers said possible mechanisms behind the increased cancer risk include the fact that when oil is heated to temperatures suitable for deep frying, potentially carcinogenic compounds can form in the fried food. They include acrylamide, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehyde and acrolein. These toxic compounds are increased with reuse of oil and increased length of frying time.

Foods cooked with high heat also contain high levels of advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs, which have been associated with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Deep-fried foods are among the highest in AGE content.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

2013 food trends: What's the buzz


2013 is the year of the snake, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. But in food circles, it just might be the year of the roast chicken or Asian noodles.

Molecular gastronomy, fancy cupcakes, Korean tacos? So, so 2012.

The new year is always the time when prognosticators of all stripes decide what's in, what's out and, most intriguing of all, what's next. Will we eat more Asian-influenced sandwiches and less Asian fusion? More Latin American flair, with a focus on Peru and Brazil? What influence will the economy, the growing number of farmers markets and our time-crunched lives have on what we eat?

"We are always looking for new versions of things that we already know," says Harry Balzer, who has been watching what America eats for more than 30 years as a senior analyst with NPD market researchers. "We're explorers, but we're not Christopher Columbus.

"Where are the things that could have the greatest impact? They're in the things that we eat the most often," he says: sandwiches, vegetables and fruit.

Here's our forecast based on the buzz among prognosticators we talked with:

Heirloom chicken:
Like heirloom turkeys and heritage pigs before it, now may be chicken's turn to get attention. "We'll begin calling chicken by their varieties and, maybe, begin noticing the difference in flavors," says Clark Wolf, a restaurant consultant and trend spotter. In fact, Bret Thorn, senior food editor at Nation's Restaurant News, said it's here, pointing to an emerging class of high-quality fast-casual restaurants like Bantam & Biddy in Atlanta that celebrate heritage chicken.

Good, and good for you:
"Vegetables will continue to move to the center of the plate, catering to vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, foodies and nutrition-conscious carnivores alike," says David Sprinkle, research director of consumer market researcher Packaged Facts.

Kale sits atop the greens heap now (you ate lots of crispy chips last year, didn't you?) and may be joined by Brussels sprouts and more. "It's not always easy to convince a consumer, especially a mainstream consumer, that a vegetable dish is going to have flavor and interest and innovation," says Mary Chapman of Technomic, a food service research and consulting firm. "But then you look at a menu like the Cheesecake Factory that has kale on one of their salads (and patrons think), 'Maybe I would be willing to try it there, and then I know what to do with it.'"

Baobab, a coconut-size fruit loaded with vitamin C, fiber and calcium, could be the next superfruit, predicts Josh Schonwald, author of "The Taste of Tomorrow."

Regional cooking:
The continuing emphasis on local and seasonal foods will, Wolf predicts, lead toward a local, seasonal and more distinctive regional style of cooking.

Techno-shoppers:
Texting while shopping? Why not. According to The Food Marketing Institute, 52 percent of consumers use technology in their grocery shopping, 32 percent are using online coupons, while a nearly equal amount (31 percent) use mobile technology when grocery shopping to make shopping lists, find recipes or research products.

Greek yogurt, part II:
Look for Greek yogurt dressings, dips, sauces, smoothies, soda and even cheesecakes with Mediterranean ingredient garnishes. "Keep an eye out for me-too promotion of other regional/national yogurt styles (such as New Zealand yogurt)," Sprinkle says.

Noodling:
Look for udon, soba, cellophane and rice noodles to show up in hearty layered bowls, fragrant soups and even mixed-texture salads, not only in a burgeoning number of big-city noodle shops but in seafood and varied-menu restaurants as well, Technomic researchers say.

Tummy time:
"This is going to continue being a trend for how we define health, moving from avoidance of harmful substances to adding beneficials to, now, digestive health. ... The question is, will it be gluten or will it be probiotics?" says Balzer.

Molecular gastronomy:
"In many ways the No. 1 trend is the rather public demise of molecular poo-poo," Wolf says. "Enough. Fine. Time's up."

High-end Bordeaux:
"I hate to say it, but Bordeaux is out right now. Pricing has gotten extremely high," says Evan Goldstein, a master sommelier, wine writer and president of Full Circle Wine Solutions in San Carlos, Calif.

Fast-food favorites:
Mini-burgers, Korean tacos, fancy cupcakes: Foodies may call them "passe, but there are plenty of people who are still loving them," Chapman says.

Packing the pantry:
When the economic downturn hit, did you really need five boxes of pasta, and 10 cans of tuna? "The biggest collector of food in this country is the American home," says Balzer, who watched as we readjusted pantry inventory levels in 2012. "People still ate, but their volumes were not being seen in supermarket sales because people were using (items on hand). Perhaps we will restock our inventories as the economy picks up."

Monday, January 28, 2013

High doses of folic acid not tied to cancer risk


High doses of folic acid not tied to cancer riskccording to a new analysis, people taking high doses of the B vitamin folic acid are not at an increased risk of cancer - easing some concern about possible side effects of national fortification programs.

The U.S. and Canada have required flour to be fortified with folic acid since 1998, after deficiencies in pregnant women were tied to brain and spinal cord birth defects in their babies.

However, researchers noted, fortification is not mandatory in Western Europe, for example, in part because of concern that extra folic acid might slightly increase people's risk of cancer due to its role in cell growth. Cells, including cancer cells, need folate - the natural form of folic acid - to grow and divide.

"Overall, this is good news," said nutrition researcher Joshua Miller from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

However, he noted, there are enough questions about the long-term effects of folic acid that people should still "be a little cautious" about loading up on the vitamin.

For the new analysis, a team of international researchers combined data from 13 separate trials that randomly assigned participants to daily folic acid or a vitamin-free placebo and recorded who went on to develop cancer.

The studies included a total of close to 50,000 volunteers who were followed for just over five years, on average.

During that time, 7.7 percent of people in the folic acid groups and 7.3 percent in the placebo groups were diagnosed with any kind of cancer - a difference that could have been due to chance, the researchers noted in The Lancet.

Likewise, there was no increased risk of individual cancers - including colon, prostate, lung or breast cancer - attributed to folic acid.

Most trials used daily doses of folic acid between 0.5 and 5 milligrams. In the one study that used a much larger dose - 40 mg daily - there was still no difference in cancer diagnoses between people who were and weren't taking the vitamin.

The total daily amount of folic acid delivered through flour fortification is less than 0.5 mg per day for most Americans.

Folic acid is also naturally found in spinach, asparagus, lettuce and other greens. The recommended upper daily limit is 1.0 mg.

"The conclusion you can make from this is that over a relatively short period of time, there was no significant benefit or harm," said Dr. John Baron from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Lebanon, New Hampshire, who worked on the review.

