Posts Tagged ‘sessions’

Getting Real About Dairy

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Four out of 10 consumers are interested in foods and beverages that they consider to be real, fresh, or natural, industry research shows. Marketers and researchers at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recently set out to confirm that this interest is indeed “real” and not merely a fad, and on Thursday, June 28, they presented some of their findings in a session titled “The Real, Fresh, Natural Foods Trend: How to Win with Consumers” held in the Special Events Pavilion on the Food Expo floor.

The research included both qualitative and quantitative components, and findings from both confirmed that real/fresh/natural is clearly a trend and is expected to resonate with consumers over the long-term.

“There is evidence that real, fresh, and natural is not just a fad,” said Melinda Brunell of the Innovation Center, an entity that represents about 50 dairy companies. “It’s a cultural shift.”

Some of the findings—like the fact that words like “artificial” and “substitute” raise a red flag with consumers—are unsurprising. But others were a bit more unexpected. For example, focus group participants were “surprisingly okay,” with naturally occurring fats in a product, reported Cara Kelly of the Innovation Center. And “nobody thought twice” about vitamin D fortification, she noted. Nor did sodium content cause significant concern.

When the female focus group consumers were asked to explain what dairy meant to them, what emerged was the theme of nostalgia for a simpler time. “They did have a strong emotional connection to dairy,” said Kelly.

“Many cues need to work together to signal whether a food is real, fresh, or natural,” Kelly continued. These include packaging, shelf life, ingredient listing, and product form.

Presenter Loren Ward of Glanbia offered advice for food company marketers interested in capitalizing on the real/fresh/natural message. First of all, he said, know your target audience—and what is an appropriate level of real/fresh/natural to highlight. And be consistent in the way in which that message is delivered across your company’s product line, he said.

There are four key marketing themes that are being used to deliver the real/fresh/natural message, Ward said. They include the following: fresh from the farm; made like I would make it; short ingredient list; and made with real ingredients.

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Fat Profits from Slim Calories

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

It may seem logical to place the responsibility for making better food choices squarely on consumers, but food manufacturers bear at least some responsibility as they develop the foods that consumers eat. But can food manufacturers develop lower calorie foods and still make a profit? In the session “Cut the Calories, Not the Profit” on Thursday morning, June 28, presenters discussed how food manufacturers can develop and distribute more food products that meet the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans while increasing their bottom line.

Speaker Indra Mehrotra, Bell Institute of Health at General Mills, said that health is important to General Mills, the sixth largest food company in the world. The company has made great strides in improving the health profile of its products. General Mills uses the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to help determine recent product reformulations. As a consequence, more of the company’s food products contain more whole grains and low-fat dairy and less sugar and solid fats.

Even though various surveys indicate that consumers want healthy food that tastes good and is convenient, a dichotomy exists between what consumers say and what they do. “We need to understand consumer behaviors in order to understand how to help them cut calories,” said speaker Rodrigo Troni, Birds Eye Foods. According to Birds Eye Foods’ consumer research, dinners prepared at home are the key to helping consumers balance their diets. This is because Americans consume 80% of their vegetables during dinner. Unfortunately, most dinnertime meals do not meet the recommended daily servings of vegetables and whole grains. Birds Eye Foods offers a variety of vegetable-rich side dishes that can be prepared in a short period of time, giving consumers solutions for a more balanced, nutritious dinner while increasing Birds Eye’s bottom line.

Restaurants are also altering their menus to include more healthy food options. Cheryl Droven, Darden Restaurants, said that nutrition is part of the conversation more and more at the restaurant company, which owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster. To cut calories, the restaurant has down-sized portions, decreased fat, and increased vegetable content in entrées. The company’s newest restaurant, Seasons 52, has a menu on which nothing exceeds 475 calories and everything is roasted, grilled, or braised.

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Delivering Appropriate Levels of Micronutrients in Food

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Speakers at a Thursday, June 28, session titled “Helping Consumers Meet DRIs for Nutrients of Concern with Processed Foods” underscored the complexity of formulating products that give consumers the levels of micronutrients they need—without over delivering, i.e., causing them to consume levels that have the potential to harm them.

Presenter Regan Bailey, a nutritional epidemiologist with the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, opened the discussion with an apt reference from 16th century physician Paracelsus, who famously stated, “The dose is the poison.”

Consumers’ intake of micronutrients is affected by whether or not they are consuming supplements, Bailey reported, and that information must be taken into consideration when making decisions about the need for food fortification. Regular supplement users represent a significant segment of the population—about half of adults and a third of children.

She explained that a higher percentage of consumers who use dietary supplements meet the EAR (estimated average requirement) for vitamins and minerals. “Dietary supplements add a large amount of nutrients,” she said. “They have to be looked at when you’re considering who’s getting too little and who’s getting too much.”

Supplements can be “wild cards,” said presenter Johanna Dwyer of Tufts University. “They complicate things in terms of analysis. They drive some intakes over the UL (tolerable upper intake level. And they rarely move people up who are at the lowest levels [of micronutrient intake].”

