Every day, consumers are inundated with messages extolling the benefits of antioxidants and their potential remarkable ability to clear harmful free radicals from the body. In fact, it is impossible to walk down the aisles of any supermarket without seeing a myriad of food products with labels announcing the level of antioxidants they contain. But many of those messages may be misleading as much of the information about the health benefits of antioxidants is exaggerated and, some say, downright deceptive.

In Session 253, “Antioxidants, Science, and Health: New Perspectives,” presenter John Finley of Louisiana State University discussed how the information about the properties and benefits of antioxidants has largely been exaggerated and misconstrued. He pointed out that processing profoundly affects the potency and bioavailability of antioxidants in various foods. Moreover, some antioxidants that show promise in laboratory studies have limited or no effectiveness within the human body, Finley said. Once antioxidants are ingested, many either lose their potency or are inadequately absorbed by cells. To illustrate his point, Finley referred to a recent study showing that anthocyanins from blueberries were helpful in protecting cells from inflammation but useless at treating cells that were already inflamed.

Presenter Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island had a slightly different view of the efficacy of antioxidants within the body. Seeram and his colleagues believe that the body indeed absorbs antioxidants but that the mechanisms scientists use for detection and absorption are ineffective. He presented data indicating that after antioxidants are ingested, the body metabolizes them into other compounds that are either poorly studied or not documented at all in science. Presenter Darryl Sullivan of Covance Laboratories endorsed this perspective. Sullivan pointed out that more than 5,000 phytochemical compounds exist; most of them have not been identified. Research on antioxidants is in its infancy, he said, and scientists have a lot more to learn. In addition, he stressed that some of the current methods for studying and detecting antioxidants are good, but many more methods are needed.

Discussions on the processing of antioxidant-rich foods and the degree of antioxidant absorption in the body could soon be irrelevant. Presenter Li Li Ji of the University of Wisconsin presented compelling data on how exercise facilitates the body’s inherent ability to scavenge and get rid of free radicals. His research indicates that moderate exercise appears to have a deleterious effect on free radicals within the human body (rigorous exercise apparently has the opposite effect).

The debate on the healthfulness of antioxidants is sure to continue, but in the meantime, consumers should continue to eat fruits and vegetables (both rich in antioxidants) and engage in moderate physical activity just in case.

“The economic downturn may have slowed growth, but ‘natural’ is here to stay,” said Mintel’s Lynn Dornblaser, Director CPG Trend Insight, in a presentation in the Special Events Pavilion on Tuesday, June 14. This is mainly due to the fact that U.S. consumers are demanding natural products because they equate natural with healthy. In fact, more than 60% of consumers agree with the statement that “If a product is labeled all natural it’s healthy.” In addition, some consumers will pay more for natural products in certain categories, especially children’s beverages.

Consumers are attracted to this “natural nutrition” because they see it as inherently good, fresh, and wholesome. As Dornblaser explained, consumers desire transparency in their food and beverages. “They are very suspicious of things they don’t understand and this translates into them being afraid of chemical names they can’t understand,” said Dornblaser. For this same reason, they are attracted to “clean” labels, which have a relatively small number of ingredients and those ingredients are identifiable. Natural colors and flavors can play a role in delivering these benefits that consumers are looking for.

In new product development traditional health claims are in a long-term decline. However, other claims are on the rise, including convenience and ethical and environmental. But natural claims take the cake with the highest number of new products over other product claims. In fact, more than 35% of all new products released in 2010 bore a natural claim.

Not only are consumers seeking out products with natural claims, but companies can use these claims to enhance a premium product. For example, Haagen-Dazs launched its Five ice cream (made with just five simple, natural ingredients) in 2009 and since then it has outperformed the company’s other brand ice creams. However, natural isn’t just about premium; value priced items with natural claims work as well. Yoplait’s Simply… Go-Gurt yogurt is priced the same as non-natural yogurt, but it has no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial colors or flavors. This product sold $17 million in the first 71 weeks on the market.

Natural flavors and colors are popular claims around the world; however the desire for each varies from country to country. In Europe, both natural colors and flavors are highly valued in food, while the U.S. market has a stronger focus on artificial colors in foods. For beverages, European consumers once again value natural flavors and colors. Americans really desire natural flavors, which are driven by juices, but artificial colors are still used a lot. According to Mintel’s data, the five top food categories with natural colors and flavors are bakery, snacks, meals and meal centers, sauces and seasonings, and processed fish, meat, and eggs.

