APPETIZER RECIPE: Fruit to suit the harvest season’s best recipes

APPETIZER

Fruit to suit the harvest season’s best recipes

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Bonnie Stern | September 2, 2014 3:43 PM ET
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Peter J. Thompson/National PostWhy bother with regular ol' blueberry pie when you can put together this hot mess of deconstructed pie? See below for Bonnie Stern's can't-miss recipe.

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This is one of the best times of the year for fruit, and I always buy too much. So I eat lots fresh, and then use it in savory recipes as well as desserts. Here are two savoury ideas plus a modern take on blueberry pie.

APRICOT SALAD WITH ALMONDS
If you can’t find apricots use two plums or one peach or nectarine.
-6 cups salad greens
-3 fresh apricots, halved, pitted and sliced
-1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
-4 oz mild, creamy blue cheese (eg Cambozola), broken into pieces
-1/4 cup toasted or candied almonds or pecans
Dressing:
-1 tbsp apricot jam
-1 tbsp each lemon juice and sherry vinegar
-1/2 tsp kosher salt
-1 small clove garlic, grated or pressed
-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Arrange lettuce in a serving bowl. Top with apricots and tarragon.
2. Whisk jam with lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in 1/3 cup oil.
3. Just before serving drizzle enough oil on salad to coat (keep any extra in the refrigerator) and toss well. Top with cheese and nuts.
Makes 4 to 6 servings

GRILLED PIZZA WITH PEACHES, BOCCONCINI AND SERRANO HAM
I never thought I would like fruit on pizza until I tasted a similar one at The Pie Plate Bakery and Cafe in Virgil, just outside Niagara-on-the-Lake. If you do not have access to a barbecue, place dough and toppings on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated 425F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until browned.
-1/2 lb pizza dough
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tbsp pesto (homemade or store-bought)
-4 oz bocconcini, broken into pieces and drained (or grated smoked mozzarella)
-2 oz thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
-1 peach, halved, pitted and sliced
-handful arugula
1. Roll dough into a thin circle. Brush both sides with olive oil. Immediately place on a hot barbecue and grill about one minute per side. Lower heat to medium and turn off heat on one side. Transfer dough to the turned off side.
2. Spread dough with pesto. Arrange cheese, ham and peaches on top. Close lid and cook 7 to 9 minutes longer until cheese melts. Do not burn. (Or transfer grilled crust to a baking sheet, add toppings and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.)
3. Top pizza with arugula and serve.
Makes 3 to 4 servings

DECONSTRUCTED BLUEBERRY PIE

This modern pie is delicious and gorgeous. It’s perfect for people who are reluctant pastry makers as it doesn’t matter what shape you roll the dough — just bake it and cut into pieces as directed. It is also great if you don’t like too much pastry or if you don’t like fruit pies with soggy bottoms! This idea came to me after having an upside down peach cobbler at the Elmdale Oyster House and Tavern in Ottawa.
Pastry:
-1/2 cup cold butter
-1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1/4 tsp kosher salt
-6 to 8 tbsp ice water
-1 egg, beaten
-3 tbsp coarse sugar
Blueberries:
-2 tbsp butter
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-2 tbsp raspberry jam or jelly
-6 to 8 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries
-8 to 10 medium scoops 
-vanilla ice cream
-sprigs of fresh mint, optional
1. Grate butter carefully on the largest holes of a box grater. Spread butter on a plate and freeze about 15 minutes. Or, cut butter into tiny bits.
2. In a large bowl combine flour with salt. With your fingertips, mix in frozen butter. Sprinkle 6 tbsp ice water over flour mixture and lightly gather dough together. If mixture is too dry add additional water by the tablespoon. Dough should come together but not be too wet. Knead dough for about 30 seconds and, on a floured surface, roll dough out to about a 10×16-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to a parchment-paper lined 12×18-inch sheet pan. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Prick pastry all over with a fork. Bake in a preheated 425F oven 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer until browned and crisp. If pastry has puffed flatten slightly with a metal spatula. Cool on a rack. Cut pastry into rough triangles or wedges. Reserve.
3. Combine butter with sugar, cinnamon and jam in a deep skillet. Bring to a boil. Add blueberries and simmer about 5 minutes. (Reheat just before serving or serve at room temperature.)
4. Spoon about one-half cup blueberry mixture (with some juices) into serving bowls. Top with a scoop of ice cream and about 3 pieces of pastry. Garnish with mint if using.
Makes 8 to 10 servings

