FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Effectively Incorporating Color Rachel Adams

FORMULATING FOODS

Formulating Foods explores the latest health and nutrition news and research—as well as the latest ingredient and food application innovations—to determine what consumers want (and need) from the food and beverage products they consume, and how industry can make it happen. 

Effectively Incorporating Color

Rachel Adams

September 17, 2014 - Blog

Print

• E-Mail
• in

• 

How a food looks can be a major deciding factor as to whether a consumer will try the product. In order to increase visual appeal, food and beverage designers turn to a toolbox of colors options—synthetic or natural—to keep foods looking fresh and appetizing.

In today’s clean-label word, consumers are increasingly seeking products free from artificial colors and dyes, causing a shift away from FD&C-certified colors toward more “natural" alternatives. In terms of revenues, the global market for natural colors was estimated to be worth approximately $732.1 million in 2011 and is expected to reach $1.3 billion by 2017, according to the MarketsandMarkets report, “Food Colors Market by Type, Application & Geography—Global Trends & Forecast to 2019."

Food is the largest application segment for natural colorants with more than 32 percent market share, followed by soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. The market for natural colors is likely to become competitive as manufacturers have begun using natural colors in many products.

Of course, the “natural" landscape can be challenging to navigate, as FDA does not define colors as natural or artificial. In fact, FDA considers any product with added color—with the exception of those that receive the color from the food itself—to be artificially colored.

From a consumer perspective, the color’s natural-versus-artificial status is often determined the ingredient’s labeling. Colors derived from carotenoids or anthocyanins, for example, often carry names representing their fruit, vegetable or spice origins. Other colors considered “natural" include Spirulina extract, caramel colors, carmine and cochineal extract.

Natural colorants, like synthetics, can present challenges during formulation. Careful consideration of the application, processing parameters, intended shelf life, and other considerations, can ensure the colors will perform as intended.
For example, in bakery applications, high temperature or extreme pH can have negative effects on color ingredients—whether natural or synthetic. Understanding where the color will be added during processing along with what other conditions the color will be exposed to is critical when adding colors to baked goods.

Coloring beverages, on the other hand, will present a different set of challenges. Ingredients interaction, shelf life, packaging and storage conditions must all be considered when selecting colors for beverages.

For a closer look at colors—including how to effectively formulate with both naturals and synthetics in bakery, dairy, beverages and fortified foods—download the free Digital Issue, “Colors Formulation Strategies," from Food Product Design.

FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Increasing the Value of Processed Foods

Increasing the Value of Processed Foods

Lynn Kuntz

July 30, 2014 - Blog

Print

• E-Mail
• in

• 

The

American Society for Nutrition (ASN), an organization of nutrition researchers, clinical nutritionists and industry, recently released a scientific statement on processed foods and their contributions to nutrition.

The paper, published in the June issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, discussed why, contrary to the rising demonization of processed foods as unhealthy and of poor nutritional quality, food processing aids to both food security and nutrition. In short, why processed foods are not inherently bad and why most forms of processing are helpful.

The synopsis of the paper is as follows:

• Both fresh and processed foods make up vital parts of the food supply.
• Processed foods are nutritionally important to American diets. They contribute to both food security (ensuring that sufficient food is available) and nutrition security (ensuring that food quality meets human nutrient needs).
• Processed foods provide both nutrients to encourage and constituents to limit as specified in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Analyses of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2008 show that processed foods provide substantial amounts of nutrients to encourage including 55% of dietary fiber, 48% of calcium, 43% of potassium, 34% of vitamin D, 64% of iron, 65% of folate, and 46% of vitamin B-12.
• NHANES data analysis also showed that of the constituents to limit, processed foods contributed 57% of energy, 52% of saturated fat, 75% of added sugars, and 57% of sodium.
• Diets are more likely to meet food guidance recommendations if nutrient-dense foods, either processed or not, are selected.
• A call for a consortium of stakeholders to develop definitions and processes to improve the food supply.

This is not news to food scientists or to most people involved in the production of foods and beverages. It makes no sense to consider a carton of yogurt, a jar of preserves or a package of whole-wheat bread has any significant nutritional difference than the same product made at home (“not processed")  other than that caused by difference in ingredient choices—most of which are not due to processing, but to consumer preference (more sugar) or cost . Or that the wilted “fresh" broccoli in my vegetable crisper is any better than the Green Giant’s version. But of course, that’s preaching to the choir.