Dornblaser concluded the session by emphasizing that “consumers are attracted to all things natural but they see the see the whole picture.” This includes natural colors and flavors as well as other natural ingredients, natural sweeteners, and natural packaging. The focus in the future will be on the promotion of the positive, not the absence of negative ingredients. “Success is built on the brand values of transparency, trust, and simplicity,” explained Dornblaser. So, whether companies decide to “go natural” with their products, it is important to honest and simple with your messages and formulations (if possible) in order to build a trusting relationship with consumers.

Innovative, “outside-the-box” thinking is needed in product development to get more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables into the diets of Americans, said Sam Kass, White House Chef & Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives at an address to more than 500 students at the Monday evening IFTSA Welcome Assembly & 26th Annual College Bowl Competition.

Kass acknowledged the role that food science and technology plays in our modern society, delivering safe, affordable, and convenient foods. But the unintended consequences of this abundant food supply have contributed to an obesity epidemic in the United States. About one-third of children are overweight or obese and one in three of these children will develop diabetes in their lifetimes, noted Kass. Healthcare costs related to obesity amount to about $150 billion annually in the United States.

“We want to make the healthiest choice the easiest choice,” said Kass. But there is no magic bullet. Solving the obesity epidemic requires a collective effort and everyone must play a part, explained Kass. For food science students, tomorrow’s food leaders, their part and challenge is to create healthier foods with less sodium, sugar, and fat that are delicious.

These challenges are not easy. “If I one day reduced sodium 50% in the dishes I prepare at the White House, I would not have a job,” Kass remarked. “But you can reduce sodium gradually over time so that the food is acceptable and enjoyable.” In addition, Kass noted the examples of microwavable prepared vegetables and bagged salads as ways the food industry is already answering the call for the healthier products.

While First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign is spearheading the effort to end childhood obesity in a generation, the problem will not be solved in Washington, DC, declared Kass. “Obesity is a local issue and must be solved block to block to and neighborhood to neighborhood,” said Kass. “We must ensure that families have access to healthy and affordable foods. We need to connect kids to food at an early age, such as through cooking or planting a vegetable garden. This basic education forms a foundation that will help them make better food choices throughout their lives,” said Kass.

At a Monday morning session on Natural High-Potency Sweeteners: Challenges Associated with Taste Modulation in Food Products, three presenters described recent developments in the incorporation of these natural sweeteners in food products and how to reduce any associated negative attributes. Robert Sobel, Ph.D., Fona Intl., discussed taste masking (e.g., strong taste molecules, congruent flavors, phantom aromas) and taste blocking techniques (e.g., small molecule interactions) to modify the taste of natural high-potency sweeteners. He mentioned how the use of a proprietary phantom aroma was able to reduce the bitterness of a tangerine-flavored lozenge sweetened with Reb A.

Alexander H. Woo, Ph.D., Sweet Green Fields, discussed the formulation of a Reb A-sweetened beverage. About 1-2% Reb A can be added to beverages; bitterness becomes a problem beyond that level. The stevia-derived sweetener delivers about 50% of the sweetness level required. Lou han guo is added to increase the sweetness level, achieving a sugar sweetness equivalent of 70–90%. Adding phantom aromas such as honey, vanilla, or maple complete the sweetness profile. To achieve the desired viscosity or mouthfeel properties, formulators can add natural bulking agents such as inulin and FOS.

Sanjay Holay, NSM Research Inc., discussed a sensory analysis study of a Reb A-sweetened cereal product against a control (sugar-sweetened) cereal. While internal sensory panelists were able to match the sweetness levels between the two products, high school students were more sensitive and found major differences of sweetness, crunchiness, and bitterness between the two products. For students, the control had an overall liking score of 72% versus only 28% for the Reb-A sweetened cereal.

Although the movement to reduce sodium intake is underway, strategies to limit sodium in foods are diverse and not as straightforward as simply reducing the use of salt in food preparation. During Session 183, “Reducing Sodium in Foods: Implications for Flavor and Health,” presenter Russell Keast of Deakin University in Australia pointed out that humans have a biological imperative for sodium intake. Because of organisms’ evolutionary transition from sea to land, cells require a saline (i.e., salty) solution to function properly. For this reason, humans have a dietary requirement for sodium and an urge for it as well. Yet some humans crave more saltiness than others and have far more sensitive taste receptors than others.