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: Food styling for social media, where the eye is bigger than the belly

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Food styling for social media, where the eye is bigger than the belly

SUSAN KRASHINSKY - MARKETING REPORTER

TORONTO — The Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Jul. 24 2014, 7:14 PM EDT

Last updated Thursday, Jul. 24 2014, 7:19 PM EDT

A common knock against social media is that people simply use it to share photos of their lunch.

But in a sunny office in Toronto’s east end, where a food stylist arranges peas by hand one by one on a gleaming white plate, getting the perfect shot of lunch or dinner is an art – and a lucrative one.

At food marketing agency The Hot Plate, rustic distressed wood tabletops are stacked against the wall. A prop closet is stacked with colourful plates, bowls and ramekins in all sizes. Four refrigerators are needed to keep the test kitchen running.

For companies in the business of selling food, all those photos of lunch on social media are not an obnoxious trend. They are a golden opportunity: a digital culture where a kind of daily scrap-booking is cool, and where self-styled foodies see the perfect Instagram or Facebook photo of their quinoa salad as a kind of status symbol. That environment gives food marketers a way into the conversation on social media that often feels forced with other brands.The agency has built a growing business out of helping clients, such as Campbell Soup Co., Nestlé Canada Inc. and ItalPasta, to produce content such as photos and recipes at a faster clip than they have needed to before.

Food marketers have embraced the opportunity, producing high-resolution close-ups of doughnuts for Pinterest, zucchini fritters on Facebook, shrimp quesadillas on Twitter, and blackberry cupcakes on Instagram. By joining in on a growing culture of recipe-trading and vivid food photography, marketers are hoping to endear themselves to consumers who are more interested in playing with their food.

But it has created a challenge as well: all this content costs money. And with marketers under more pressure to control costs, the price of renting props and hiring food stylists, photographers, photo retouchers and recipe developers is a burden. And while giants such as Kraft Foods Group Inc. or Loblaw Cos. Ltd. can afford to maintain fully staffed test kitchens in-house, that is not realistic for many companies.

“We’re trying to produce so much content, and we have limited resources,” said Noemie Bessette, director of communications at organic food brand Nature’s Path and a client of The Hot Plate.

To keep consumers interested, the company needs to be constantly refreshing the photos and recipes it posts, she explained. That’s important for food companies, because recipes are a way to make consumers think about using the product more. Nature’s Path wants people not just to eat its cereals at breakfast; it wants them to makeVanilla Pineapple Ice Pops with its chia, buckwheat and hemp cereal.

Welch’s, another client, does not just want people to drink its juice: the brand is hoping they will use it more often during the summer to makefrozen treats.

“A few years ago, it was just Facebook and our website. Now we’re on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, we have a blog – we just have many more places where we can publish things,” said Erika Jubinville, PR and digital marketing specialist at Welch’s. “So there’s a constant need for fresh content. … When we had individual, isolated efforts, we didn’t have as much control over the cost.”

While she was still working as a freelance food stylist, The Hot Plate’s founder, Amanda Riva, heard these complaints often.

In early 2013, she launched the agency with the idea that she could offer marketers an easier and cheaper way to manage their digital communications. It started with her and a photographer, in a 750-square-foot condo. In just over a year and a half, it has grown to a team of 24 full-time employees in a 2,500-square foot office that they have already outgrown: a second office is under construction down the hall.

The payment model is different from many ad and PR agencies: there are no time sheets, and they never work on retainer. Ms. Riva decided to sell service packages to clients at a flat fee.

“Marketing budgets are not what they were several years ago, and the clients we’re working with are first in the line of fire when budgets are being slashed,” Ms. Riva said. “… They don’t want to feel like they’re in a big commitment [with an agency] that they can’t afford.”