But this particular piece is directed to RDs, clinical nutritionists and other nutrition professionals that might not understand food processing from a food-science perspective….and are also subject to the same misinformation as the general public. Food science education generally includes nutrition but nutrition education generally doesn’t include much in terms of processing and the rest of the moving parts in food science. So this serves as an introduction and educational piece to additional facets. It also provides a roadmap as to how nutrition can be more fully integrated in product design. Which is certainly a necessary step to revive the tarnished reputation of processed foods.
   -Lynn A. Kuntz

FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Innovative Seasonings, Flavors Spice Up Industry

Innovative Seasonings, Flavors Spice Up Industry

Rachel Adams

July 10, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• in

While consumers love the classic flavors (the debate between chocolate and vanilla wages on), more and more, consumers are seeking innovative, bold flavors to satisfy their cravings. Whether these flavors offer a taste beyond their borders, whether they kick up the heat or whether they feature unique and yummy pairings, companies are launching flavors, seasonings, spices and blends to punch up almost any application.

David Michael recently showcased a multitude of flavors at its 2014 Innovation Roadshow®, including two new flavors inspired by growing interest in Peruvian food. A natural Pepino Melon type blends the tastes of honeydew, cantaloupe and cucumber, and was featured during the roadshow in a sweetened milk beverage. Also featured in a carbonated beverage was a natural Chicha Morada flavor, which combines apple, pineapple, lemon, cinnamon and clove flavors.

Other innovations showcased during the roadshow include a portable tomato soup—tomato soup encased in a batter and breading jacket flavored with cheddar cheese flavors—and the Croitzel™ (pictured above), a mix between a pretzel and a croissant and filled with either chocolate or a savory smoked ham and cheddar filling.
David Michael offers a variety of other flavors as well, including its Adults Only® flavors to mimic the taste of alcoholic beverages without any alcohol. The Adults Only flavors can be used in beverages, as well as candy, puddings, frozen desserts, yogurt and more. And in the case of true alcohol, the company offers Old Time Body & Age® flavor that can be added to newly distilled whiskey to impart the aged, charred oak barrel flavor found in aged whiskeys.

And to provide flavors that align with consumers’ demands for “natural," Treatt is introducing a range of concentrated alcohol-based natural flavors. The first products to be introduced are Pineapple ConcenTreatt and Passion Fruit ConcenTreatt. Pineapple ConcenTreatt is sourced exclusively from Ananas comosus and provides a green aroma and juicy, ripe pineapple flavor, while Passion Fruit ConcenTreatt delivers a fruity character, tropical undertones and balanced sulfurous and ester notes to clear beverages, as well as a number of other food systems.

For protein products, Wixon introduced on-trend seasonings to inspire new products or reinvigorate old classics. The new seasonings include: Chef Steve’s Best Bacon Cure, a sweet yet spicy blend for bacon; Kickin’ Bourbon Wing Seasoning, which combines flavors of Tabasco®, honey and bourbon; Korean BBQ Wing Seasoning, a blend of sesame, apple cider and savory spices; and Maple Bourbon Wing Seasoning, which is a Tabasco-enhanced mix.
To add flare to snacks, Wixon also introduced innovative topical seasonings for chips, pretzels, nuts and other snack foods. The new seasonings include: Cheesy Sriracha, Kashmiri Masala, Organic Chipotle BBQ, Organic Coconut Curry, Organic Moroccan, Organic Thai Peanut and Twisted Tangerine and Wasabi.

And as consumers become more enticed with exotic, international flavors, companies, like Sensient Natural Ingredients, are launching new seasoning blends to answer the call. Sensient launched a new Chili Blends collection which includes seven authentic dry chili blends inspired by the flavors of Latin America, India, Morocco, Thailand and the United States. The Chili Blends Collection includes: Red Sriracha Blend, Indian Curry Blend, Thai Arbol Chile Blend, Moroccan Harissa Blend, Spicy Buffalo Blend, Pickled Jalapeno Blend, and All-American Hot Sauce Blend.