Most cancers take 10 to 20 years to develop, he told Reuters Health. So it's hard to tell from shorter studies if there really is no folic acid-cancer link or if the researchers didn't follow people for long enough to see an association, whether positive or negative.

The possible effect of folic acid on cancer risk has been controversial, in part because of the complex biology behind it, said Miller, who co-wrote a commentary published with the new study.

"It has this dual nature, where extra folic acid could actually prevent cancers from developing in the first place, (but) once cancer is formed, then they're like any other proliferating cells - they need folate to do that," he told Reuters Health.

The researchers agreed this study shouldn't be the last word on the potential side effects of folic acid.

For now, Miller added, people might want to avoid piling supplements

 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Coffee-drinking of olde


Did you know, for instance, that it was said that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia, when farm animals ate the coffee berries and the effect of the caffeine was observed.

Also the early coffee shops in London were places of great debate, political and otherwise, known as ‘penny universities.’

There has been an interesting article by Geoff Holder in the Evening Times, which considered the drinking of coffee in Glasgow, Scotland, in the past.

Apparently, the first coffee shop arrived in Glasgow in 1678 and was introduced by Colonel Walter Whiteford.

However, before the arrival of this drinking-alternative, things were rather grim in Glasgow.

Apparently, the Glaswegians drank their water from a series of wells, although the water supply became oversubscribed and it also became polluted, which caused problems and was unable to meet the needs of the Glaswegian population.

In response, in 1859, an enormous project was undertaken to bring fresh water from Loch Katrine.

Other strategies were used too reservoirs were introduced and water storage towers were also constructed.

It is also said that drunkenness was something of a problem in Glasgow of old and there was a search for alternatives to the consumption of alcohol.

Coffee shops were such a solution, although this met with hostility by the pubs, which wanted to protect their trade.

As noted, ‘coffee drunkenness’ was seen as derisery by the Victualling Trades Review 1890, although brandy, it was said, was an excellent cure!

 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Subway Sued for Coming Up Short on Footlong

This is so crazy, should I check the hole in a bagel. I know the lawyer who initiated this. GREED AND DUMB!! !

Footlong" and Subway are as synonymous as "Quarter Pounder" and McDonald's. But while Mickey D's reveals its burger is actually a quarter pound before its cooked, Subway doesn't tell the truth about its Footlong.
The famous $5 sandwich isn't actually 12 inches, according to a lawsuit that has been filed in New Jersey against Subway and its parent company Doctor's Associates, Inc.

Charles Noah Pendrak and John Farley have filed a complaint under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, seeking to bring a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Subway customers who bought a Footlong in The Garden State over the last six years.

Subway's alleged infraction? Serving a Footlong that is at least 5 percent less sandwich than Subway promised.

"By providing less than what was promised in hundreds of thousands of instances, Subway has managed to inflate profits in New Jersey by hundreds of thousands of dollars, using false and deceptive information to accomplish this result," declares the 14-page lawsuit, which was filed in New Jersey Superior Court, Burlington County.

In an interview with The Associated Press, plaintiffs' lawyer Stephen DeNittis stated a measurement of Footlong subs from 17 shops revealed each one fell short.

The lawsuit asserts plaintiffs didn't have to actually rely on Subway's statements in order to invoke the state Consumer Fraud Act because the statute "requires merely some causal nexus between the deceptive statement and the purchase, not actual reliance."

A Subway spokesman, Les Winograd, declined to comment on the lawsuit, but he told TODAY the restaurant franchise is committed to ensuring its famous sub is actually a foot long.

"We freshly bake our bread throughout the day in our more than 38,000 restaurants in 100 countries worldwide, and we have redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve," Winograd said in an emailed statement. "Our commitment remains steadfast to ensure that every Subway Footlong sandwich is 12 inches at each location worldwide."

The hullabaloo over Subway's Footlong reportedly came to light after an Australian teenager posted a photo of the sandwich on Facebook with a measuring tape next to it showing the sub came up short by about an inch. The photo has received more than 131,000 likes on the social networking site, and the consensus is not unanimous on whether it matters if the Footlong is actually 12 inches.

"I am calling for congressional hearings about this!", quipped one person on Facebook.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Transparency Key to Debunking Food Science Myths

Transparency, coupled with early and open dialogue, are key to creating consumer confidence in new technologies introduced into the food market, according to a panel of experts speaking today during the “Food Fact and Fiction: Separating Science from Myth" webinar hosted in England.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) Chief Scientist Andrew Wadge, Ph.D., was joined by Sue Davies, chief policy adviser at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for Which? a U.K.-based consumer organization, and Leatherhead Food Research Principal Consumer Analyst Nicole Patterson to discuss problems and opportunities in the perception and reporting of controversial topics within food science, such as genetic modification (GMOs), nanotechnology and irradiation.

According to Wadge, part of the problem is this lack of transparency and scientific understanding leads to the introduction of foods with no verified properties whereas foods that have been proven safe are banned from consumer use. “We've seen this with superfoods that supposedly will save us from all sort of ills" yet whose properties are not verified, she said. While in the case of GMO foods "that have passed any number of scientific tests certain countries continue to ban their use," she continued.

Davies suggested the scientific community release information "the earlier the better." "When new food technologies are introduced, GMOs or nanotechnologies, companies repeat the same mistake again and again. People discover new technologies after the product is already in the market and advantages have not been made clear. While research into safety aspects tends to lag behind," she said, adding frequently food science developments occurring on a global scale are often poorly understood on a local or national scale.

"Debates are global, but fail to be relevant to the UK. And the issues are presented too simplistically, failing to address public concerns about longer term risks and perceived risks versus benefits," she said.

In terms of health benefits in foods or benefits derived from advanced technologies, Davies said that independent assessments spur greater consumer trust and confidence in the results. Survey results bear up this claim with 82% of respondents to a February 2012 Which? survey agreeing with the statement that "it is important that health claims made on food are independently assessed to ensure they are accurate before they are used."

Patterson discussed a Leatherhead research study on nanotechnology, with the caveat that nanotechnology is not "the most consumer-friendly research topic." She noted consumer confidence in their local or national food supply can aid in acceptance of new technologies. For example, U.S. consumers report they believe benefits outweigh the risks of nanotechnology, however, this is underpinned by the U.S. basis of confidence in the food industry itself, rather than a greater understanding of nanotechnology compared to their UK- or European-based counterparts.