That does not just apply to companies; commodities boards and other industry marketing associations have also gotten in on the action. The U.S. Popcorn Board recently approached The Hot Plate to produce a stop-motion video, for example.

“Pinterest, for us, is getting huge,” said Heather Nahatchewitz, marketing and communications director with Ontario Independent Meat Processors, which represents butchers and delis in the province. “To have professional recipe photography, it’s such a bonus.”

The control over costs has allowed OIMP to double the number of recipes it produces in just a year.

The group produces recipe books it distributes to members for use in their own marketing. Sharing recipes and photos on social media attracts food-savvy consumers whom the OIMP can then encourage to visit a local butcher or to consider locally-sourced meats.

“In the social space, people are there for themselves and to find out news about their friends and family,” said Ms. Jubinville at Welch.

“We want to tell our story in a way that doesn’t feel like we’re advertising to them too much.”

Food styling itself has changed dramatically, as well. The old tricks – lipstick on strawberries, motor oil to give a glossy sheen – have fallen out of vogue. Online photo-sharing has given consumers a new sense of the way food is supposed to look. The most appealing photography does not broadcast its high production values; it is more organic-looking.

“Consumers are more knowledgeable than they were, and they’re looking less for that picture-perfect, nuclear family experience,” Ms. Riva said.

Hitting the right tone of authenticity is critical for food brands.

“In the past, brands were kind of dictating a bit more to consumers what they should be interested in, and it was about a bigger brand message,” Ms. Bessette said.

“Now, the power has shifted a lot more toward consumers. It’s forcing us as brands to put much more interesting things together. There’s a lot more clutter. If we want people to be interested in what we have to say, we have to be interesting.”

Follow Susan Krashinsky on Twitter: @susinsky

Badges of summer: How to host your own backyard beer tasting

Jason Rehel | July 14, 2014 4:43 PM ET
More from Jason Rehel | @culturejunk
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Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images filesDon't wait till the pomp, costume and noise of Oktoberfest to hold your own beer tasting — it's best to do it in a quiet, controlled environment for the best sensory experience.

Our Scouts-styled series of the things you need to do to squeeze the most out of summer continues with a guide to classing up that six-pack. Check out the previous badges here!

Drinking cold beer outside — on docks and patios, around campfires, card tables and baseball diamonds, on rooftops, in parks and at backyard barbecues — is about the most effortless summer activity there is. The pop, the crack, the pour, that first big sip; but why not challenge yourself to go one or two gulps further?

With new beer varieties being introduced to the Canadian marketplace practically every week (hello, Mill St. 100th Meridian Organic Amber Lager), the best way to keep up is to host regular tastings with friends and argue over which brews are the best ones. But like any semi-organized outdoor sport, arguing about beer is better when you have a broad idea of the rules of the game. Enter Mirella Amato, certified master cicerone and author of the newly released Beerology. Amato’s book is a beer nerd’s dream, with a glossary of brewing terms, flavour guides and lots of great information on individual styles told in a casual, well-organized way. Plus there’s a beginning-to-end list of directions on setting up your first at-home tasting.

Some of her tips? Taste the lowest alcohol and lightest beers first; pick a space with fewer sensory disruptions such as loud noise and strong-smelling foods; and take a few notes as you go, as you’ll inevitably forget if it was Lager No. 1 or Ale No. 4 that really, truly quenched your thirst.

Oh, and that friend in the back complaining that you’re taking a humble beverage too seriously? Get her to wear the blindfold and sample everything first. If that fails, remind her that most brewers have some background in chemistry and/or biology, and that the history of beer dates to Mesopotamia and the beginning of written history. And then have a drink.

Even if everyone who comes to your tasting just ends up a bit tipsy, chances are you’ll learn a little more about what you — and they — prefer to drink, and that just makes hosting the next party easier.

Extra credit: Brew beer of your own and throw that into the mix alongside some craft, to see if it stands up.