According to presenter John Hayes of Pennsylvania State University, biological differences in taste perception exist, and optimal salt levels differ by sex (male vs. female). These genetic tasting factors make the relationship between saltiness and food likability a complex issue than cannot be solved by unilaterally cutting the salt level of foods across the board. Janice Johnson of Cargill Inc., emphasized that sodium reduction in foods is very challenging for the food industry. It involves achieving desired flavor attributes, which varies by type of food, and maintaining a salt level that maintains a high microbial management for food safety purposes. Food manufacturers are therefore identifying all ingredients in food formulations that are sources of sodium so that sodium reduction can be a multilateral approach.

Chefs are also working to reformulate recipes to reduce sodium in restaurant food. Presenter Chris Loss of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) says that most chefs refrain from relying solely on salt to season food. Instead, chefs use salt as a conduit to increase the flavor, depth, and texture of other flavorful ingredients such as herbs and spices and fruits and vegetables (e.g., onions, garlic). In addition, they rely on various culinary techniques (i.e., cooking and preparation methods) to enhance the natural flavor of foods. For example, the CIA determined that a 40% reduction in salt use can be achieved without a decrease in a food’s likability factor by seasoning the food on the surface after cooking.

With these insights into the prepping and cooking of food, the solution to reducing America’s sodium intake may not be simple but it will certainly be flavorful.

ChromaDex Corp. has announced that its pTeroPure  pterostilbene ingredient has received self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for use in foods and beverages.

Pterostilbene is a naturally occurring compound found in blueberries that reportedly has heart-health and cognitive benefits. ChromaDex’s pTeroPure is a synthetic form of the compound and has the potential to support healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as benefit cognitive improvement and healthy aging, according to Mark Jost, Vice President of Corporate Development, ChromaDex. He explained that researchers at the University of Mississippi are conducting the first human clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the ingredient in patients with high cholesterol.

The ingredient can be used in a variety of products such as breakfast cereals, chewing gum, coffee, tea, hard candy, and processed fruit and vegetable juices. The Allowable Daily Intake for the ingredient is up to 30 mg/kg of body weight per day. The American Institute for Biosocial and Medical Research reviewed the safety, toxicology, and proposed usage of the ingredient.

There’s a phenomenon that has taken the United States by storm in the last 30–40 years. In session 136 “Snacking: Insight and perspectives on contributions to the American diet,” held Monday, June 13, three experts examined how snacking has taken over and its role in the growing obesity epidemic. Rick Mattes, Purdue University, kicked off the session by explaining that there is a lack of consensus on a definition for “snacking.” While researchers usually look at the time of day, portion size, and eating events to define snacking, consumers usually have their own definition based on the type of the food, where it is consumed, and its relation to meals. G. Harvey Anderson, University of Toronto, and his colleague G.H. Johnson, came up with their own definition:

“A snack is composed of solid foods including those typically eaten with a utensil (with or without a beverage) that occurs between habitual meal occasions for the individual, is not a substitute for a meal, and provides substantially fewer calories than would be consumed in a typical meal.”

There is definitely a need for a common definition for snacking. As Nancy Auestad, Dairy Research Institute, stated, “The line is very blurred between meals and snacking.” Often consumers self-define the term. Although the industry is lacking a definitive definition, there is no doubt that consumers are snacking more. According to Mattes, consumers have increased the number of snacks they are eating per day so much so that a quarter of total energy taken in is from snacks. “This is a substantial portion of daily calories coming from snacking,” explained Mattes.

While, Anderson didn’t include beverages in his definition of snacking, Mattes believes this is a key part of consumers’ snacking behavior. In fact, according to his data, 40–50% of snacking is happening through beverages. It may even be easier for consumers to take in more calories through beverage snacking than through food snacks. A study Mattes highlighted showed that daily energy intake—regardless of source—is higher when drunk as a beverage than eaten. So, it is obvious that food form is important.

