FORMULATING FOODS: Considerations for Ingredient Positioning

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. 

Considerations for Ingredient Positioning

Rachel Adams

August 25, 2014 - Blog

Print

• E-Mail
• in

Creating food and beverage products with healthful ingredients won’t do much good if consumers are unaware of the benefits such products (ingredients) provide. Enter marketing. However, public relations is a fundamental cornerstone of the marketing mix and can greatly aid in successful product development and positioning.

According to an article in the August issue of The Boardroom Journal, “Public Relations: A Cornerstone in Ingredient Positioning," by Ian Newton, managing director, CERES Consulting, PR should be an integral part of the product launch plan, and should be included from the very beginning of any business development plan through to the launching of the new ingredient or product.

Even during the development of the science and regulatory strategy, PR should have its place at the table. PR persons can provide input and direction in planning and can find ways to maximize the full scientific benefits accruing to the product or those benefits expected to be gained during product development and regulatory timelines.

Newton points to some key questions that can help to develop successful PR strategies, including: where do audiences obtain information?; which messages are effective?; and what prompts behavior change?
Research shows nutrition information sources generally include friends and family, health care professionals, health concerns and government agencies. And the information consumers are looking for is about diet and nutrition, pharmaceuticals, online health newsletters and women’s health.

And so, what are the most effective messages? Effective messages are relevant, credible and actionable; and the most credible sources tend to be physicians, dietitians, pharmacists, nurses and health newsletters.

Based on this information, companies can start to make PR a strategic choice in media planning, which may not be simple as there are different strategies to consider that can provide different resonance with an audience. For example, advertising will allow companies a great deal of control, but may not be considered credible. Whereas PR won’t allow the same amount of control in messaging, but can be very credible.

Ultimately, PR provides depth, credibility and a balanced approach, usually with science-backed information that can set the stage for marketers to launch products or foods containing active ingredients that have health benefits that answer consumers’ needs.

For a closer look at PR and its role in ingredient positions—as well as the state of investment in the nutrition industry—download the latest issue of the Boardroom Journal, “Venture Capital: The Highway to Strategic Investment."

Organic Food May Contain More Antioxidants Versus Conventional

Organic Food May Contain More Antioxidants Versus Conventional

Rachel Adams

August 01, 2014 - Blog

Print

• E-Mail
• in

• 

Organic foods and crops—including fruits, vegetable and grains—may have more antioxidants and fewer, less frequent pesticide residues than their conventional counterparts.

A recent study looked at 343 peer-reviewed publications comparing the nutritional quality and safety of organic and conventional plant-based foods, and found that overall, organic crops had 18 to 69 percent higher concentrations of antioxidant compounds. Specifically, the organic crops had 19 percent more phenolic acids, 69 percent more flavanones, 28 percent more stilbenes, 26 percent more flavones, 50 percent more flavonols, and 51 percent more anthocyanins.

An organic label on food and beverage products can translate to a healthy bottom line for manufacturers. In fact, according to this FoodTech Toolbox infographic, sales of products labeled as “organic" reached $8.9 billion in 2013. However, labeling foods as “organic" can open manufacturers up to unwanted legal hassle if not implemented correctly.  (For a closer look at the legal implications of food product labeling, check out the FoodTech Toolbox slide show, “Legal Pitfalls in Marketing and Labeling Food Products.")

Since organic farmers are not allowed to apply synthetic pesticides, the research also unveiled that pesticide residues were three to four times more likely in conventional foods than organic ones.

While crops harvested from organically-managed fields sometimes contain pesticide residues, the levels are usually 10-fold to 100-fold lower in organic food, compared to the corresponding, conventionally grown food. Specifically, researchers found that conventional crops had about twice as much cadmium, a toxic heavy metal contaminant, as organic crops. They hypothesized that certain fertilizers approved for use only on conventional farms somehow make cadmium more available to plant roots.

THE NATURAL FOOD DEBATE CONTINUES - What are your views?

The ‘Natural’ Debate

Rachel Adams

July 03, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• inShare

Amid a maelstrom of class-action lawsuits, use of the seemingly simple word “natural" is one of the most risky
decisions today’s beverage innovators can make. Whether a product claims to be free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or gluten, or identifies itself as a beverage or dietary supplement, marketing and labeling issues have hit a whole new level of complexity.

In the free report, “The ‘Natural’ Debate and Other Regulatory Obscurities," a panel of experts shared an update on the controversial nature of natural, along with practical insight for the future.

Justin J. Prochnow, attorney and shareholder at Greenberg Traurig LLP, detailed some of the key regulatory and legal issues facing beverage and liquid dietary supplement companies. He also explained the threat of a class-action lawsuit has become one of the biggest concerns for brand holders. The lawsuits, frequently positioned as false or deceptive advertising actions, have covered a wide range of issues, with “all-natural" or “100-percent natural" claims leading the way.