She noted the industry can be seen sometimes as simply 'tampering' with food, rather than providing any benefit. Engage in open, active debate, she warns, and clearly present the benefits consumers can expect. Tell them what is in the product and "don't assume people are automatically going to accept them." Which method companies might use to tell their tale to the public remains in flux, however, with a disproportionate number of younger respondents to the Leatherhead survey, in the 18- to 44-year-old group, gathering their information about science and technology in food from social media compared to older respondents. The majority of all respondents, however, still gather their information from either TV documentaries or popular food programs.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Chicken Wing Demand to Hold After Super Bowl

Chicken wing prices will rise at least 2 percent before the Super Bowl next month and demand will hold steady after the U.S. football season ends, Koch Foods Inc. Chief Executive Officer Joe Grendys said.

The price will top $2 a pound by the Feb. 3 game, and some spot loads of wings are already trading at that level, said Grendys, head of the fourth-largest U.S. chicken processor number of birds processed in 2012.

The benchmark Urner-Barry price for regular wings today reached a record $1.97 a pound, said Russell Whitman, vice president of Urner-Barry Publications Inc.’s poultry division.

“Wing demand is off the charts,” Grendys said in a telephone interview yesterday. The closely held Park Ridge, Illinois-based company is not affiliated with Wichita, Kansas-based Koch Industries. “I don’t see a big drop off in demand after the Super Bowl.” In the months after the football season, he said the price will be $1.75 to $2 a pound.

While wing consumption peaks during Super Bowl weekend, the dish has become increasingly popular year-round, Grendys said. Demand has been bolstered over the last decade by the rising number of restaurants with menus dedicated to wings or including them on the menu, he said.

Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD) anticipates increasing locations in North America to 1,000 by the end of this year, up from 876 company-owned and franchise restaurants, the Minneapolis-based chain said last month. Most recently, McDonald’s Corp. (MCD), the world’s largest fast food chain, said it is testing them in Chicago locations.

“It’s a finger food appetizer that is fun,” Grendys said.“It’s the hip thing to do.”

‘Affordable Luxuries’

After the Super Bowl, the delayed hockey season this year and the NCAA’s March Madness games will provide a number of occasions for sports fans to eat wings at home or at restaurants, said William Roenigk, senior vice president of the National Chicken Council.

“It’s one of those affordable luxuries,” he said. “There is a more consistent level of demand for wings throughout the year, but not taking anything away from the Super Bowl weekend.”

While restaurants may reduce the number of wing items on menus with prices close to a record, they won’t eliminate them completely, Roenigk said.

The concept started in 1964 in Buffalo, New York, and has become a staple on menus. About 3.2 percent of all dinner orders in U.S. restaurants include wings, compared with 1.9 percent in 1995, according to Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group, a market research firm. Americans like finding new ways to eat chicken and wings offer an opportunity to explore new flavors through a familiar food, Balzer.
“It’s found a place in our lives,” he said.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

What’s Shaping America’s Food Culture

Cooking is fast becoming a form of glamorized entertainment, creating considerable opportunities for retailers, foodservice and CPG manufacturers to meet the growing demand for fresher and less-processed foods and beverages. Food doesn’t just enable culture, it is culture. As we begin a new year, the Hartman Group’s recently released report, “Ideas in Food—A Cultural Perspective," examines what’s shaking up and shaping up food culture in America today.

The report offers perspective by examining the underlying force behind how consumers eat, shop and live. It also explores such themes as the future of traceability, and if sugar will be the taboo ingredient of the new year. Specifically, the report examines six main trends: Food Culture 2013; Health & Wellness; Retail; Foodservice; Product; and Food for Thought.
Of particular interest is the Health & Wellness section that addresses specific food groups that are currently in play or will be in the future. Examples include “The Next Gluten-Free: Flourless" movement where consumers with gluten concerns are seeking heirloom varieties of wheat that are lower in gluten, including, emmer, red fife, spelt farro, freekeh and kamut.

Another trend is a growing interest in cultured foods and beverages being driven by a desire to support digestive health, enhance immunity, reduce chronic inflammation (avoidance of chronic modern diseases.

According to the report, rising interest in culinary botanicals has consumers seeking benefits in herbs, spices and botanicals in lieu of pharmaceuticals. Current CPG examples include sweets, candy, cookies, lollipops, carbonated soft drinks (CSDs).

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Consumers Rank McDonald’s No. 1 in Value, Convenience

Among quick-service restaurants (QSRs), consumers ranked McDonald’s No. 1 for providing “good value," “fast service" and “very convenient locations," yet scored low overall satisfaction scores from consumers regarding their most recent visit, according to results of a recent Restaurant DemandTracker survey conducted by Consumer Edge Insight that asked consumers to rate restaurant brands on different attributes.

When it comes to identifying what drives loyalty for restaurants, the most commonly-cited factors in determining which quick-service restaurant (QSR) is visited most often are good value (58%), convenience (57%), low prices (53%) and fast service (51%). Great-tasting food is only the 8th most important factor in driving loyalty in this segment.

QSRs with the strongest perceptions for providing “good value" among past visitors were McDonald’s (57%), Subway (53%) and Taco Bell (48%). McDonald’s (68%), Subway (61%), Taco Bell (50%) and Burger King (50%) also score highly for having “very convenient locations." The brands with the strongest perceptions for “fast service" were McDonald’s (64%), Taco Bell (56%), Subway (55%) and Burger King (55%)and Wendy’s 55%. The top-scoring brands for “great-tasting food" were Subway (58%), Chick-fil-A (54%) and Wendy’s (48%).

The survey also asked past 3-month visitors to each brand how satisfied they were with their most recent visit and how likely they were to visit again. While McDonald’s had a low overall satisfaction score, with just 22% of past 3-month visitors saying they were extremely satisfied with their most recent visit, McDonald’s nonetheless enjoys among the highest “intent to visit again" scores, with 64% of past 3-month visitors saying they are “extremely likely" to visit again. Only Subway and Chick-fil-A have higher “intent to visit again" score, 68% and 67%, respectively. The highest “satisfaction" scores among past 3-month visitors were all earned by smaller brands, including Chick-fil-A (66%), Long John Silver (56%) and Whataburger (54%).

“For QSR patrons, the most important factors that drive loyalty to a brand are good value and convenience, with low prices and quick-service being very important as well," said David Decker, president, Consumer Edge Insight. “McDonald’s has a clear image lead on all of these factors , with Subway consistently being the second-best performing brand and Burger King and Wendy’s also performing well. McDonald’s high repeat-purchase intention scores despite its lower satisfaction scores illustrates the strength of its brand on the attributes that matter most to QSR customers. Smaller brands need to find ways to differentiate themselves to gain share of wallet in this ultra-competitive segment."

Monday, January 21, 2013

Fermented Ingredients For Improved Nutrition

RFI released its new FermaPro® line of fermented ingredients, including cereal grasses, vegetables, fruits, spices and seeds that help improve digestibility and nutrient absorption, as well as introduce helpful probiotics for improved gut health.