Formulated to help manufacturers deliver bold flavors with complex heat, the Chili Blends collection works well in a variety of applications, such as soup and dip mixes, dry sauce applications, side dishes and meal makers, dressings, condiments and seasonings on all types of snack foods, and can lend a distinct flavor profile to spicy beverages such as Bloody Mary’s.

And as the American culinary palate continues to evolve, more consumers are also developing a taste for bolder, more unique flavor profiles and are dialing up the spicy, savory and smoky notes in their food. To meet this demand, Tabasco released its Tabasco brand Processor's Blend—a pungent crushed pepper blend of seed and skin prepared from aged red peppers, fermented with salt, mixed with vinegar and screened to separate the skin and seed material. A coarse, wet-milled, intermediate moisture product, Processor's Blend is a natural ingredient for wet systems and fits well in production applications ranging from baked goods to sauces and even processed meats.

GLUTEN FREE: Formulating Gluten-Free: The Science, Art of Substitution

Formulating Gluten-Free: The Science, Art of Substitution

Judie Bizzozero

July 08, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• inShare3

As more consumers turn to gluten-free diets for weight loss and reasons other than diagnosed medical conditions, such as celiac disease, the market for gluten-free foods and beverages is forecast to reach an estimated $15.6 billion by 2016, according to a recent report from the NPD Group.

The “Understanding the Gluten-Free Trend" report found that the general healthfulness of gluten-free foods is often offset by taste and cost barriers. Half of gluten-free consumers are not willing to sacrifice taste and texture in order to maintain a gluten-free diet; however, the most cited reason for choosing to not purchase a gluten-free product is that it was too expensive.

To address these issues, food product developers have been hard at work creating gluten-free products that make the grade. In fact, advances in food processing and ingredient technologies have transformed wheat-based baked goods, pasta and snacks into staples in the American diet and many diets around the world.

Formulating gluten-free versions of these popular foods is challenging because of the integral role gluten plays in the very signature attributes that consumers love about these foods. Gliadin and glutenin, the components of gluten, contribute extensibility and elasticity, functionalities that are unique to them and difficult to find among other commonly used ingredients. (One of the most challenging sectors has been that of baked goods, which we recently explored in the “The Joy of Gluten-Free Baking" free Digital Pulse Issue from Food Product Design.)

Removing gluten from formulations creates challenges in achieving optimal texture, volume, shelf life and cost. But, amid the challenges there exists an opportunity to move from existing product reformulation to new product formulation in the gluten-free category.

This hot topic will be discussed during the Food Product Design track of the SupplySide Education program, sponsored by BASF, Oct. 7 from 10-10:50 a.m. I invite you to join Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., principal, Corvus Blue LLC, who lead the “Formulating Gluten-Free: The Science and Art of Substitution" presentation that will take the mystery out of myths and explain—using case histories—the science and textural ingenuity of successful gluten-free products.

FUNCTIONAL FOOD UPDATE: Considerations For Developing Functional Beverages

Considerations For Developing Functional Beverages

Rachel Adams

June 18, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• inShare

• 

The functional and nutritional beverage market continues to be a hot growth category.

Consumers continue to seek healthy beverage options with high protein, ramped-up fiber, omega-3 fortification and more. These products meet consumer needs for portability and convenience with a wide range of flavors and textures to promote repeat purchase and minimize burnout.

Functional and nutritional beverages are a great category for healthy products to thrive. Ingredient suppliers continue to make great progress in managing the solubility, gelation properties, pH tolerance and other functional properties to drive this category’s growth.

In addition, there have been gains throughout the last decade in protein and fiber functionality that have opened new frontiers in beverage potential.

To make a splash in the nutritional beverage market, developers should keep some key considerations in mind, including: brand requirements and market position; consumer needs and expectations; formulation core system development; layering flavor attributes and non-functional additives; and open communication with ingredient suppliers and manufacturing partners.

Working through the development process, the brand parameters and consumer insight light the way, while new development of a core delivery system provides the foundation for delivering a product that will delight the market. Strong partnerships help smooth the road to success, and bring the product to life in the most efficient manner.
For a closer look at functional beverages—including texture, taste and nutrient considerations—download the free Digital Issue “Spotlight on Beverages."

