MCDONALD’S TO ROLL OUT HEALTHIER, BALANCED MENUS

Published in Food Product Design September 27, 2013

Posted in News, Business, Foodservice, QSR, Obesity, Children, Nutrition, Diet, Healthy, Healthy Foods,Fruits / Vegetables, Fruit, Vegetable, Dairy, Milk, Beverages, Calorie, Calorie Reduction, Menu,International, Meat Products, Processed Meats, Fried Foods, Potato, Grains / Pasta / Tuber, Tuber, Low Fat, Lowfat Milk, Fat Reduction, Chicken, Poultry, Proteins, Juice, Fruit Juice

OAK BROOK, Ill.—McDonald’s Corp. announced it will adapt their menus to offer healthy option, such as fruit and side salads, as part of its popular value meals to promote balanced food and beverage choices. The fast-food giant also announced nutritional changes to its Happy Meals, as well as changes in the way in which it markets them to children.

McDonald’s is partnering with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association, to increase customers’ access to fruit and vegetables and help families and children to make informed choices in keeping with balanced lifestyles. President Bill Clinton, founder of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, Don Thompson, President and CEO of McDonald’s, and Dr. Howell Wechsler, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, announced the groundbreaking Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment Sept. 26 at the 2013 CGI Annual Meeting in New York City.

McDonald’s collaborated with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop a comprehensive plan for 20 of the restaurant chain’s largest markets that represent 85% of its global sales. The markets include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China (includes Hong Kong market), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States.

McDonald’s has committed to provide customers a choice of a side salad, fruit or vegetable as a substitute for French fries in value meals. (Salad, fruit or vegetable option will vary per participating market).

Some of the biggest changes will occur with McDonald’s Happy Meals, which have come under fire both for offering" nutritionally unbalanced meals" and its marketing tactics to children. In 2011, McDonald's revamped its Happy Meals with its “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices" initiative, a long-term plan to help customers—especially families and children—make nutrition-minded choices when dining out.

Moving forward McDonald’s will promote and market only water, milk and juice as the beverage in Happy Meals on menu boards and in-store and external advertising; utilize Happy Meal and other packaging innovations and designs to generate excitement for fruit, vegetable, low/reduced-fat dairy, or water options for kids; dedicate Happy Meal box or bag panels to communicate a fun nutrition or children’s well-being  message; and ensure 100% of all advertising directed to children to include a fun nutrition or children’s well-being message.

“We’ve seen voluntary agreements with industry have profound impact—including our work with the beverage industry to limit the amount of calories shipped to schools. Those agreements resulted in a 90% reduction in total beverage calories shipped to schools between 2004 and 2010," said President Clinton. “If we want to curb the catastrophic economic and health implications of obesity across the world we need more companies to follow McDonald’s lead and to step up to the plate and make meaningful changes. I applaud them for doing it."

McDonald's will retain an independent third-party organization to verify progress on the commitment in a clear and transparent manner as part of the agreement. All pieces of this commitment will be implemented in 30% to 50% of the 20 major markets within three years and 100% of the 20 markets by 2020.

“This commitment reflects McDonald’s progress regarding nutrition and well-being," said Thompson. “Our partnership with the Clinton Foundation and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is another important step in our journey. And we know there’s more to do. We will continue to use our size and scale around the world to help educate, empower and encourage our customers to make informed choices so they can live a balanced and healthy lifestyle."

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!

US, JAPAN SIGN ORGANIC EQUIVALENCE AGREEMENT

Published in Food Product Design Sept 26, 2013

Posted in News, International, Organic, Economics, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Healthy,Healthy Foods, Retail, Consumer Preference, Food Safety, Regulatory

BALTIMORE—Japan and the United States signed an organic equivalence arrangement at the Natural Products Expo East, making it the first U.S. organic arrangement in Asia.

The agreement will reopen the Japanese consumer market for U.S. organic producers of all sizes and will create jobs and opportunity for the U.S. organic food and farming sector. It will allow for  certified organic products to move freely between the two countries  as of Jan. 1, 2014.