RFI’s state-of-the-art fermentation facility also can perform custom fermentation of any dry material, such as grains, grasses, seeds, vegetables and fruits using a variety of health-promoting bacterial or yeast cultures. The resulting fermented material is then drum-dried and milled in the same facility.

“An example of how fermentation improves digestibility is the fermentation of cereal grasses," said Jeff Wuagneux, president and CEO of RFI. “While ruminant animals such as cows and horses have a separate gut compartment filled with lactic acid microorganisms to digest the cellulose, humans cannot digest cellulose. Fermenting cereal grasses with lactic acid microorganisms may help break down cereal grasses and make them more digestible."

Sunday, January 20, 2013

America No. 2 in Global Mushroom, Truffle Production

The United States is the second largest mushroom and truffle producer worldwide, giving the pass only to China. The country’s use of mushrooms has been steadily going up over the past several decades. The greatest per capita mushroom consumption is in the West and Midwest. Fresh mushrooms are in the highest demand, which is mainly attributed to major pizza chains shifting from using canned to fresh mushrooms. Looking forward, the industry is anticipated to witness fresh use upsurge as fresh packaging innovations increase and the demand for specialty mushrooms continues its upward trajectory.

Truffle production has expanded to the US some thirty years ago, and the business is currently gathering speed. The best conditions for growing these fungi are in the Mid-Atlantic States, such as Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North and South Carolina.
  
New research report “Mushrooms and Truffles Market in United States: Business Report 2012”elaborated by Business Analytic Center (BAC) offers a comprehensive guide to the mushrooms and truffles market in the United States.
  
Starting with a brief country profile, the report closely investigates the US market for mushrooms and truffles focusing on domestic production and consumption. It identifies the leading market players, including the top producers, wholesalers and distributors. The study delves deeper by examining the foreign trade, evaluating volumes and dynamics of imports/exports within the mushrooms and truffles sector in recent years. Further, a detailed listing of all major US consumers of mushrooms and truffles is also at hand in the research.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

2013 food trends: What's the buzz


2013 is the year of the snake, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. But in food circles, it just might be the year of the roast chicken or Asian noodles.

Molecular gastronomy, fancy cupcakes, Korean tacos? So, so 2012.

The new year is always the time when prognosticators of all stripes decide what's in, what's out and, most intriguing of all, what's next. Will we eat more Asian-influenced sandwiches and less Asian fusion? More Latin American flair, with a focus on Peru and Brazil? What influence will the economy, the growing number of farmers markets and our time-crunched lives have on what we eat?

"We are always looking for new versions of things that we already know," says Harry Balzer, who has been watching what America eats for more than 30 years as a senior analyst with NPD market researchers. "We're explorers, but we're not Christopher Columbus.

"Where are the things that could have the greatest impact? They're in the things that we eat the most often," he says: sandwiches, vegetables and fruit.

Here's our forecast based on the buzz among prognosticators we talked with:

Heirloom chicken:
Like heirloom turkeys and heritage pigs before it, now may be chicken's turn to get attention. "We'll begin calling chicken by their varieties and, maybe, begin noticing the difference in flavors," says Clark Wolf, a restaurant consultant and trend spotter. In fact, Bret Thorn, senior food editor at Nation's Restaurant News, said it's here, pointing to an emerging class of high-quality fast-casual restaurants like Bantam & Biddy in Atlanta that celebrate heritage chicken.

Good, and good for you:
"Vegetables will continue to move to the center of the plate, catering to vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, foodies and nutrition-conscious carnivores alike," says David Sprinkle, research director of consumer market researcher Packaged Facts.

Kale sits atop the greens heap now (you ate lots of crispy chips last year, didn't you?) and may be joined by Brussels sprouts and more. "It's not always easy to convince a consumer, especially a mainstream consumer, that a vegetable dish is going to have flavor and interest and innovation," says Mary Chapman of Technomic, a food service research and consulting firm. "But then you look at a menu like the Cheesecake Factory that has kale on one of their salads (and patrons think), 'Maybe I would be willing to try it there, and then I know what to do with it.'"

Baobab, a coconut-size fruit loaded with vitamin C, fiber and calcium, could be the next superfruit, predicts Josh Schonwald, author of "The Taste of Tomorrow."

Regional cooking:
The continuing emphasis on local and seasonal foods will, Wolf predicts, lead toward a local, seasonal and more distinctive regional style of cooking.

Techno-shoppers:
Texting while shopping? Why not. According to The Food Marketing Institute, 52 percent of consumers use technology in their grocery shopping, 32 percent are using online coupons, while a nearly equal amount (31 percent) use mobile technology when grocery shopping to make shopping lists, find recipes or research products.

Greek yogurt, part II:
Look for Greek yogurt dressings, dips, sauces, smoothies, soda and even cheesecakes with Mediterranean ingredient garnishes. "Keep an eye out for me-too promotion of other regional/national yogurt styles (such as New Zealand yogurt)," Sprinkle says.

Noodling:
Look for udon, soba, cellophane and rice noodles to show up in hearty layered bowls, fragrant soups and even mixed-texture salads, not only in a burgeoning number of big-city noodle shops but in seafood and varied-menu restaurants as well, Technomic researchers say.

Tummy time:
"This is going to continue being a trend for how we define health, moving from avoidance of harmful substances to adding beneficials to, now, digestive health. ... The question is, will it be gluten or will it be probiotics?" says Balzer.

Molecular gastronomy:
"In many ways the No. 1 trend is the rather public demise of molecular poo-poo," Wolf says. "Enough. Fine. Time's up."

High-end Bordeaux:
"I hate to say it, but Bordeaux is out right now. Pricing has gotten extremely high," says Evan Goldstein, a master sommelier, wine writer and president of Full Circle Wine Solutions in San Carlos, Calif.

Fast-food favorites:
Mini-burgers, Korean tacos, fancy cupcakes: Foodies may call them "passe, but there are plenty of people who are still loving them," Chapman says.

Packing the pantry:
When the economic downturn hit, did you really need five boxes of pasta, and 10 cans of tuna? "The biggest collector of food in this country is the American home," says Balzer, who watched as we readjusted pantry inventory levels in 2012. "People still ate, but their volumes were not being seen in supermarket sales because people were using (items on hand). Perhaps we will restock our inventories as the economy picks up."

Friday, January 18, 2013

BPA Linked to Potential Heart, Kidney Issues

Exposure to a chemical once used widely in plastic bottles and still found in aluminum cans appears to be associated with a biomarker for higher risk of heart and kidney disease in children and adolescents, according to an analysis of national survey data by NYU School of Medicine researchers published in the January 9, 2013, online issue of Kidney International.