“You can’t tell who is going to take them, and if the right people are going to take them,” she observed. Dwyer also touched upon the potential for health problems linked to overconsumption of micronutrients. She cited the example of folic acid and a link that one researcher has proposed between colon cancer and folic acid fortification. While links such as these are far from established, it is clear that potential examples of micronutrient overconsumption must be carefully monitored, Dwyer said.

Dwyer focused some of her discussion on the “nutrients of concern” identified by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee and the issues surrounding attempts to address these concerns, zeroing in on potassium in particular.

“That to me is a real problem,” she said. Potassium is a nutrient of concern because many Americans do not get enough of it, but it is a bitter mineral, so fortifying foods or beverages with it presents a major technical challenge to product developers.

Dwyer also noted that foods that have been fortified don’t always reach the intended target audience of at-risk consumers. For example, teen girls and older women who would benefit from consuming fortified milk tend not to consume it.

She urged product developers to avoid fortifying foods that do not have a healthy nutritional halo. “Consumer backlash will be considerable if you’re fortifying unhealthy foods,” she said.

Dwyer concluded her presentation by urging product developers to take a responsible approach to fortification—targeting population subgroups that would most benefit from it, fortifying appropriate foods, and working to address technical challenges. “Fortification and enrichment really have helped, but it’s up to you to overcome the challenges that remain,” she said.

“If we are going to modify foods, we need to modify in ways that will resonate with consumers,” agreed the session’s final presenter Marianne Smith Edge of the International Food Information Council (IFIC).

Smith Edge shared IFIC research data that suggests that consumers are open to consuming foods that have been formulated to help them achieve better health. IFIC research has shown that three out of four people agree that foods with added benefits can have a meaningful impact on their health, she said.

Also according to IFIC data, 62% of consumers report that they’ve considered the fiber content of food prior to making a purchase decision and 53% have looked at vitamin and mineral content. And, of particular interest in the context of the presentation, 28% have considered whether or not a food contains potassium when considering a purchase.

Smith Edge cited data from a 2011 IFIC survey that shows that about a third of Americans believe that fortification does have a moderate or great impact on health. In addition, about four out of five Americans purchase a variety of foods and beverages specifically because of a benefit delivered by fortification, with milk, juice, eggs, yogurt, and ready-to-eat cereal leading that list.

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Research Focuses on Controlling Noroviruses in Foods

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

At the Thursday morning scientific session 244 The Emerging Viral Threat: Novel Processing Technologies to Control Norovirus in Foods, researchers from several universities discussed various ongoing studies to inactivate norovirus in foods. These studies are being funded by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Noroviruses are very different than bacteria, said Doris D’Souza, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Univ. of Tenn.-Knoxville. They are intracellular parasites, persistent in the environment, resistant to mild processes, and are infectious at low doses. Noroviruses can be transmitted fecal to oral, through contaminated food/water, and person to person. The primary foods of concern are shellfish, raw fruits and vegetables, and ready-to-eat foods. About 5.5 million cases of norovirus-related illness occur annually in the United States. D’Souza’s work involves thermal inactivation studies of human virus surrogates.

Jennifer Cannon, Ph.D., Univ. of Georgia, discussed her work on hurdle technologies to reduce the risk of norovirus in meat processing and retail operations. The goal of the research is to improve food safety, maintain product quality, and develop technologies that are economically feasible for use in food processing plants, noted Cannon. She reviewed studies on the use of electrolyzed oxidizing water (low pH) and a levulinic acid for reducing norovirus on food processing surfaces and on food handler gloves.

Shyam Sablani, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Wash. State Univ., presented an update on the pilot-scale 915 MHz single-mode microwave pasteurization system, which should be available for testing by the end of the year. Some of that testing will involve thermal destructive kinetics of selective viruses.

Haiqiang Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Univ. of Delaware, presented data on the use of nonthermal processes to inactivate human surrogate noroviruses. Research has shown that lower temperature high-pressure processing performed better than higher temperatures in inactivating the surrogates. In a study on high-pressure processing of blueberries, virus-inoculated blueberries in a buffer solution were more sensitive to the pressure treatment than dry blueberries.

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Consumer Education Remains a Challenge in Sodium Reduction

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Despite the food industry’s concerted efforts in the last few years to reduce sodium in foods, consumers still have many misconceptions about sodium’s impact on health. As moderator John Ruff, IFT President-Elect, said in his introduction to the “Stimulating Sodium Reduction and Overcoming Technological Challenges” late-breaking session held Wednesday morning, June 27, only 50% of consumers are aware of the link between sodium and high blood pressure. With 31% of deaths in America caused by cardiovascular diseases and the majority of Americans consuming way more than the recommended daily intake of sodium, it is apparent that the challenge to educate consumers is a vital one.

Part of this education needs to entail communicating with consumers about where the majority of their sodium is coming from. According to Ruff, 77% of sodium comes from processed foods, and only 11% comes from cooking and adding salt at the dinner table. However, when consumers think about making an effort to cut down on their sodium, they often forgo the salt shaker at meal time. In addition, “consumers think that salty snacks are the main source of sodium in their diets,” said Ruff, “when in reality, out of processed foods, breads contain the most sodium.”