Despite the shaky ground, Mark Rampolla, founder and former CEO of ZICO® Beverages, acknowledged the stakes are more lucrative than ever. Not only does “natural" represent a fundamental shift in what consumers are looking to drink, it also constitutes one of the fastest-growing segments of the beverage industry—one that’s birthed a number of mega brands.

In fact, according to Peter Leighton, founder of Abunda, more products on store shelves are using the term “natural" in some manner to help ingratiate the brands to consumers. As such, it’s important for marketers to provide clear information about a brand’s environmental and nutritional advantages.

The silver lining of the litigious environment, as pointed out by Eric Skae, CEO of The Bricktown Group, is that brands must reconsider what’s in their products. Additionally, it’s made the USDA organic and verified non-GMO seals much more relevant for beverages.

To read the full report, visit SupplySide Beverage Insights.

US FOOD REGULATIONS: Lawmakers Move to Expand USDA’s Authority to Recall Contaminated Food

Lawmakers Move to Expand USDA’s Authority to Recall Contaminated Food

Josh Long

June 27, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• inShare

Two Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives this week introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to recall egg products, meat or poultry that are contaminated with bacteria linked to “serious illness or death."

The Pathogens Reduction and Testing Reform Act of 2014 also would require a recall if the food products contained a pathogen such as Salmonella or Campylobacter that was resistant to at least two antibiotics that are considered “critically important" for “human medicine" based on the World Health Organization’s list of Critically Important Antimicrobials.

According to USDA’s interpretation of the law, the agency only has authority to issue a recall if the food is considered “adulterated." Salmonella, a common cause of foodborne illness, is not considered an adulterant, prompting the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to petition USDA to classify it as such and even sue the agency for failing to respond to the request in a timely manner.

"We appreciate the Congresswomen's ongoing efforts on our shared goal of ensuring food-safety standards continue to be stringent, effective, and constantly improving," said a spokesperson for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency within USDA. "FSIS will continue to work aggressively in preventing foodborne illness, including implementing the first ever performance standards for Salmonella in chicken parts and ground poultry later this year."

Commenting on the legislation in a blog, food-safety lawyer Bill Marler said several strains of E. coli have been declared adulterants, as well as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products; however, USDA hasn’t declared Salmonella an adulterant in such cases as raw poultry, he pointed out.

USDA would be required under the legislation to establish protocols and procedures to test for contaminants.
“The USDA has failed to recall meat contaminated with antibiotic-resistant pathogens because they do not believe they have the legal authority to do so. This bill would ensure there is no confusion," said Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Louise Slaughter of New York, who introduced the legislation on June 25. “We urge Congress to pass this legislation before more Americans are sickened by contaminated meat, poultry, or egg products. We need federal agencies that will protect public health, not bend to the threats of deep-pocketed food producers seeking to escape regulation."

A number of consumer advocacy groups expressed support for the bill, including CSPI, Food & Water Watch, and the Consumer Federation of America.

“When E. coli O157:H7 sickened hundreds of consumers in the 1990s, USDA decided that we cannot tolerate E. coli in ground beef. Yet we are still allowing Salmonella in chicken, even after an outbreak that has sickened over 600 people," said Chris Waldrop, director of the Food Policy Institute at Consumer Federation of America. “This legislation would change that and provide USDA with clear authority to protect consumers from contaminated food."
At least one trade organization representing the poultry industry disagrees. The National Chicken Council argued the legislation would not help FSIS in its investigation of foodborne illness.

"Rather, the bill would redefine long-agreed upon standards for determining whether product is adulterated to include ambiguous and scientifically unsound criteria," said Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. "Under the bill, certain microorganisms sometimes would or sometimes would not be considered adulterants, depending on whether they fit vague, undefined criteria that have nothing to do with actual public health risks. The bill would waste valuable public resources chasing constantly changing microorganism strains, and processors would never know what standards they are supposed to meet."
Peterson added "the industry cooperates closely with FSIS before and during a recall situation, and more often than not, a company will initiate a recall prior to any involvement by FSIS."

But food-safety advocates like CSPI argue FSIS should do more to protect the public from foodborne illness. Last month, CSPI alleged in a lawsuit that the agency has been unlawfully sitting on a petition that requests it classify certain strains of Salmonella as an adulterant. FSIS has declined to comment. In the wake of the May 25, 2011 petition, two separate outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella from 2012 to 2014 were linked to Foster Farms chicken, leaving more than 650 individuals sick, CSPI noted.