FOOD INNOVATIONS: A CHANCE to Create Affordable Healthy Food

A CHANCE to Create Affordable Healthy Food

Lynn Kuntz

July 09, 2014 - Blogs

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One of the oft-repeated barriers to consumption of a healthy diet is the cost, especially for the poor. And companies that look at creating healthy foods and beverages are concerned about potentially low margins. But the CHANCE project, a three-and-a-half year research initiative that gathered together academics, food and drink industry representatives and SMEs to address poor nutrition of European citizens living on a low budget, suggests otherwise.

On July 2, 2014 these experts gathered at the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, Brussels, to hear the final results from the CHANCE project, and attend presentations from other nutrition experts, at the conference: “Targeting at-risk-of-poverty populations in Europe with affordable and nutritionally enhanced food products."

Antonella Samoggia, a CHANCE project economist at the University of Bologna, Italy, pointed out that “Low-cost healthy food products compete with less healthy foods, which are often cheaper for the consumers and have a higher financial return for the food industry."

But that’s not necessarily a given. One of the goals of the program was formulating nutritionally enhanced food prototypes for economically disadvantaged people (defined as those with less than 60% of the average income). These items used low-cost ingredients with nutrients lacking in the diet along with lower-cost packaging. Among the prototypes were: ham with lower salt content, more pork liver and higher levels of vitamins A, D and E; a bread made with a soybean ingredient that increased its fiber, mineral, protein and vitamin content; ketchup with seeds and skin from tomato by-processing that contained up to ten times the amount of dietary fiber; as well as pizza, cheese, and a variety of blueberry-based products.

These specially formulated products underwent various economic and sensory tests, pitting competitiveness against leading brands. The results showed that the CHANCE products were indistinguishable in taste compared to leading brands. Researchers also found preliminary production costs were similar or lower for all the prototypes compared to corresponding traditional products. They found a few unresolved issues, such as decreased bread shelf life, and concluded that “to ensure commercial success, correct labelling, marketing and advertising would need to be implemented too in order to attract retailers and consumers."

While this work did not tackle the issue of food preferences for those that think a full-calorie Mountain Dew coupled with a Twinkie makes a cheap, convenient and delicious breakfast, it does highlight the economic feasibility of low-cost, yet nutritious foods for the masses. Pizza seems an ideal project given its popularity in venues from a school lunchroom to a quick dinner or even a party snack. Sodium reduction opportunities abound, in everything from the crust to the topping of meat and cheese. Adding fiber has become easier, and not just in ketchup and bread given the expansive number of ingredients.

So, while nutritious foods like high-fiber bread and ketchup for the huddled masses might not carry the same cachet as something like a Belle Chevre Goat Cheese Cheesecake (which is yours for only $34.95 for 27 ounces), it’s a worthwhile endeavor that actually provides a tangible benefit to society by alleviating hunger and under-nutrition, as well as adding to your bottom line.
   -Lynn A. Kuntz

FOOD FACTS: Fear of Foods and Effective Science Communication

Fear of Foods and Effective Science Communication

Lynn Kuntz

July 03, 2014 - Blogs

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Yesterday, in this blog, I discussed a recent Cornell study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference(“Ingredient-Based Food Fears and Avoidance: Antecedents and Antidotes," May 20, 2014), that examined the concept of food fears among consumers (mothers in particular) and what can be done to correct misperceptions regarding the safety and health implications of various ingredients in the market today. The study’s authors suggested countering misinformation with education and making the consumer more familiar with the ingredients’ history and use.

But is that as simple as it sounds, particularly given the relentless publicity and drama given such phrases as “pink slime’ and “yoga mat chemicals," and the oft-repeated narrative that “Big Food" and “Big Ag" is in cahoots with the devil, or at least Dr. Evil?