Laboratory studies suggest that even low levels of bisphenol A (BPA) like the ones identified in this national survey of children and adolescents increase oxidative stress and inflammation that promotes protein leakage into the urine, a biomarker for early renal impairment and future risk of developing coronary heart disease, according to Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and population health, and co-lead of the study.

FDA recently banned BPA, but the substance is still used as an internal coating for aluminum cans. Manufacturers say the chemical provides an antiseptic function. Studies have shown the chemical disrupts multiple mechanisms of human metabolism. Surveys have shown that by age six nearly 92% of children have some trace of BPA in their urine.

The European Union, Canada and the U.S. banned BPA from use in baby bottles and sippy cups.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Cut Sugar to Cut Weight

Reducing sugar consumption can help address the global obesity epidemic, according to a systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. The review revealed that, although reduction of sugar intake resulted in minor weight loss (0.8 kg on average), it was significant enough to support current recommendations to reduce sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy.

Researchers at the University of Otago and the Riddet Institute in New Zealand analyzed the results of 71 studies (30 randomized controlled trials and 41 cohort studies) of sugar intake and body fatness to summarize evidence on the association between intake of dietary sugars and body weight in both adults and children.

The researchers found that advice to reduce free sugars was associated with an average 0.8 kg reduction in weight (in studies that ran for up to 8 months), while advice to increase intake was associated with a corresponding 0.75 kg increase. Free sugars were defined as sugars that are added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer; plus those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices.

This parallel effect, the researchers suggest, was likely due to an altered energy intake, since replacing sugars with other carbohydrates did not result in any change in body weight.

The evidence was less consistent in children, mainly due to poor compliance to dietary advice. However, the risk of being overweight or obese increased among children with the highest intake of sugar-sweetened beverages compared with those with the lowest intake.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Coca-Cola to address obesity for first time in ads

Well at last:


Coca-Cola became one of the world's most powerful brands by equating its soft drinks with happiness. Now it's taking to the airwaves for the first time to address a growing cloud over the industry: obesity.

The Atlanta-based company on Monday will begin airing a two-minute commercial during the highest-rated shows on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC in hopes of becoming a stronger voice in the intensifying debate over sodas and their impact on public health.

The ad lays out Coca-Cola's record of providing drinks with fewer calories over the years and notes that weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories of any kind -- not just soda.

Coca-Cola says the campaign will kick off a variety of moves that help address obesity in the year ahead.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Five egg trends for 2013

Eggs occupy an impressive amount of space on restaurant breakfast menus, and it doesn’t seem likely that will change anytime soon. Recently, the American Egg Board (AEB) and the Egg Nutrition Center teamed up with The NPD Group and AEB culinary advisor, research chef Walter Zuromski, to compile a list of top egg trends for 2013. Restaurant operators may profit from several of the ideas the group identified.

The long history of diner slang for eggs (also known as hen berries) demonstrates the many ways customers like them: Adam and Eve on a raft (two poached eggs on toast); flop two (fried eggs); kiss the pan (over-easy); scrape two, or wreck ‘em (scrambled); and cluck and grunt (eggs and bacon). (Visit www.dinerlingo.com for more diner slang.) Meanwhile, here are five egg trends to keep in mind this year.

1. Eggs are protein powerhouses for all dayparts. At breakfast, eggs are a convenient protein, lending themselves to menu items like portable breakfast bowls and hand-held specialties such as egg sandwiches and wraps.

2. Eggs are “on the grow” at restaurants. Over the past five years, quick-service restaurants’ shares of breakfast sales have risen by 8 percent and continue to lead the way. Egg breakfast menu items have increased by 20 percent. The American Egg Board reports that breakfast has outperformed lunch and dinner and remains a bright spot in terms of traffic and sales. Also, with more families frequenting QSRs, expect to see new platters, bowls and skillet dishes rising to the top of these menus.

3. Eggs go global as chefs develop innovative egg dishes featuring fresh vegetables and ethnic flavors. According to the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot in 2013 ” culinary survey, ethnic-inspired breakfast items occupy the number 14 spot on the top 20 trends list. Latin flavors include the chorizo and egg tortas served at Rick Bayless’ newest restaurant, XOCO, and the Santa Fe bagel sandwich at Bruegger’s Bagels, combining eggs, sausage and jalapeno cream cheese.

4. Eggs go mobile with food truck menus, with more food trucks focusing on breakfast as a way to break into the category without competing in the saturated lunch day part. Consumers are attracted by culinary creativity and menu items such as egg sandwiches on brioche and flatbreads, meats like pork belly and pulled pork paired with eggs, crepes, luxurious pancake varieties such as maple bacon and red velvet, and doughnuts.

5. Eggs get fried. In fact, fried egg menu items increased 20 percent at chains such as ‘wichcraft and Dunkin’ Donuts in the past year. At quick-service and casual-dining restaurants, expect to see upgraded quality and ingredients paired with eggs — avocados, mushrooms, flavored sausages and upscale cheeses. Think Panera Bread’s sausage and Gouda baked egg soufflé. Also look for upgraded prep techniques and menu items like toasted breads and fried eggs.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Brazil Coffee Exports Expected to Bounce Back

Coffee exports from Brazil, the world’s largest grower of the bean, are expected to rebound from last year’s 16 percent decline, the country’s association of coffee exporters said.

Brazil is expected to export as much as 31 million bags of coffee this year, a 9.5 percent increase compared with the 28.3 million bags recorded in 2012, the association known as Cecafe said in an e-mailed report today.

Last year’s result was a 16 percent decline from the previous year. Rain volumes that delayed coffee harvest and shipping played “a major” part in the reduction of foreign sales last year, Cecafe said in the report.

Cecafe estimates that coffee export revenue will rise to $7 billion this year, up 11 percent from 2012, because of bigger export volume and a “moderate rise in coffee prices,”according to the report.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Monthly Food Subscriptions Thriving


Following the success of diet-food delivery services, the health industry is catching on to the popularity of subscription-box businesses that has led to the success of brands like Birchbox. Healthy subscription boxes provide customers with a monthly taste of the trendiest options in luxe health snacks and workout gear. A handful of new box brands including Healthy Surprise and Sprig launched this year and deliver niche health products like vegan, gluten-free and organic snacks to customers’ doorsteps. Think freeze-dried raspberries, date-flavored protein bars and honey-and-rosemary-spiced almonds. “We are trying to give people the experience of finding something new,” says Sprig co-founder Brent Jenkins. “We wanted to become better eaters and know where our food was coming from. We are trying to make a small shift in how people eat and we’ve created a following of people trying to engage in this food revolution,"

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Foods Labeled As Whole Grains Not Always Healthy

Current standards for classifying foods as "whole grain" are inconsistent and, in some cases, misleading, according to a new study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. The findings suggest while foods that carry the Whole Grain Stamp are higher in fiber and lower in trans fats, they actually contain significantly more sugar and calories than products without the stamp.