Mattes went on to describe that energy intake is a function of how often one eats and the portion size of what is eaten. But he posed the question: “Which is a bigger player?” He believes that the amount of secondary meal times (snacking) has been increasing at “an alarming rate.” According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data that Auestad shared, two-thirds of consumers report that they eat 2–4 snacks per day. And since Auestad believes that snacking is not where Americans are getting many of their nutrients from, there is a definite need for an understanding of the motivations for consumer snacking. In addition, “good tasting snacks that provide dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium can help consumers meet recommended intakes,” concluded Auestad.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled a new icon to help U.S. consumers make better food choices: the MyPlate icon. To elaborate further on what the icon represents and why it was developed, Robert Post, Deputy Director of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, and Sam Kass, Assistant Chef for the White House, held a press conference on Monday, June 13, at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

The MyPlate icon was introduced to replace the pyramid graphic because the latter was too complicated for most consumers to understand and follow. However, the goal of the new icon remains the same as that of the pyramid: to help consumers distinguish which foods constitute a healthy meal. “MyPlate is a simple visual reminder to help consumers make better choices and encourage them to eat more produce,” Post said. Consequently, the icon’s design conveys the primary message that vegetables and fruit should constitute half of each meal. The simplicity of the icon also allows consumers to customize their daily meals according to whatever their dietary preferences are. For example, instead of referring to the meat, poultry, and seafood food group, MyPlate simply refers to protein, accounting for the fact that vegetarians and vegans prefer to get their protein from beans, nuts, or eggs instead of meat or meat products.

The MyPlate icon represents an essential framework not only for consumers but also chefs, Kass added. Moreover, the graphic translates to different cultural dietary plans and ethnic dishes. Kass also emphasized the importance of remembering that one icon cannot solve all health food-related health issues (e.g., obesity, diabetes, etc.), but it is a significant step in the right direction. “One of the key messages is ‘enjoy your food but eat less,’” he said.

The simplicity of the MyPlate icon facilitates greater understanding among all consumers in the quest to plan healthier meals by distinguishing proper dietary intakes.

In the United States, nutrition labels provide information about the amount of calories, level of sodium, and other nutrient facts of packaged food items. Presumably, the panel was introduced to serve as a helpful tool in the battle to decrease the trend of overconsumption among consumers. However, consumers now dine out more than ever at restaurants, which had never listed the nutrition information of menu items prior to recent legislative efforts. After the passing of a landmark menu-labeling law in New York, City, state and local governments began to pursue similar legislation. This proved to be challenging for restaurants with locations across the country because labeling laws vary from state to state.

In Session 121, “What’s on the Menu? The New Federal Menu Labeling Law—Challenges and Opportunities,” Joy Dubost of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) indicated that most restaurants are supportive of the federal menu labeling law. This is mainly because a federal law brings uniformity to menu labeling requirements, allowing restaurants to design one menu that adheres to one set of requirements. But she is not sure whether it will make much of a difference in what consumers choose to eat. “There is currently no conclusive proof that consumer behaviors change when calorie information is available on menus,” she said. This is a valid point: Since the implementation of the Nutrition Facts Panel on packaged foods, the number of overweight and obese Americans has increased. And as Dubost pointed out, taste and price are the top two factors consumers consider when deciding what to eat; healthfulness comes in at a distant third.

While the NRA is enthusiastic about most aspects of the labeling law, the organization is not exactly pleased with the exemption of hotels, airplanes, and trains from the law’s requirements. Geraldine June of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration elaborated on these exemptions, stating that the FDA has proposed that movie theaters and other outlets may not be covered by the regulation implementing the law. June stated that the FDA welcomes the public to submit comments on the proposal. Moreover, restaurants do not need to list nutrition information for custom-ordered meals and special menu items.

Lisa Carlson of Unilever Food Solutions provided the perspective of restaurant suppliers on the menu-labeling issue. She said that the old-school philosophy with respect to menu items was somewhat similar to the U.S. Pentagon’s policy: Don’t ask; don’t tell. But now restaurants and suppliers have embraced transparency. “Be prepared to tell all,” she said, when it comes to providing details about where food comes from, how it is prepared, and whether it fits into one’s daily caloric allotment.

Although these efforts may not be the magic cure for all of America’s health and weight issues, they are tools that food services providers can use to help health-conscious consumers achieve their goals.

For food manufacturers, the highly stable oil enhances product quality, extends shelf life, and provides a clean neutral flavor that allows the food’s taste to shine through. Foodservice outlets using the high-oleic products can extend fryer oil life about 2-4 times, depending on the application. And clean-up of fryer equipment is easier due to reduced buildup of polymerized oil residues. The market for the premium oil is estimated to be 1 billion lbs annually. Consumers benefit by enjoying bakery products with familiar taste and texture but with possibly less saturated fat.

Several exhibitors at Food Expo are demonstrating their developments in high-oleic and stearidonic acid soybeans and soybean oil. For more information, please visit the following booths:

Monsanto – Booth 7918

Pioneer, DuPont – Booth 8055

Solae – Booth 8138

Bunge North America – Booth 6928