There are obvious and known challenges to decreasing sodium in such processed foods. As MaryAnne Drake, North Carolina State Univ., explained to attendees, salt is a very functional ingredient in food products. It provides microbial stability, structure/texture, and flavor. And with salty taste being a main driver of liking, reformulating products to lower sodium needs to be done cautiously. “The products have to taste good and similar to their traditional full-sodium counterparts,” explained Drake.

“Very few consumers are willing to give up taste for health benefits,” said Barbara Davis, Health Focus International. In fact, even when faced with a serious illness or heart-related disease, only 17% are willing to sacrifice taste for health. Davis went on to say that in order to drive home the point that consumers need to reduce their sodium intake, the messaging need to be relevant to them. And sometimes, this is not a health message. For example, while 37% of women respond to medically driven concerns surrounding sodium, almost as many (26%) respond more to concerns over sodium causing bloating and water weight gain.

Davis also believes that instituting a new method for labeling sodium on food packaging might help consumers keep tabs on their daily allotment. “Milligrams don’t mean much to consumers when they are looking at the Nutrition Facts Panel,” said Davis. She proposes a point system for sodium, in which one point would be equal to 100 mg of sodium. Similar to the Weight Watchers Points program, consumers would know that, if they are healthy, they should consume 23 points or under a day, and if they are at risk, they would have 15 points/day.

So obviously there are still hurdles to overcome for the food industry to market low-sodium foods and have them accepted by consumers. However, it is clear we are moving in the right direction. “More than 50% of consumers say that reduced-sodium products taste better than they used to,” said Davis. And as Ruff said in his introduction, a step-wise approach to modifying food products is necessary in order for consumers to get used to lower levels of sodium in foods.

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Color Me Natural—The Challenge of Replacing Artificial Food Dyes

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

BY DAVID DESPAIN

Whether or not one agrees with the conclusions of the 2007 Southampton University study—which suggested a link between six food colors and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—the pressure is on for food technologists to replace them with natural colors.

On Wednesday, June 27, a 2012 IFT Annual Meeting session in Las Vegas covered the current challenges surrounding phase-outs of artificial food dyes. The session also offered useful tips on how to incorporate natural colors in food product applications.

Michael McBurney, a nutrition scientist with DSM Nutritional Products, introduced the session by giving a history of the controversy. The perception of a relationship between food dyes and hyperactivity dates back to the 1960s, he said. Regardless of the lack of consensus in the scientific literature, he noted that survey data have found that the perception that food dyes are harmful is only increasing.

Moreover, despite the 2011 FDA Food Advisory Committee’s decision to vote against the need for warning labels, Europe has mandated labeling requirements for foods containing the “Southampton Six” (tartrazine, quinolone yellow, sunset yellow, carmosine, ponceau, and allura red) since July 2010.

Ron Wrolstad of Oregon State University discussed the variety of natural alternatives available for use as food colors: anthocyanins, batalain pigments, and cochineal for red hues; carotenoids for yellow to orange; turmeric and saffron for intense yellow; maillard compounds for caramel; and chlorophyll for green.

Unlike synthetic dyes, however, the natural flavors vary largely in their stability, solubility, and suitability in applications, Wrolstad said. He also said the natural flavors are far from being a “stock commodity” and can be costly.

Cathy Culver of Pepsi-Cola added that food producers and marketers often underestimate cost along with several other factors when considering replacement of synthetic colors with natural ones.

“In a perfect world,” she said, a natural color will be permitted for use in all markets, have no impact on product appearance, have excellent stability, will not change flavor, will not change processing techniques or packaging, and will not change calories.

As for the real world, Culver warns, “I hate to break it to my marketing folks, the cost is always going to go up.”

Culver and Wrolstad published a full review of the issues and challenges for replacement of artificial food colorants in Annual Review of Food Science and Technology (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22385164).

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Comparing Alternative Processing Methods in Tomatoes

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

BY DAVID DESPAIN

Whether in a salsa, on a pizza, or in a salad, tomatoes are best enjoyed by consumers when they’re perceived as fresh. The downside to traditional heat treatment in tomatoes and any other fresh foods to kill bacteria is the resulting degradation of “freshness” characteristics and quality. 

Fresh food producers have a number of alternatives to conventional thermal processing at their disposal. However, there have been few studies that evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these options on specific fresh food products such as diced tomatoes or tomato purees.

Now, a USDA-NRI-funded study involving Ohio State University in partnership with North Carolina State University, University of California-Davis, and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center compared four alternative processing technologies on a single food source: tomatoes. On Wednesday, June 27, scientists presented data from the study to industry professionals at the 2012 IFT Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.

The methods evaluated and discussed in the session included ohmic, continuous flow microwave, batch-type microwave, and high-pressure processing. The study’s results were unique because they offered a side-by-side comparison of advanced thermal and the most significant nonthermal processing methods.