No standard for defining any product as "whole grain" exists despite U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommending at least 3 servings of grains a day and the U.S. national school lunch standards stating, half of which, must be whole grains.

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) analyzed five different government guidelines for whole grain products—The Whole Grain Stamp, a packaging symbol for products containing at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving (created by the Whole Grain Council, a non-governmental organization supported by industry dues); any whole grain as the first listed ingredient (recommended by the USDA's MyPlate and the FDA's Consumer Health Information guide); any whole grain as the first ingredient without added sugars in the first three ingredients (also recommended by USDA's MyPlate); the word "whole" before any grain anywhere in the ingredient list (recommended by USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010); and the "10:1 ratio," a ratio of total carbohydrate to fiber of less than 10 to 1, which is approximately the ratio of carbohydrate to fiber in whole wheat flour (recommended by the American Heart Association's 2020 Goals).

The researchers identified a total of 545 grain products in eight categories--breads, bagels, English muffins, cereals, crackers, cereal bars, granola bars and chips. They collected nutrition content, ingredient lists, and the presence or absence of the Whole Grain Stamp on product packages from all of the products.

They found grain products with the Whole Grain Stamp were higher in fiber and lower in trans fats, but also contained significantly more sugar and calories compared to products without the Stamp. The three USDA recommended criteria also had mixed performance for identifying healthier grain products. Overall, the American Heart Association's 10:1 standard proved to be the best indicator of overall healthfulness. Products meeting this ratio were higher in fiber and lower in trans fats, sugar and sodium, without higher calories than products that did not meet the ratio.

"Our results will help national discussions about product labeling, school lunch programs and guidance for consumer and organizations on their attempts to select whole grain products," the researchers said.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Global Food Prices Drop 1.1% in December

Led by declines in cereals and fats and oil prices, global food prices fell 1.1% in December to their lowest levels since June 2012, according to new statistics released by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Jan. 10.

The FAO Food Price Index, measuring the monthly change in international prices of a basket of 55 food commodities, averaged 209 points in December 2012, down 2 points (1.1%) from November. For 2012, the index averaged 212 points, 7% less than in 2011, with the sharpest declines registered by sugar (17.1%), dairy products (14.%) and oils (10.7%. The 2012 price falls were much more modest for cereals (2.4%) and meat (1.1%).

The Cereal Price Index averaged 250 points in December, down 6 points (2.3%) from November. In 2012, the index averaged 241, or 2.4% below 2011. After surging over the July to September 2012 period, on production uncertainties and tightening supplies, cereal export quotations dropped because of weaker demand for feed and industrial uses. In December, maize prices fell sharply, as large export supplies in South America relieved pressure from tight availabilities in the United States. Rice prices also dipped in December, on expectation of good harvests, but wheat values changed little under subdued trade activity.

The Dairy Price Index averaged 197 points in December, up .09% from November. In the last quarter of 2012, dairy prices stabilized, after having risen from mid-year lows. Overall, the dairy market remains well-balanced; however, it is increasingly susceptible to supply changes depending on pasture conditions—especially as southern-hemisphere producers assume an increasing role in supplying the world market—and on feed availability and affordability.

The Oils/Fats Price Index averaged 197 points in December, down 1.9% from November, the fourth consecutive month of decline and the lowest level since September 2010. The main reason for the fall in December is the continued build-up of large global inventories of palm oil—as abundant production in Southeast Asia coincided with a protracted weakness of import demand.

The decline in the index would have been even stronger without the prospect of both a tight global supply and demand situation for soybean oil during the next two to three months and lower than anticipated availabilities of sunflower seed oil.

The Meat Price Index averaged 176 points in December, down marginally from November. Quotes for all meat categories remained close to their November level, except pig meat, which fell by 2%. Overall, the meat sector has had to focus on productivity gains, as increased feed costs have not been associated with higher product prices.

The Sugar Price Index averaged 274 points in December, down marginally from November and its lowest value since August 2010. The expectation of a third consecutive increase in global production and large export availabilities in the 2012-13 marketing season, notably in Brazil, have put international prices under downward pressure for much of the second half of 2012.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

EFSA Launches Risk Assessment on Aspartame

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) launched a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion on the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame. Public comments are due by Feb. 15, 2013, and the results will be compiled in a report and could be added into final scientific opinion set to be adopted by mid-May 2013.

Regulatory bodies around the world have evaluated the safety of aspartame since the 1980s; however, this is the first full evaluation of aspartame that has been requested of EFSA and has been carried out by the Authority’s Scientific Panel on Food Additive and Nutrient Sources Added to Food (ANS Panel). In this re-evaluation of the safety of aspartame, EFSA’s scientific experts have drawn upon all available information on aspartame and its breakdown products and, following a detailed and methodical analysis, have concluded in this draft opinion that they pose no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels of exposure. The current Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is considered to be safe for the general population and consumer exposure to aspartame is below this ADI.

In setting the ADI, the ANS Panel considered findings from long-term studies conducted in experimental animals related to toxicity and carcinogenicity and possible adverse health effects of phenylalanine, one of aspartame’s breakdown products, on the developing fetus. Phenylalanine is an amino acid making up protein found in many foods. It is known to be toxic at high intake levels, in particular to the developing fetus in women suffering from the medical condition phenylketonuria (PKU). This inherited disorder increases blood phenylalanine concentrations to levels toxic to the developing brain. The Panel confirmed that the ADI, while protective of the general population, is not applicable to people who suffer from PKU, as they require strict adherence to a low phenylalanine diet.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Prenatal Exposure to Fish Boosts Child’s Brain Power

Growing scientific evidence supports the theory that expectant mothers who eat fish regularly actually are helping boost their children’s brain power, even though they usually are advised to avoid fish that contain high levels of neurotoxin methyl mercury, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises pregnant woman to eat only two meals of fish a week and to avoid most large fish to reduce the exposure of their babies’ developing brains to mercury.

However, a recent joint report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended nations emphasize the benefits of eating fish for pregnant women and nursing mothers and the potential risks of not consuming fish to brain development.

Because those messages are confusing to most consumers, researchers at the University of Rochester, the University of Ulster, and in the Republic of Seychelles conducted a study to examine what happens to children’s development when their mothers eat fish while pregnant.