MARKET DEVELOPMENT: We’re Not Powerless Against Oreos

Illustration by Tim Lahan

We’re Not Powerless Against Oreos

By Sally Satel Nov 6, 2013 1:30 PM ET in Bloombery Newsweek

• Facebook Share
• Tweet
• LinkedIn
• Google +1
• 10 COMMENTS
• Print
• QUEUE
  Q

When Connecticut College researchers announced a few weeks ago that they found Oreo cookies to be as addictive as cocaine -- in rats -- they made headlines.

Their study (actually, their abstract; the study hasn’t yet been published) quickly drew well-founded criticism for its weak methodology and overstated conclusions. Nonetheless, the underlying premise -- that habitual excessive eating leads to the kind of brain changes that are seen in drug addiction -- is worth a closer look because it is a staple of anti-obesity campaigns and may someday be used in lawsuits against Big Food.

Too often, this argument assumes that brain changes associated with addiction are all-powerful.

First, the experiment: The researchers allowed rats access to two side-by-side chambers, one in which they could eat tasty Oreos and one where they could nibble bland rice cakes. Once the rats learned which chamber had which food, the researchers cut off the supply and allowed the animals to wander into the empty rooms. As expected, the rats favored the chamber that had contained Oreos.

The researchers then ran a variation of the experiment with a different set of rats, this time giving them an injection of cocaine in one chamber and an injection of saline in the other. When allowed to roam, the rats preferred to linger in the cocaine chamber, spending about as much time there as the first group spent in the Oreo room.

Limited Options

What does the study tell us? Not a lot. To begin, it doesn’t show that rats were as attracted to Oreos as they were to cocaine. How could it? There was no head-to-head comparison. The options were cookies or rice cakes and cocaine or saline.

Then the researchers euthanized the rats and examined their brains. Compared with the drug-injected rats, the Oreo eaters’ brains displayed a greater activation of neurons in the nucleus accumbens, a key area of reward circuitry. The saline recipients and rice-cake eaters lagged far behind in neuronal activation.

So, rats like Oreos. Possibly, they like them more than they like cocaine. I say possibly because the different activation patterns in the nucleus accumbens could reflect the fact that the rats actively approached and ingested cookies, while their counterparts had drugs administered to them. In any case, enhanced neuronal activation per se does not indicate addiction; it suggests only that the creature anticipated or experienced pleasure.

Why an Oreo study in the first place? “We chose Oreos,” explained Jamie Honohan, the neuroscience student at Connecticut College who initiated the study, because “products containing high amounts of fat and sugar are heavily marketed in communities with lower socioeconomic statuses.” In light of the findings, the team reported that “high fat/sugar foods and drugs of abuse trigger brain addictive processes to the same degree and lend support to the hypothesis that maladaptive eating behaviors contributing to obesity can be compared to drug addiction.”

Over the past decade, the hypothesis that fast food and junk food can be as enslaving as cocaine has gained currency, and it ostensibly is supported by a flood of studies documenting neural changes in rats fed tasty foods full of sugar and fat. The argument dovetails nicely with the “brain disease” model of addiction popularized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The general idea is that once someone is addicted, “you can’t just tell the addict ‘Stop’ any more than you can tell the smoker ‘Don’t have emphysema,’” says Alan Leshner, former head of the NIDA.

In other words, “food addiction” prompts unstoppable harmful behavior. But this is just not true. Both humans (and rodents) can still be influenced by alternatives.

Avoiding Boredom

Rats that find themselves alone in a cage with nothing better to do have been known to drink a morphine solution or press a lever that delivers cocaine through an implanted intravenous line until they die. But when their cage contains “alternative reinforcers” such as sweet water to drink, other rats to play with or an abundance of toys, then -- brain changes notwithstanding -- they drink morphine or press the lever much less.

For humans, alternative reinforcers can mean the difference between addiction and sobriety. Enlightened rehab programs use rewards, such as vouchers for gifts cards or movie tickets, to encourage job training and attendance at treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

When there are no attractive choices, people will continue to choose drugs. Granted, when it comes to addiction, the word “choose” is fraught; no one chooses to be an addict or, for that matter, to be overweight. But they do choose momentary gratification or relief -- which is rational in the short term, however self-destructive it is in the long run.

In other words, reason plays a role; uncontrollable brain circuits don’t just take over.