The study’s data revealed only minor differences from the alternative or nonthermal technologies. All were effective in reducing the target organism Bacillus coagulans. There were few differences noted in terms of content of phenolics, organic acids, and color profiles. As for sensory and nutritional characteristics, semi-continuous flow microwave offered better retention of vitamin C while high-pressure processing helped to better retain “fresh” characteristics.

Were the study’s results meaningful enough to purchase an expensive piece of machinery?

“I don’t think so,” said Patrick Dunne of the Combat Feeding Program and Consumer Research Team, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research. However, he added, a problem with the study was the choice of evaluating tomatoes. For example, he said, if the study had evaluated, say guacamole, perhaps it would have revealed a very different picture, where high-pressure processing would be strongly preferred over the advanced thermal processing methods.

Sadir Sastry, of Ohio State University, agreed that the study had limitations that made it difficult to truly glean whether or not one process was more advantageous over another. There were several variables involved, he said, and the choice for an alternative process must ultimately be left up to the discretion of the food scientists involved in a specific fresh food application.

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Your Skin and Hair Look Very Nutritious

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

The ingredient list of many skin and hair products today read as if they are food labels. This is because many foods provide nutrients that not only enhance health but also benefit skin and hair. During the session “Food Science, Nutrition, and the Skin” on Wednesday afternoon, June 27, speakers discussed how nutrients from food improve the health and appearance of skin and hair. Some of the most important nutrients for skin and hair are iron, zinc, fatty acids, and vitamins. For example, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which can only be obtained through food or dietary supplements, help skin retain moisture and a youthful appearance. Vitamin C helps skin form fibrous structural protein (i.e., collagen) and speeds the healing of wounds, and vitamin D is essential for hair growth.

A healthy, well-rounded diet can greatly benefit hair and skin, but some foods can have the opposite effect: Acne is caused by a myriad of contributing factors, such as sebum production, hormones, bacteria, and heredity. But emerging scientific evidence suggests that as more and more people consume Westernized diets, the incidence of acne has increased. Speaker Apostolos Pappas, Johnson & Johnson, referred to a study that proved that switching from a high glycemic diet to a low glycemic diet reduced the severity of acne in study participants.

In addition, poor nourishment patterns or habits can have a deleterious effect on skin and hair, according to speaker Michael Anthonavage, Presperse Corp. In rodent studies, caloric restriction and malabsorption syndromes caused hair loss and dermatitis. Anthonavage emphasized that regular intake and metabolizing of lipid-soluble vitamins has a positive effect on the health of hair follicles.

Not only do nutrients from a healthy diet nourish skin and hair; when applied topically, the same nutrients found in foods are very effective at maintaining the health of skin and hair. So instead of spending hundreds of dollars on hair extensions and dermatological treatments, head to the produce aisle at the grocery store, and let food be thy medicine.

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Members Offer Ideas for Current & Future IFT Programming

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Town Hall Meeting Discussion GroupsAt the Town Hall Forum on Tuesday afternoon, about 100 members, volunteer leaders, and staff gathered to learn more about and provide input on current and future IFT programs. The forum hosted three information stations on “IFT Board of Directors Retreat Suggestions,” “Cultivating the Next Generation of Food Scientists,” and “Certified Food Scientist (CFS),” which provided an opportunity for IFT members to ask questions, exchange ideas, and hear more about a variety of new IFT initiatives.

These stations included descriptive posters and Idea Worksheets (open-ended question boards). Volunteer leaders were on hand to explain the programs in more detail and answer questions.

Members had the opportunity to jot down their ideas and comments on the Idea Worksheets set up around the perimeter of the room. Here’s a sample of some of the questions:

  • How can we work together to enhance the perception of food science and promote food science as a viable and rewarding career option?
  • What are some “food science stories” that we must tell as part of the World Without Food Science video series?
  • What is the #1 topic/issue in need of research that IFT should help promote to advance in the areas of Food, Health & Nutrition, Food Safety & Quality, and Food Processing & Packaging?
  • What are some innovative ways that we can work with university admissions offices and food science departments to increase enrollment?

Along with the Idea Worksheets, members had the opportunity to answer the questions via a paper form. If you were not able to make it to the Town Hall Forum and would like to offer your ideas, please stop by the IFT Central booth 943 for an Idea Worksheet form.

At the conclusion of the event, President-Elect John Ruff thanked the members for their valuable input. “I heard some great conversations and diverse opinions, which will help shape our direction for IFT,” stated Ruff.

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Endothelial Function as a New Target for Health Claims

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

BY DAVID DESPAIN

The endothelium, a fine layer of cells that lines blood vessel walls, has emerged as a new focus of health claims for functional foods. Its intricate role in maintaining vascular tone and blood flow is increasingly being recognized as a “barometer” of vascular health, its dysfunction as a serious contributor to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk.

Fortuitously, several studies have found that dietary and lifestyle approaches could positively influence endothelial function. On Tuesday, June 26, a session at the 2012 IFT Annual Meeting served to cover the growing body of research and to review the regulatory environment of pursuing related health claims.