The study, conducted in the Republic of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean where fish consumption among women is at least 10 times higher than women in the United States and the level of mercury in the fish is almost the same, included 225 mothers and their children. Detailed information about nutritional intake was obtained from the mothers and almost a dozen standard assessments on language and intelligence of the children were completed over several years.

“This study shows that there are no adverse effects of prenatal mercury exposure from fish on children at 5 years old on 10 developmental outcomes when adjusted for maternal levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In fact, we found positive associations with those nutrients and children’s language development," said Phil W. Davidson, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Pediatrics, principal investigator of the ongoing Seychelles Child Development Study and an co-author of the study.

The study children’s standard language development scores rose as levels of omega-3 fatty acids rose in mothers. They found positive associations between the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids in mothers and their children’s subsequent scores on preschool language and verbal assessments. In particular, those scores were associated with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Sublingual Immunotherapy Reduces Peanut Allergy

For the more than 3 million Americans who have allergies to peanuts, tree nuts or both, complications from ingesting or even just touching the nuts can cause life-threatening allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis. In the past, patients had to adhere to strict dietary elimination of peanuts; however, a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows promise for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT).

Developed at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, SLIT is a treatment in which patients are given daily doses, in gradually increasing amounts, of a liquid containing peanut powder. The patients first hold the liquid under the tongue for 2 minutes and then swallow it.

For the study, 40 people with peanut allergy, ages 12 to 37 years, were randomized to receive daily peanut or placebo SLIT. All were given a baseline oral food challenge of up to 2 grams of peanut powder to test how much peanut powder they could consume without symptoms. After 44 weeks, all were given a second oral food challenge. Those who were able to consume either 5 grams, or at least tenfold more peanut powder than their baseline amount, were considered to be responders (i.e., desensitized to peanut). At 44 weeks, 70% of those who received peanut SLIT were responders, compared to 15% of those receiving placebo. Among the peanut-SLIT responders, the median amount of peanut powder they could successfully consume increased from 3.5 to 496 milligrams. After 68 weeks, that amount increased significantly, to 996 milligrams. Of 10,855 peanut doses given through week 44 of the study, 63.1% were symptom-free. When oral/pharyngeal symptoms were excluded from the analysis, 95.2% of doses were symptom-free.

“These results are encouraging," the researchers said. “The immune response was stronger than we thought it might be, and the side effects of this treatment were relatively small. However, the magnitude of the therapeutic effect was somewhat less than we had anticipated. That's an issue we plan to address in future studies."

The study concluded that peanut SLIT safely induced desensitization in a majority of participants compared to placebo, and that longer duration of therapy led to significant increases in the amount of peanut powder people could safely consume.

Monday, January 07, 2013

8 of 10 Americans Blame Obesity on TV

Just in time for the New Year, a new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that while the majority of Americans are aware of the nation’s growing obesity problem and its link to chronic health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease; many are split over whether the government should have a say in what types and how much of certain foods they should eat.

According to the findings, 8 out of 10 people cite too much TV and computer time as the most important reason for high rates of obesity, with easy access to cheap fast food and lack of desire or knowledge about how to control one’s weight as other major factors.

There is strong support for government policies that would add more time for physical activity in schools, provide information about healthy choices, and offer incentives to the food industry to produce healthier options. But there is little support for policies that would constrain consumer choices such as limits on the amount or type of food that can be purchased or taxes on unhealthy foods or drinks. (Think NYC’s ban on super-sized sugary drinks.) Nearly 6 in 10 oppose taxes on unhealthy foods, and 75% reject limiting what foods people can buy.

The poll also found the U.S. public considers obesity second only to cancer as the nation’s most serious health issue, with conditions closely related to obesity—diabetes and heart disease—tied for third. And when it comes to discrimination, 95% of the public believe obese people face some level of discrimination due to their weight.

“The American public has clearly gotten the message about obesity as a major public health issue, including its connection to other major health problems," said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center. “What is less clear is consensus about how to address the issue and a surprising number of overweight people who are not told by their physicians that it is an issue that needs attention."

The telephone survey was conducted from Nov. 21 through Dec. 14, 2012, and included more than 1,000 respondents.

Sunday, January 06, 2013

The Next Big Thing: Peruvian Food

Looking over the hot food and beverage trends as the old year closes and the new begins is an occupational hazard here. Perhaps hazard isn’t really the right word--rite? Entertaining pastime? Head-scratching exercise?

It’s hard to put my finger on the right descriptor because it seems that many of these lists are put together using a combination of a crystal ball and a dartboard. Still, we look forward to reading the various predictions, as we know you do, too, but it’s not always a given they are solid project planning leads.

For example, the National Restaurant Association has determined that Peruvian food is THE NEXT BIG THING in restaurant cuisine. This, of course, will then trickle down into the retail market. Variations on corn, potatoes, beans, tropical fruits and chiles all seem acceptable to the North American palate. Quinoa, maca, pisco and ceviche, yeah, we can buy into that. Cuy (Calm down little Meatloaf.), escabeche and tripe, not so much.

Admittedly, Peruvian food was THE NEXT BIG THING last year as well as in several other years over the last decade, making me wonder if I’m channeling Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. (“ Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?" “ I don't think so, but I could check with the kitchen.") But if anyone wants to take the chance that this really is Peruvian cuisine's year to shine, it does offer some interesting flavor possibilities that might give your products a unique twist. But my advice? Step away from the guinea pig.

Saturday, January 05, 2013

FDA Proposes Crucial Food-Safety Rules Under FSMA

The U.S. government on Friday proposed two major rules under a landmark food-safety law aimed to prevent foodborne illnesses that claim thousands of American lives each year.

"We really need to do more than react after the fact," Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and Drugs for the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), said Friday during a conference call with the media to discuss the proposals.

FDA has proposed the measures under the 2-year-old Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which President Obama signed into law on Jan. 4, 2011. The rules affect food manufacturers and farmers, focusing on prevention of Salmonella, E. coli and other foodborne illnesses that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates impact 1in 6 Americans every year.

“FDA’s proposed regulations on preventive controls and fresh produce form the cornerstone of FSMA," said attorney Joe Levitt, a partner with Hogan Lovells and the former Director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in a statement. "They get to the very heart of the new law’s paradigm shift from reaction to prevention."

Michael Taylor, FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, noted the produce safety rule requires standards to prevent the introduction of reasonably foreseeable hazards that result in people falling ill. The proposed rule establishes standards for growing, harvesting, packing and holding produce. It zeroes in on agricultural water, biological soil amendments of animal origin, health and hygiene, animals in the growing area and buildings, equipment and tools.

The other proposed rule is rooted in food principles the industry has developed over decades known as HACCP (hazard analysis & critical control points). It would cover facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold human food. The facilities would be required to identify potential food-safety hazards and implement controls to reduce such risks.