So I posed the question to one of the study’s researchers, Aner Tal, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Food and Brand Lab Dyson School of Applied Economics, Cornell University: Who would be best to communicate the science behind food/ingredients in terms of believability—and w

His answer: “Well, it depends. Different audiences may attribute credibility differentially to different sources. For example, government sources are more credible to some people, less to others. For some, the opinion of their faith healer might represent the epitome of truth. There might not be a consensus as to what source is the most credible. That said, science and modern medicine still hold some weight in current American society, and so knowing that information comes from a scientific source might help boost its believability. That’s because there is a lot of trust in science as the best ‘source of truth,’ so that if something appears scientific, it’s more credible." He mentioned that the Cornell group has an article coming out later in the year about this topic.

Science is great. I love science. Most of my favorite people love science. But what happens when it’s industry-funded science? After all, we know Food Babe is not bankrolling research. And it’s not just the Food Babes of the world given the accusatory tone of Marion Nestle’s “Guess Who Funded the Study" column. (By the way: Props to commenter Henry Chin on the “Food Politics" site comments as well as to our guest blogger Kevn Klatt for their explanation and analysis of the science.)

Tal replied: “Replication. Accumulated evidence by different parties. Knowledge is not absolute, and as the blog entry you provided says, we sometimes see contradictory results. And sometimes how results are presented is a matter of representation—numbers rarely tell a story on their own—it’s the words you use to describe them that do. I’m all in favor of people being skeptical consumers of information: it’s good to ask: ‘What’s the basis for a particular claim?’ ‘How were particular studies behind it conducted? “So how do we trust that a phenomenon is real? By seeing repeated evidence from credible sources. And by being a critical reader of scientific reports. If the researchers behind particular findings are credible, they are hopefully not lying (though there have historically been cases of that as well). Most researchers would not risk their reputation by publishing poor quality work. But there is still room to critically read their results to see how studies were conducted and how results were interpreted. And there is room for continued debate in follow up research —always. Science is a continuous process, not the arbiter of absolute truth. Claims should be supported by multiple sources and from multiple angles, while adhering to the standards of scientific research.

“And to answer your question more concretely, I think transparency is a possible solution (allowing people to assess the basis for claims), as well as critical examination by disinterested parties. That is what the peer review process is for, although it certainly doesn’t vouch absolutely against errors," Tal concluded.

While I agree wholeheartedly with Tal’s reply, that still leads to a number of questions that have no easy answers. Where exactly would the study funding for “multiple sources" come from in this age of austerity? And how do we encourage people to be “critical readers of scientific reports"?
   -Lynn A. Kuntz

Trends and Insights From IFT 2014

 Trends and Insights From IFT 2014

Judie Bizzozero

July 02, 2014 - Blogs

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Innovation was center stage during the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 2014 Annual Meeting & Food Expo in New Orleans, June 21-24. Considering 2014 also marks IFT’s 75th anniversary, the event was filled with celebration, innovation and an emphasis on feeding our growing global population.

The show floor was buzzing with excitement, which was no surprise considering more than 16,000 food industry technologists and professionals were in attendance. Food Product Design’s Executive Editor Lynn A. Kuntz and Assistant Editor Rachel Adams were in attendance and brought back a wealth of information about new products, ingredients and food trends.

A big topic of discussion this year was IFT’s FutureFood 2050 initiative designed to increase the dialogue on food issues via written stories and a documentary film. With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, food science will play a key role in feeding this population. However, misinformation has caused concern among consumers about our food and where it comes from.

According to Josh Schonwald, contributing editor to FutureFood 2050, who participated in a panel about the initiative, FutureFood 2050 will highlight individuals who are “contributing in an impactful way" to solving the challenge of feeding a growing planet. On the other hand, despite skepticism of “big food" by consumers, many are beginning to understand the role of functional foods in their diets, and are turning to packaged foods to meet their dietary needs.

As such, ingredients that meet those demands—such as fiber or protein, among others—along with those that meet demands for “natural," non-GMO and clean label, were seen across the immense show floor.
For example, Cargill introduced a soybean oil made from identity-preserved (IdP), conventionally bred (or non-GMO) soybeans, and also launched IngreVita, a low-cost blend of canola oil, fish oil and proprietary antioxidants to deliver long-chain omega-3s that boost nutritional value in products.