Walnuts, for example, have been awarded a health claim recently by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The approved wording—“Walnuts contribute to the improvement of elasticity of blood vessels”—may be used for foods that provide 30 grams or more of walnuts daily.

Cargill global nutrition and regulatory manager Peter Decock shared that EFSA requires that the claim be “specific as the science that supports it.” For example, a claim of “improves artery health” was not approved for walnuts.

Foods containing high amounts of polyphenols (such as tea, chocolate, red wine, grape juice, and cranberry juice) may also be future candidates for endothelial function claims. 

These, originally thought to deliver improvements to cardiovascular health through antioxidant activities, explained Joseph Vita, M.D., of Boston University, act on endothelial function by stimulating increased nitric oxide release.

The dysfunction of the endothelium, Vita said, is linked to decreased nitric oxide combined with increased constriction of blood vessels. The polyphenols stimulate expression of enzymatic pathways—SIRT1, AMP kinase, and eNOS—to increase nitric oxide and dilation of blood vessels.

“In a setting of risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, you have a loss of nitric oxide, a shift in thrombotic factors, inflammatory factors, and adhesion molecules,” Vita said. “If you can make an intervention that improves a healthy phenotype, you’ll get a reversal of cardiovascular risk.”

Regular exercise and nutritional dietary compounds including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, B vitamins (folic acid), and l-arginine have also been indicated in improving nitric oxide regulation and endothelial function.

The sugar alcohol erythritol (often used as a sugar substitute) has also been found to provide additional protection to endothelial cells. Recent evidence suggests a mechanism through antioxidant activity and by inhibiting production of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules (eicosanoids).

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Taming the Nitrite/Nitrate Monster

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

For some time, consumers have been ingesting nitrite and nitrate in the form of nutrients in many vegetables and as preservatives for various foods. Yet the two have been under attack since the discovery that meat-curing techniques convert nitrate to nitrite and nitrite to nitrosamines—a class of chemicals found to be carcinogenic in animals. This generated intense research into the safety of cured meats, regulatory reviews, and a potential ban on the use of nitrite to preserve food. Even though a study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program asserted the safety of nitrite in 2000, the specter of nitrite and nitrate remains.

Session 243, “Ingested Nitrite/Nitrate, Endogenous Nitrosamines, and Cancer Risk: A Comprehensive Review,” will present the latest developments in the debate over whether nitrite and nitrate are safe in the human diet. Speakers Andrew Milkowski, Nathan Bryan, James Coughlin, and Dominik Alexander will discuss nitrate/nitrite toxicological studies on animals, high-dose testing methods, the epidemiological effects of lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, and much more on Thursday, June 28, at 10:30 a.m. in room N117.

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Packaging for Novel Processing Technologies

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

To meet consumer demand for safe, more fresh-like foods with increased product shelf life, several nonthermal (e.g., high pressure, pulsed electric field) and advanced thermal (e.g., microwaves, Ohmic heating) have been developed as alternative technological solutions for food preservation. The use of these technologies has opened up exploration of unique materials and novel packaging technologies to withstand the processing conditions and ensure the safe shelf life of the foods. In addressing a similar need for extending safe product shelf life with commodities such as berries, novel antimicrobial packaging systems are being developed that can eliminate mold and adventitious pathogens simultaneously.

Session 240 Case Studies in Packaging for Novel Processing Technologies, which takes place on Thursday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Room N111, provides case studies for the commercialization of innovative laboratory discoveries across a spectrum of packaging systems and cross-cutting applications in processing technologies by high pressure processing, microwaves, and chlorine dioxide for fresh produce. Presentations will provide insightful scientific analysis of packaging barrier properties of innovative packaging materials in response to high pressure processing and microwave sterilization and their crucial role in preserving the quality and safety of foods over product shelf-life. An innovative antimicrobial packaging system currently based on a novel chlorine dioxide-producing chemical system invented by the Army and recently licensed to commercial industry will be highlighted.

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The Technological Harvest

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

The world’s population is slightly more than 7 billion people. Feeding such a large number of individuals requires innovative agriculture and crop technologies. Session 211, “Food and Nutritional Benefits from Sustainable New Crop Technologies,” will feature presentations that focus on the impact of new technologies on the global food supply. Crop technologies help achieve sustainability goals by increasing the yield and value realized by farmers around the globe. New technologies are being used to develop foods that could be favorable to consumer health. Such foods might have improved nutritional profiles, including increased essential amino acids and reduced saturated fat.

The benefits of crop technologies are not limited to harvests with improved nutritional profiles crops with higher yields. Scientists assert that innovative agricultural technologies can be used to enhance food security and reduce applications of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Speakers Cathleen Enright, Ross Welch, and David Jackson will discuss the success and potential of crop technologies on Thursday, June 28, at 8:30 a.m. in room N114.