HEALTH ALERT: Low Vitamin D Increases Premature Death Risk

Low Vitamin D Increases Premature Death Risk

Rachel Adams

June 12, 2014

New research shows those with lower blood levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to die prematurely as people with higher blood levels of vitamin D.

The finding, published in the American Journal of Public Health, was based on a systematic review of 32 previous studies that included analyses of vitamin D, blood levels and human mortality rates. The specific variant of vitamin D assessed was 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the primary form found in blood.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers vitamin D a “shortfall" nutrient in the American diet, meaning a large number of the population is lacking vitamin D. Solar UVB radiation is the main source of vitamin D, although fear of skin cancer due to overexposure to solar radiation has reduced sun-exposure rates and contributes to low vitamin D. (For more on this, visit this FoodTech Toolbox Slide Show).

Vitamin D can be obtained through certain food sources, although limited. Sources of vitamin D include milk, eggs, mushrooms and certain types of fish, like tuna.

“Three years ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that having a too-low blood level of vitamin D was hazardous," said Cedric Garland, Dr.P.H., professor in the department of family and preventive medicine, UC San Diego, and lead author of the study. “This study supports that conclusion, but goes one step further. The 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) blood level cutoff assumed from the IOM report was based solely on the association of low vitamin D with risk of bone disease. This new finding is based on the association of low vitamin D with risk of premature death from all causes, not just bone diseases. "

Garland said the blood level amount of vitamin D associated with about half of the death rate was 30 ng/ml. He noted that two-thirds of the U.S. population has an estimated blood vitamin D level below 30 ng/ml.

“This study should give the medical community and public substantial reassurance that vitamin D is safe when used in appropriate doses up to 4,000 International Units (IU) per day," said Heather Hofflich, D.O., professor in the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s department of medicine.

One of the biggest questions being asked now is whether vitamin D supplementation can treat diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency. Many ongoing studies are testing this hypothesis in cancer, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

---

HEALTH ALERT: Implementing Successful Sodium Reduction

Implementing Successful Sodium Reduction

Rachel Adams

June 10, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• inShare

• 

Sodum reduction is no easy feat. In addition to replacing sodium chloride’s functional roles in reduced-sodium formulations, product designers must combat the stigma that low sodium products sacrifice on taste.

Sodium chloride plays many functional roles in foods, including texture improvement, color enhancement and microbial control.

Besides imparting a salty flavor, sodium chloride enhances other flavors in the food. How sodium chloride does this is not fully understood, which makes mimicking sodium’s flavor qualities a tad more challenging.

Researchers are aware of one mechanism responsible for at least some of detection of the salty taste via sodium—the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). Finding a compound to target this salty receptor is more difficult than finding high-potency sweeteners to interact with sweet receptors, largely because the receptor is very specific for sodium and for lithium.

Instead, a possibility is to find an enhancer that can keep the ENaC open longer or make fewer molecules of sodium more effective. This has worked with the amino acid arginine, but its high cost has made it an unlikely option.
However, research has shown consumers are regulating salty taste themselves by sprinkling salt on top of low-sodium food. Assuming the food industry can overcome the functional difficulties in reducing sodium in breads, cheeses and meats, sprinkling the surface with a little salt can boost the flavor.

Yeast ingredients can bolster umami, specifically providing a savory, indulgent taste. Although yeast extract is not sodium free, low usage rates can minimize sodium contribution. And though mushrooms themselves can’t reduce sodium, chemicals and compounds from mushrooms can be extracted to increase perceived saltiness in meat, bakery and in topical applications.

For a closer look at sodium reduction—and the strategies used to enhance perceived saltiness of foods—download the free Digital Issue, “Strategies for Reduced-Sodium Formulations."

FOOD PRODUCT LABELS: Dairy Powders Improve Clean-Label Baked Goods

Dairy Powders Improve Clean-Label Baked Goods

Rachel Adams

June 04, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• ins

Dairy powders—dried and concentrated forms of milk and its constituents—are simple, minimally processed ingredients that can assist bakers with delivering better baked goods while maintaining the clean label consumers seek.

Dairy ingredients have a long history of use in baked goods—butter is the gold standard fat ingredient in almost all bakery applications, while cheese, natural or processed, can be blended with other ingredients to improve melt and help manage moisture migration. Nonfat dried milk is another long-time bakery favorite that can improve texture and flavor of baked goods, and bind water to improve shelf life.

The three components of nonfat dried milk—lactose, casein and whey—contribute a medley of functional benefits, promoting the Maillard browning reaction, binding fat and water and adding to crumb texture and post-bake volume. However, the ingredient’s high cost has made it unsuitable in low-cost baked goods, causing manufacturers to seek more cost-effective ingredients that will provide similar attributes.