"We are in a moment and time when science is going to provide a lot of new tools and answers of how to manage these contamination risks and there will be need to be" updates of the agency's approach, Hamburg said.
The proposed rules are available for public comment over the next 120 days, and it could take up to one year or longer before they are finalized and actually take effect.

"As with all FDA proposed rules, public comment is a key component of the process, and the food industry and other stakeholders will review these proposals thoroughly and submit comments to FDA on how to make the final rules as beneficial and cost-effective as possible," Levitt said.

Implementation of the rules will be phased over time, and FDA officials could not pinpoint the cost to the federal government. "I think we will all see the benefits substantially outweigh the cost of implementation," Taylor said.

During Friday's call with FDA officials, some journalists appeared to question whether the agency will have the necessary resources to implement the rules. Hamburg acknowledged "resources remain an ongoing concern."
It is clear FDA doesn't anticipate implementing and enforcing the rules without outside assistance. In a speech last year at the Global Food Safety Conference, Taylor noted FSMA includes about 50 directives from Congress for the agency to collaborate with other federal and state agencies and foreign governments in designing and implementing the new food-safety system.

FDA continues to work on other proposed rules under FSMA. Born out of a series of outbreaks, FSMA has been hailed as the most sweeping food-safety law in decades.

It is definitely a work in progress: Taylor has said it will take several years to fully implement.

Friday, January 04, 2013

Fructose May Trigger Overeating, Obesity

The consumption of fructose may cause changes in the brain that can increase appetite and lead to overeating, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In contrast, the findings suggest the consumption of glucose may actually increase satiety and help weight management.

"Increases in fructose consumption have paralleled the increasing prevalence of obesity, and high-fructose diets are thought to promote weight gain and insulin resistance. Fructose ingestion produces smaller increases in circulating satiety hormones compared with glucose ingestion, and central administration of fructose provokes feeding in rodents, whereas centrally administered glucose promotes satiety," the authors wrote. "Thus, fructose possibly increases food-seeking behavior and increases food intake." How brain regions associated with fructose- and glucose-mediated changes in animal feeding behaviors translates to humans is not completely understood.

Researchers at Yale University conducted a study to examine neurophysiological factors that might underlie associations between fructose consumption and weight gain. The study included 20 healthy adult volunteers who underwent two magnetic resonance imaging sessions in conjunction with fructose or glucose drink ingestion. The researchers measured changes in blood flow to a region of the brain called the hypothalamus—which regulates the human appetite—after each drink. They found a significantly greater drop in blood around the hypothalamus after glucose rather than fructose ingestion. The researchers found there was a significantly greater reduction in hypothalamic CBF after glucose versus fructose ingestion.

"Glucose ,but not fructose, ingestion reduced the activation of the hypothalamus, insula and striatum—brain regions that regulate appetite, motivation and reward processing; glucose ingestion also increased functional connections between the hypothalamic-striatal network and increased satiety," said Kathleen A. Page, M.D., of Yale University School of Medicine. “The disparate responses to fructose were associated with reduced systemic levels of the satiety-signaling hormone insulin and were not likely attributable to an inability of fructose to cross the blood-brain barrier into the hypothalamus or to a lack of hypothalamic expression of genes necessary for fructose metabolism."

Interestingly, a 2012 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded fructose consumption is unlikely to cause weight gain when substituted for other carbohydrates in diets with similar numbers of calories; however, fructose does increase weight gain in hypercaloric diets.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Study: Being Overweight Linked to Lower Mortality

Just days into New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and follow a healthy diet, a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests carrying a few extra pounds on your bones actually may help you live longer. In fact, only people with body mass indexes (BMI) of 35 or higher face a significantly higher risk of early death than normal-weight individuals.

Researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) performed a systematic review of reported hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause mortality for overweight and obesity relative to normal weight in the general population. In an analysis of nearly 100 studies that included approximately 3 million adults, relative to normal weight, overall obesity (combining all grades) and higher levels of obesity were both associated with a significantly higher all-cause risk of death, while overweight was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality.

“Estimates of the relative mortality risks associated with normal weight, overweight, and obesity may help to inform decision making in the clinical setting," said lead author Katherine M. Flegal, Ph.D.

For the review and meta-analysis, the researchers identified 97 studies that met inclusion criteria, which provided a combined sample size of more than 2.88 million individuals and more than 270,000 deaths.

Regions of origin of participants included the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, Israel, India and Mexico.

The researchers found that the summary HRs indicated a 6% lower risk of death for overweight; a 18% higher risk of death for obesity (all grades); a 5% lower risk of death for grade 1 obesity; and a 29% increased risk of death for grades 2 and 3 obesity. The finding that grade 1 obesity was not associated with higher mortality and suggests that the excess mortality in obesity may predominantly be due to elevated mortality at higher BMI levels.

The researchers said their findings are consistent with observations of lower mortality among overweight and moderately obese patients. “Possible explanations have included earlier presentation of heavier patients, greater likelihood of receiving optimal medical treatment, cardioprotective metabolic effects of increased body fat, and benefits of higher metabolic reserves," they said.

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Really? Dieting Is a Short-lived New Year’s Resolution


As the Champagne hangovers fade, the New Year’s resolutions begin. For many people, that means a new diet. But just how prevalent is the “new year, new you” weight-loss resolution?

In a recent unusual study, two psychologists sought an answer in data on diet-related searches provided by Google. The researchers focused on a six-year period beginning in 2005, during which diet-related searches — involving keywords like “diet,” “Atkins,” “Weight Watchers” and “Nutrisystem” — followed an annual trend. Searches for these keywords spiked on average 29 percent nationwide from December through the end of January, then fell month by month until the same period the next year.

The greatest surges in diet-related searches in December and January occurred in states with high obesity rates. The greatest increases were in South Dakota (a 54 percent surge), Tennessee (50 percent) and North Dakota (46 percent). States with lower obesity rates had smaller keyword surges. Vermont had the lowest (18 percent), followed by Hawaii (22 percent) and California (27 percent).

The findings are only a crude indication of nationwide interest in dieting. But they jibe with previous research showing that many people resolve to diet in January but gradually lose interest, a cycle that one study called “false hope syndrome.”

The annual surge is a good sign, but yo-yo dieting — repeatedly losing and regaining weight — may be harmful to physical and mental health, said Patrick M. Markey of Villanova University, an author of the new paper, published in The Journal of Health Psychology.

“You can’t look at a diet as a temporary thing,” he said. “You have to look at it as something you do forever. Otherwise, you’re just going to cycle forever.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

Diet resolutions are common but often fleetin