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Gut Health Beyond Fiber

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Researchers are trying to determine mechanisms of bioactive compounds in foods and have found the gut to be a “black box” that needs to be investigated. Breakthroughs in understanding interactions happening in the gut will bring health and wellness research of foods to a new level. Various dietary phenolic compounds have antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholestemic, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer activities. Are many of these activities interrelated? Are these phenolic compounds precursors of simpler molecules that are then absorbed into the bloodstream to perform their bioactivities? How does the gut microflora change with what we eat?

What is currently known about these and many other questions that can be posed about this black box will be discussed during Session 248 The Microbiome: Beyond Fiber on Thursday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Room N109.

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The Bacteria in Beef That ‘Don’t Behave’

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

BY DAVID DESPAIN

Beef producers have become quite successful at detecting and preventing contamination of E. coli 0157:h7 in their raw beef products—that’s thanks to years of experience after the Shiga toxin-producing bacterial strain (STEC) was first declared as an adulterant in raw beef in 1994.

However, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has now expanded the adulterant list to include six non-0157 strains (026, 045, 0103, 0111, 0121, and 0145). The new rule had producers and scientists at the IFT Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 26, warning that these bacteria “don’t behave” like you’d want them to.

“With 0157, we’ve had years and years of testing. We haven’t had those years of experience in the lab with these,” said food safety and public health professor Mindy Brashears of Texas Tech University.

The rule, in place as of June 4, 2012, (an extension from March 5, 2012), was in response to an October 2009 citizen’s petition. According to research microbiologist Christopher Sommers, the petition came after recent outbreaks and a CDC study that showed that these “big six” accounted for more than 70% of non-0157 STEC infections from 1983 to 2002.

A couple of companies—Costco and Beef Products Inc. (BPI)—already have food safety systems in place for non-0157 STEC strains. Director of food safety and quality assurance at BPI, Craig Letch, said that the company developed a system using “robust sampling” (n=167) and has spent well “over a million dollars” in outsourcing 100% of the testing for non-0157 STEC strains. Costco Wholesale’s program for testing for non-0157 STEC strains has been in place since June 2010, according to director of food safety and quality assurance Christine Summers.

“Obviously, we don’t want to make any of our customers sick,” she said, noting that the company produces about 160 million pounds of ground beef annually.

However, she added that there are problems with the rule. “There is a diversity of STECS. It would be beneficial to identify the virulence genes that cause human illness. Knowledge needs to be gathered.”

Despite challenges, Brashears is optimistic that the methodologies are sure to continue to improve as testing progresses and more baseline data is collected. Ultimately, she said, interventions pre- and post-harvest will be key to reducing STECs and protecting the beef supply. 

The FSIS has issued methodology for detecting the “big six” at www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/mlg_5b_02.pdf.

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Changing the Conversation About Food Science

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

It’s no secret that food science and processed foods are under fire on many fronts—by activists, marketers, and consumers themselves. To figure out ways to help change that situation, a group of Annual Meeting attendees gathered Tuesday afternoon for a workshop session titled “The Scapegoat That Is Food Science: How Do We Save the Discipline That Is Feeding the World?”

Presenters including Fergus Clydesdale of the University of Massachusetts and Guy Johnson of Johnson Nutrition Solutions helped set the stage for the conversation.

“From my perspective, I think we have a crisis on our hands with respect to food science,” said Johnson.  “Food science is being skewered not only by consumers, but by people who should know better—people in the academic community, people in the research community. We really need to do something about it.”   

“We’re getting attacked with emotionalism, and we’re responding with facts, and it isn’t working,” said Clydesdale.

Author Michael Pollan, an outspoken critic of processed foods, says that “food is what your great-grandparents ate,” said Clydesdale, adding that he hopes that is not the case because what our grandparents ate wasn’t always optimal. Consider Ireland in the mid-19th century, for example; when the potato blight struck, millions died or were forced to emigrate.

“I really think the media should look at just how good were the good old days,” said Clydesdale. “We have to approach it on an historical level with real data.” He pointed out that many people today are losing touch with some of the benefits of food science because they’ve rarely encountered a spoiled food and “therefore they don’t understand how a food stays stable and safe and why they should be concerned about it.”

After hearing opening remarks, session attendees divided up into groups to brainstorm strategies for helping to improve the image of food science. Participants came up with a long list of suggestions, including those that follow.

• Build messages around the culinary aspects of food science because consumers are favorably inclined to celebrity chefs.

• Think about using universities to disseminate information that consumers will perceive as credible and unbiased.

• Work on finding ways to communicate scientific data in ways that target consumers’ emotions.

• Help consumers realize that most food is processed in one way or another.

• Attempt to attract a growing pool of students to the food science discipline, and educate their parents about the potential for careers in food science.