Yes, cravings can be powerful enough to undermine the most heartfelt resolutions. But that’s why it’s imperative for people with excessive habits to place obstacles between themselves and the things they crave. For drug addicts, relapse-prevention tactics include avoiding people, places or things associated with drug use and directly depositing paychecks or tearing up automated teller machine cards to avoid carrying ready cash. Developing alternative modes of gratification and avoiding boredom (a common source of vulnerability) can help control both drug addiction and overeating.

The plaintiffs’ bar has been paying attention to the concept of food addiction. Previous class-action suits against McDonald’s Corp., Burger King Worldwide Inc. and other fast-food companies have alleged consumer fraud for failing to conspicuously disclose the ingredients and effects of their food, much of which is high in fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol. So far, none of these lawsuits has succeeded, but brain studies give lawyers a new tack. The trouble is, there’s no scientific justification for using food-addiction studies to put Big Oreo in the crosshairs. Neither drug addicts nor overeaters are biologically fated to pursue their habits.

Check out my new e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain"

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle for $4.99 USD. Visit amazon/Kindle to order now:
http://www.amazon.ca/Social-Media-Marketing-Agri-Foods-ebook/dp/B00C42OB3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364756966&sr=1-1

Thanks for taking the time

CREATING FOOD PRODUCTS FOR DISEASE, OBESITY PREVENTION

Published July 18, 2013 in Food Product Design 

Posted in News, IFT Food Expo, Food Ingredient Show, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), IFT13,Healthy, Healthy Foods, Nutrition, Diet, Obesity, Weight Management, Heart Health, Cancer, Tomato,Green Tea, Tea, Garlic, Fruits / Vegetables, Vegetable, Chocolate, Olive Oil, Fish, Seafood, Consumer Preference, Functional Foods

CHICAGO—The "new frontier" in dietary health involves creating and promoting foods that contain natural inhibitors of unhealthy blood vessel formation, according to a presentation at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo® in Chicago. Through the process of angiogenesis, these unhealthy blood vessels form and can cause disease, obesity and inflammation.

"Blood vessels are critical to the health of every cell, every organ and for every function in the body," said William Li, M.D., president of the Angiogenesis Foundation. "Research is now showing it's possible to promote health and wellness using foods and beverages that influence angiogenesis."

Over 1 billion people throughout the world have an angiogenesis system that is “out of balance," Li said. These individuals either have or are at risk for developing abnormal blood vessel growth and related heart disease, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and other diseases and conditions.
There are many antiangiogenic pharmaceutical products on the market today that are successfully fighting cancer and other diseases. Several foods have the same powerful, naturally-occurring properties, including tomatoes, green tea, garlic, broccoli, dark chocolate, turmeric, tuna and olive oil.
“It’s quite eye opening," Li said. “Food is the medicine we consume three times a day. Can we use the same process (to modulate angiogenesis) at an earlier stage in healthy individuals? Can we get away from drugs and medical devices?"

Recent studies have found combining some of these foods, heating them to a certain temperature (or not heating others) and cooking foods in olive oil may enhance their antiangiogenesis abilities. These findings could impact food design and preparation, according to Vincent Li, M.D., scientific director at the Angiogenesis Foundation.





Ravi Menon, Ph.D., senior principal scientist at the Bell Institute for Health & Nutrition at General Mills, Inc., said there is a clear demand for functional foods that provide health benefits beyond what is provided by their nutritive content.

A recent survey investigated parents' attitudes of food and beverage products, and results revealed that they are unsatisfied with the healthfulness of current food and beverage options for kids. In addition, a 2012 Mintel report shows the healthfulness of a particular food is among the biggest motivating factors for consumers choosing a snack.

Developing these functional food products will require extensive tests in food safety and efficacy, as well as comprehensive efforts to educate consumers on their health benefits, Menon said. He added that the current regulatory framework struggles to accommodate the expanding repertoire of health benefits in functional foods.

"The best way to conquer society's runaway health problems is to get in front of them by preventing them in the first place," Li said. “Dietary antiangiogenesis presents an opportunity for improving health at a time that is ripe for innovation."

Sources:

• IFT: The New Frontier: Creating and Marketing Food Products that Prevent Disease an

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain"

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle for $4.99 USD. Visit amazon/Kindle to order now:
http://www.amazon.ca/Social-Media-Marketing-Agri-Foods-ebook/dp/B00C42OB3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364756966&sr=1-1

Thanks for taking the time!