Sweet whey powder is one such ingredient. Sweet whey powder possesses a sweet taste profile, and can create a tender crumb, despite containing only about one-third the protein of nonfat dry milk. Although sweet whey was once used as an economic replacement for nonfat dry milk, it no longer provides the same financial advantage.
Instead, many bakers are now turning to permeate, a co-product of the product of whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), unfiltered milk, milk protein concentrate (MPC) or milk protein isolate (MPI). Permeate contributes to the browning of baked goods, and can reduce sodium in food products due to its salty flavor. What’s more, permeate labels as “dairy product solids" on ingredient labels to reduce consumer confusion.

For a closer look at dairy powders, and how to use them in bakery applications, download Food Product Design’s free Digital Issue, “Dairy Powders Build Better Baked Goods."

Deciphering Clean Labels

Deciphering Clean Label

Rachel Adams

May 27, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• ins

Although clean label is a priority for most product designers, this unregulated descriptor has many meanings, providing a great deal of flexibility in formulations. Definitions vary by the party involved: ingredient suppliers, food and beverage manufacturers, retailers and consumers all have their own opinion of what qualifies as a clean label.
Research shows that a growing number of consumers have concerns about food additives. When they see a long, unfamiliar names, the often think the additive is a complex chemical compound. But the fact is, every food we eat—whether a just-picked strawberry or a homemade cookie—is made up of chemical compounds that determine flavor, color, texture and nutrient value, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC). Sometimes they are naturally present and other times added by the manufacturer. Regarding the latter, all food additives are carefully regulated by the federal authorities and various international organizations to ensure that foods are safe to eat and are accurately labeled. Still, consumers are increasingly seeking out what might be described as cleaner chemicals.
Clean label is best described as a formulating strategy. It often refers to eliminating chemical-sounding ingredients or any ingredient recognized as being artificial. However, other interpretations include “simple”—which focuses on a short ingredient statement with understandable ingredients—and transparency, which is using the label to communicate what’s inside a product to consumers so they can make an informed purchase decision.

Ultimately, consumers are looking for simple, real foods that have undergone minimal processing and contain the fewest ingredient possible. But what they don’t understand is that it is not easy to have the best of both worlds; that is, fresh, real and clean along with quick, convenient and inexpensive. Additives are needed in today’s food supply to get food safely from farm to table. Despite the proven safety of food additives, what matters is that consumers purchase the product. Their interpretation of clean label is what counts.

For a closer look at defining clean label, along with ingredient options for clean-label products, download Food Product Design’s free Digital Issue, “Chemical Connotations.”

USDA Allows Schools to Flex on Whole Grains

USDA Allows Schools to Flex on Whole Grains

Rachel Adams

May 21, 2014 - Blogs

Print

• E-Mail
• in

USDA is allowing schools to use enriched pasta in lieu of the whole-grain rich varieties required to meet the new school meal standards after schools complained the whole-grain varieties did not “hold up."

According to USDA, schools said the whole grain-rich products currently on the market did not “hold together" when produced in large quantities for school cafeterias. Therefore, schools can serve traditional enriched pasts in lieu of the whole grain varieties for up to two years, until industry develops a “healthy pasta that works for schools."

The announcement was made by Kevin Concannon, Agriculture Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.

"Schools raised legitimate concerns that acceptable whole-grain rich pasta products were not available. We worked to find a solution which will allow more time for industry to develop products that will work for schools," said Concannon.

USDA set new school meal standards with the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which required schools to come up with wellness plans and provide meals with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting the amount of sodium, fat and calories.

To comply with the new standards, beginning next school year all grains and breads in school meal programs must be "whole grain-rich," meaning that they contain at least 50 percent whole grain meal and/or flour. These requirements also reflect the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommended making whole grains at least half of all grains consumed.

Many types of pasta meet the whole grain-rich criteria. However, during the current school year, USDA heard feedback from some schools suggesting that certain whole grain-rich pastas raised a challenge for school menus. Some of the available products, such as lasagna and elbow noodles, degraded easily during preparation and service and were difficult to use in larger-scale cooking operations. USDA said additional consultations with both schools and pasta industry experts confirmed this challenge.

Whole grain-rich pastas made from blends of whole grain and enriched flours maintain better consistency, but these products are still emerging in the marketplace, and may need additional time to develop a range of acceptable whole grain-rich pastas.

Formulating healthy food and beverage product for kids can be a challenge, and is one industry has been addressing. Food Product Design’s Digital Issue, “Healthy Snacks for Kids," discussed some of the challenges food product designers are facing when crafting product that not only provide the nutrition kids need, but also the taste they want. Ingredients like bean flours and fruit- and vegetable-based ingredients can provide nutrition and function in a variety of snacks and other food products.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: USDA Announces School Meal Flexibility for Upcoming School Year