Naturex launched Acerola Cherry 17, as a natural solution for shelf-life extension for meat and poultryapplications. The cherry-based antioxidants protect meat pigments from oxidation and can also be used as a curing accelerator in cured meats. Also launched during IFT was its XtraBlend® RA, an antioxidant that combines acerola with rosemary extract to create a powerful synergistic blend that protects both color and flavor in meat products.
And what better way to explore a new ingredient than to try it? Naturex showcased the efficacy of the new ingredients in an all-natural Jamaican jerk beef jerky concept product that had been preserved with a completely natural ingredient system.

And of course, innovation didn’t stop with ingredients. In fact, the expo opened on Sunday by honoring three different companies for exciting technological innovations, in addition to ingredient innovations, as part of IFT’s 2014 Food Expo Innovation Awards.

Among 27 qualified entries, the selected winners included Arla Food Ingredients for its Nutrilac® proteins for acid whey; PerkinElmer, Inc., for its DairyGuard Milk Powder Analyzer, which applies advanced algorithms to screen for known and unknown economic adulterants in milk powder; and Solazyme, Inc., which was honored for its high-stability high oleic oil derived from microalgae, which delivers superior performance and healthful attributes for a wide variety of foods without compromising on critical taste metrics.

And although the high level of activity and sheer size of the expo hall floor made it possible to miss a thing or two, there was no missing Ardent Mills’ new Mobile Innovation Center (MIC). The MIC—basically a state-of-the-art test kitchen and bakery on wheels—was designed to make grain innovation accessible and portable. Each day of the expo, a new lineup of grain-innovative treats were available for sampling (of which, Food Product Design’s Assistant Editor Rachel Adams was lucky enough to try the Rue Royale Blackberry Pie, made with SafeGuard Ready-to-Eat flour, and the King Red Velvet Cake).
If you attended the show, drop me a line telling me what piqued your interest.

GMO DEBATE: Keys to Achieving Non-GMO Verification

Keys to Achieving Non-GMO Verification

Judie Bizzozero

May 28, 2014 - Blogs

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Consumer awareness about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) continues to grow as advocates rally for the removal of GMO ingredients from food and beverage products, or at the very least, GMO labeling mandates. Food and beverages claiming to be free of GMOs will account for almost one-quarter of all food and beverage sales in the U.S., amounting to approximately $178 billion in sales in 2013.

Guest blogger Sandra Kepler, CEO of FoodChain ID and the founding technical consultant and technical administrator of the Non-GMO Project’s product verification program, details key considerations to achieve non-GMO verification of a new product, or to reformulate an existing product for verification.

The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) reports that in the U.S. more than 50 percent of conventional/mainstream consumers indicate awareness of GMOs; and in NMI’s demographic segment identified as LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), the percentage increases to more than 75-percent awareness. For almost half of those consumers surveyed, discovering that a favorite brand was made with GMO ingredients would make a purchase less likely.

Recent research by the Hartman Group indicates that 39 percent of mainstream U.S. consumers cite GMOs as one of the top three things they are looking to avoid when shopping for food, a 56-percent increase from two years ago.

In response to consumer preference for non-GMO options, non-GMO product launches have increased dramatically, and the conventional food industry is participating in this upward trend. In the last few months non-GMO versions of Cheerios from General Mills and Grape Nuts from Post have been introduced. Smart Balanceannounced a reformulation using 100-percent non-GMO-sourced ingredients. In related news, Kroger and Safeway said that they would not sell GMO salmon, and the Chipotle restaurant chain made a commitment to remove GMOs from the menu.

More than 15,000 products now display the Non-GMO Project Verified seal, the fastest-growing label in the natural products industry. According to NMI research, a significant percentage of American consumers recognize this seal, and one-third indicated that they would be more likely to buy a product with the seal. Non-GMO has become a key product attribute, and some brand owners hypothesize that when evaluating a product for purchase, shoppers are looking first for the Non-GMO Project Verified seal before selecting the brand. Brand owners report an increase in sales for their verified products, and in some cases, the increases have been dramatic. Obtaining non-GMO verified status in the United States establishes a platform for achieving regulatory compliance for export to Europe, South America and Asia. Although regulatory, threshold, and labeling asymmetries exist for exports, with proper preparation, verification efforts in the U.S. can apply to international markets.