Taylor Wallace of the Council for Responsible Nutrition wrapped up the session with a few thoughts and recommendations. “We really have to rally as a scientific community,” said Wallace. He acknowledged that communicating scientific information is complex because “science is gray; it’s hardly ever black and white.” He stressed that “consistent communication to consumers” is critical. “We need to seek common ground. How can we get aligned with consumers if we can’t get aligned ourselves?”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

http://live.ift.org/2012/06/26/ift-kicks-off-campaign-to-counter-misconceptions-about-food-science/

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Specialized Nutrition for Targeted Audiences

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

As life expectancies increase in most developed countries, consumers are interested in not only growing old but also aging well. As a consequence, the demand for health and wellness foods has increased. In the United States, the most frequent ailments of older consumers are arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Consumers over 45 years of age have at least one chronic condition that they would rather use food than medicine to address. And consumers without health care are perhaps even more interested in food choices that address health issues.

During the session “Specialized Nutrition: Opportunities in Medical Foods and Beyond for Aging, Developing, and other Specialized Populations,” speakers addressed a few of the health issues that new food products address. LuAnn Williams, Innova Market Insights, said that the loss of muscle mass during the aging process is a big driver of new products on the market. Humans lose up to 37% of muscle tissue as they age, and their body fat increases by 114%. Foods with high protein content are thus imperative for aging consumers. Losses in vision quality, bone mass, and cognition also occur as consumers age. Foods rich in vitamin A, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids can address these issues.

Regardless of which foods consumers choose to address age-related health issues, the food labels on those products must adhere to specific requirements for health claims, according to Anthony Pavel, K&L Gates LLP. Food additives and GRAS (generally recognized as safe) substances are permitted in conventional foods, but adding non-approved dietary supplements to foods is prohibited. And foods with functional ingredients should never be referred to or marketed as medical foods. Medical foods, which must be consumed enterally under the supervision of a physician, are the toughest regulatory category, Pavel said.

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The Phenotype of an Appetite

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Some people enjoy eating hot, spicy dishes while others prefer foods with mild, almost bland flavors. Similarly, some individuals can consume dairy products with nary an issue while others experience hours of gas, bloating, and other discomfort from a glass of milk. A person’s food preferences are usually thought of as the result of cultural upbringing as well as eating habits. But whether someone can properly digest lactose in dairy products or whether a person experiences progressive weight gain while following U.S. dietary guidelines are factors of the expression of one’s genes. Human genetics not only determine height, hair color, and eye color; they also determine dietary preferences and how the body absorbs and utilizes nutrients. Because genes are expressed in numerous ways, a one-size approach to diet and nutrition is ultimately ineffective for many consumers.

During the session “Incorporating Food, Nutrition, and Health Informatics Resources in the Food Design and Engineering Process” on Tuesday morning, June 26, speakers discussed how taking a more personalized approach to diet and nutrition may be  the best way to address food sensitivities, obesity, and malnutrition. Daniela Barile, University of California-Davis, said that pharmaceutical solutions to these issues have not been that successful, so personalized diets may be a more effective approach. Food development needs to evolve to personalization so that it is more effective for every consumer.

Every person has his or her own set of genes, which makes everyone’s dietary needs unique. Consumers therefore respond differently to food and nutrients. The current model of food and nutrient delivery is as follows: agriculture→food→health→fitness. Matthew Lange, University of California-Davis, said that scientists need to reverse this sequence to create a knowledge-based food system that utilizes consumers’ phenotype and fitness to determine how they will respond to food and nutrients. As researchers devote more attention to gene expression, consumers can look forward to using genes to determine the best way to fit into jeans—and achieve optimal health.

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Antimicrobial Packaging with Biopolymers May Solve Food Safety Issues

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Recently, recalls and outbreaks of cantaloupe, tomato, shell egg, and ground meat due to foodborne pathogen contamination have highlighted the need for effective decontamination methods to ensure the safety of foods. Foodborne illness poses a $77+ billion economic burden in the United States annually. As an additional hurdle to non-thermal processes, antimicrobial packaging can play an important role in reducing the risk of pathogen contamination, as well as in extending the shelf life of minimally processed foods. Currently, food applications of antimicrobial packaging systems are limited due to the availability of suitable antimicrobials, new polymer materials, regulatory concerns, and appropriate testing methods. Thanks to concerns about the environment and sustainability, it is critical to design packaging products that utilize renewable resources while providing consumers a better package for protecting and dispensing the foods they buy.

Session 096 Development of Antimicrobial Packaging with Biopolymers to Solve Food Safety Issues will take place on Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in Room N115. The symposium will focus on the development and application of biopolymers in antimicrobial packaging that can be used for reducing or inhibiting foodborne pathogens. The speakers will address current problems and challenges; discuss the different approaches to development of antimicrobial packaging systems with biopolymers; present the physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of packaging materials; demonstrate their applications in various foods; and propose future research directions and collaborations in this research area.

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Lose the Allergen; Keep the Flavor

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Wheat-gluten sensitivity, nut allergies, and lactose intolerance are but a few of the food allergies or intolerances that more and more consumers seem to have. This makes the removal of allergens from foods a growing major concern within the food industry. Removal of protein sources such as wheat in baked goods and eggs in sandwich dressings is highly challenging because they provide key functionalities for the texture and mouthfeel of various foods. Carbohydrate-based texturizers have been successfully used to replace wheat in baked goods, and specialized flours and starches can be used to develop goods that are free of wheat gluten.