Whether your company is planning to achieve non-GMO verification of a new product, or to reformulate an existing product for verification, careful planning and implementation can reduce cost and effort. The following are some key considerations.

Manufacturers that formulate new products with compliance in mind can have their finished products verified most efficiently. They should consult with their verification program’s technical administrator (the verifying body) to pre-evaluate the new or existing formulations for compliance. By doing so, they can shorten the path to verification and lower their costs. For example, the GM risk may change, and program costs be decreased, by switching from soy oil to sunflower oil. Compliance challenges can be identified upfront, as in the case of products containing animal derivatives, such as whey or eggs, which may be difficult to document for compliance.

The complexity of the product line should be factored in to one’s expectations for achieving verification. Products with low GM risk, such as baby food, may take two months or less for product verification. Yet supplements could take as long as 18 months. Sampling and GMO strategies may need to be developed that are optimal to the supply chain.

If a product line is complicated or is comprised of a large numbers of products, consider a staged enrollment plan. Under this scenario, start with products that contain the greatest number of shared ingredients. This approach will decrease the learning curve and the quality department’s workload. Staged enrollment can lead to a staggered product verification timeline. Products from the same product line may achieve verification at different times, prompting some consumers to ask why the entire product line wasn’t verified simultaneously. Create a public education platform with messaging that address consumers’ expectations and explain the incremental steps being taken to incorporate non-GMO verification.

Begin collecting data from ingredient vendors in advance of participation. Use a standardized form, such as the data collection form used by the technical administrator, to gather all relevant information. Germane data will include disclosure of additives, microorganisms, enzymes, carriers, fermentation media, raw material sources and non-GMO manufacturing processes. Vendor claims must be supported in order to demonstrate compliance.

When vetting new vendors, require that they take part in the non-GMO verification program. Or, ask the technical administrator to determine if vendor documentation complies with the Standard in advance of verification. Thorough evaluation of vendors will avoid the issues that arose in these examples: one manufacturer discovered the ingredient vendor had replaced sugar cane (a low GM risk) with beet sugar (a high GM risk); in another case, high fructose corn syrup (GM risk) had replaced cane sugar; in yet another, the vendor had not disclosed the presence of high GM risk maltodextrin as a carrier.

Consider investing in additional staff to address the increased workload associated with verification. Achieving a non-GMO product designation is not a static event. GMO approval and commercialization statuses change and GMO testing requirements are updated to accommodate new GMO events. Standards evolve to accommodate changes in regulatory and market environments, and the new vendor vetting process becomes more rigorous. Vendor changes impacting verified products require the approval of the technical administrator. Production staging to mitigate risk of GMO contamination in manufacturing environments with parallel production and additional inspection requirements may be necessary.

With complicated product formulations such as supplements, consider joining a working group of industry colleagues to develop non-GMO compliant ingredient sources. For example, the Dietary Supplement Working Group is a collection of manufacturers and their suppliers, working together to develop non-GMO compliant vitamin sources to be shared among the members.

The rewards of successful non-GMO product verification go well beyond the achievement of marketing goals. Greater control of the product supply chain, improved quality, and a forging of new supplier relationships have also been positive results for brand owners.

For more information regarding GMOs, Gregory Jaffe, director, biotechnology project, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), will discuss the topic of biotechnology at Ingredient Marketplace at Jacob Javitz Center in New York, June 2-3. His presentation, "Biotechnology and the Future of the Ingredient Supply Chain," will take place June 2, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Sandra Kepler is the Chief Executive Officer of FoodChain ID (formerly FoodChain Global Advisors), the founding technical consultant and technical administrator of the Non-GMO Project’s product verification program. She has more than 15 years of experience in non-GMO consulting, verification and certification programs. FoodChain ID is part of the Global ID Group family of companies with a shared mission of providing services to support safe, ethical, sustainable global food production.