During Session 094, “Carbohydrate Polymers in Allergen-Free Foods: Addressing Food Texture Challenges while Removing Key Allergens,” speakers will present examples of these and other solutions for allergen-free foods. Presenters Steve Taylor, Maureen Akins, Ron Pagaoa, and Alessandra Marti will also discuss methods for detecting allergen residues, stabilization of dairy foods with milk alternatives, and the re-formulation of gluten-free pasta on Wednesday, June 27, at 8:30 a.m. in room N114.

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Functional Foods of Latin America

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

The Hispanic population is the largest and fastest-growing minority in the United States. Due to this influx of immigration and high birth rates, the consumption of foods from Latin America has been rapidly increasing among Americans. However, scientific information regarding their composition, flavor characteristics, identification of bioactive compounds, processing, and potential health benefits is limited, thus constraining their commercialization in the U.S.

Session 112 Functional Foods of Latin America: Flavor, Health Benefits, and Opportunities for Commercialization will take place on Wednesday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 pm in Room N116. It will address research advances on the identification of bioactive compounds and their potential health benefits and optimized processing methods of commonly consumed Hispanic foods as well as other Latin American foods that have not yet been fully commercialized in America. Foods to be included are common beans, hot peppers, vanilla, and novel grains such as amaranth and quinoa, as well as lesser known foods in the U.S., such as loroco, nopal, and pacaya, among others.

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Ruff to Food Scientists: Help Solve Global Hunger Issues

Monday, June 25th, 2012

IFT President-Elect John Ruff issued a passionate challenge to food scientists: Use your skills and expertise to help solve the pressing problem of food insecurity. By 2050, the world’s population will reach nine billion, and scientific innovation is the key to ensuring a safe and abundant food supply for all, said Ruff in a speech delivered Monday evening during the annual Awards Celebration held in the convention center.

John Ruff“Around the world, more than 15% of the population—or up to a billion people—are chronically undernourished. One-third of the children in developing countries are affected by malnutrition. Hunger in a world of plenty is not only shameful, but also economically costly,” said Ruff.

The problem of food insecurity isn’t limited to foreign shores. “Here in the U.S.A., 5% of the population doesn’t get enough food to eat,” said Ruff. “Hunger compromises the productivity of individuals, and in some cases, whole economies. Science and technology can provide the solutions we need to feed a growing population in a sustainable way, but we must invest in research and education,” said Ruff.

“To meet the food demand of the future, scientific and technological advancements must be accelerated and applied in both the developed and developing world,” said Ruff. “We have to find ways to reduce the 30% of the world’s food that is eaten by pests, spoiled on the way to market, or thrown away unused.”

He pointed out that up to half of the food grown and harvested in developing countries never gets consumed. “That’s due in part to poor handling, processing, packaging, and distribution,” said Ruff. “We’ll need to develop packaging and shipping methods close to food production sites in less developed areas to stop the waste.”

“We have to grow more food and manufacture it in a more efficient manner, using less water and energy, reducing waste, and producing foods that last longer,” Ruff continued. “We will need more protein, provided in a sustainable way. We’ll need to increase the nutritional value of food. We must make food accessible and affordable for all people, and we must meet these needs in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.”

Ruff is optimistic about the opportunities available through science and technology. “The mapping of the human genome will allow for an era of personalized nutrition—diets can be individualized. Agricultural biotechnology will offer more efficient and cost-effective ways to produce products. Biotechnology and nanotechnology have the potential to increase food production, improve food quality and nutrition, reduce the need for chemicals, and lower the cost of production in an environmentally sustainable way.”

“All of us—scientists, educators, farmers, regulators, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers—we’re all in this together,” said Ruff. “Feeding the world is everybody’s business. Accelerating scientific innovation is necessary to feed the world, and it is critical to success in the food profession.

“The world may be getting smaller,” Ruff summarized, “but it’s also getting more crowded, and it will take the next generation of food scientists to figure how to feed the world of the future.”

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Science News Gets to the Point

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Today’s media sources cover more than just politics, crime, civic events, and sports; developments in food and consumer issues receive daily coverage as well. But how can the food profession ensure that the information reporters distribute and consumers receive is credible, accurate, and current? In Session 060, “Beyond Published Results: The Importance of Communicating Science,” speakers will provide guidelines and tips for communicating science to the media. During this session, food professionals can learn how news stories are generated and how news and information get transferred. Speakers will also discuss translating technical information for non-technical audiences, the best way to market research to influential stakeholders, and preparing for media interviews.

What makes food science news resonate with the public? What is the fine line between a story being too scientific (i.e., boring) or being trendy yet factually incorrect? Speakers David Schmidt, Robert Gravani, and Catherine Adams-Hutt will analyze various approaches to convey factual information about food and food science by examining examples of media successes and failures and analyzing stories for factual integrity and pop appeal on Tuesday, June 26, at 1:30 p.m. in room N208.

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