“This monumental agreement will further create jobs in the already growing U.S. organic sector, spark additional market growth, and be mutually beneficial to producers both in the United States and Japan and to consumers who choose organic products," said Laura Batcha, executive vice president of the U.S.-based Organic Trade Association (OTA).

Management, accreditation, certification and enforcement programs are in place in both countries and conform to each other's respective programs. The first two-way trade agreement in Asia marks the first organic equivalency agreement without organic standards exceptions. Under the agreement, MAFF will recognize USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) as equivalent to the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) and the MAFF Organic Program, and will allow products produced and certified as meeting USDA’s NOP standards to be marketed as organic in Japan. Likewise, the United States will allow Japanese products produced and certified under the JAS Organic Program to be marketed as organic in the United States. Both countries will require that the accredited certifier must be identified on the product label.

“On behalf of the U.S. organic industry, OTA extends its sincere thanks and congratulations to the U.S. government and MAFF Japan teams that brought equivalency between our nations after a decade of rigorous and thoughtful negotiations," said Batcha. She noted that OTA and the U.S. organic industry advised, advocated for, and facilitated progress towards this historic arrangement.
In 2009, Canada and the U.S. signed the first in the world equivalency agreement in the organic industry.   

Sources:

• Organic Trade Association: United States and Japan today sign organic equivalence arrangement

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!

BURGER KING REVEALS NEW HEALTHY FRENCH FRY

Published September 24, 2013 in Food Product Design 

Posted in News, Foodservice, Calorie, Calorie Reduction, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Nutrition,International, Fat Reduction, Fats/Oils, Low Fat, Sodium, Market Trends

MIAMI, Fla.—Burger King Worldwide, has announced its  new SATISFRIES™, that are 40% less in fat and 30% less in calories than the normal French fries. Burger King® is the first quick service restaurant to serve this reduced fat, reduced calorie French fry that has only 190 calories, 8 grams of fat and 210 milligrams of sodium for a value size serving.

 “One out of every two Burger King  guests orders our classic French fries and we know our guests are hungry for options that are better for them, but don’t want to compromise on taste," said Alex Macedo, president North America, Burger King.  “When it comes to what we eat, we know that small changes can have a big impact. We see SATISFRIES as one of the biggest fast food launches and are excited to bring this great tasting French fry to our guests."

Just like most French fry recipes, SATISFRIES are made with thinly battered whole potatoes. The difference is that the SATISFRIES recipe ensures that the French fries absorb less oil–only enough to keep each crinkle crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

To create anticipation around the launch, Burger King Corp. kicked off a #WTFF (What The French Fry) teaser campaign on Friday, September 20. Unbranded oversized French fry pods with 8 foot crinkle-cut French fries were installed in high traffic areas in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Passersby were encouraged to interact with the French fries and take pictures to post on social media using the hashtag #WTFF. Each activation also acted as a free “Wi-Fry" station. To view images, visithttp://wtff2013.tumblr.com.

The new product took two years of development with McCain Foods, which can’t sell them to any other fast-food clients. Satisfries will cost between 20 cents and 30 cents more than regular fries.

Burger King’s not the first to try a low-fat fry. Back in 1997, Ruby’s Diner served up Skinny Fries made by J.R. Simplot, which discontinued the product because the fruit pectin coating used to reduce grease absorption became too expensive, according to Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Ruby’s tried again in 2004 with another Simplot product, although nine years later the so-called FitFries also appear to have fallen off the chain’s menus. (Ruby’s and Simplot didn’t immediately respond to interview requests.)

STORY: To Add Variety and Control Cost, Fast Foods Go Small

Burger King’s new fries aren’t a replacement for the old recipe, and spokeswoman Adrianna Lauricella emphasized that the healthier option will only be served “based on guests’ response.” The menu is already crowded with a diversity of deep-fried sides, including sweet potato fries, onion rings, and in some locations mozzarella sticks. McDonald’s, on the other hand, only serves regular fries from its bubbling oil vats. For comparison’s sake, a medium order of Satisfries has 40 fewer calories and 5 fewer grams of fat than the medium-size fries at McDonald’s, but the serving size for Burger King’s medium box is also about a third larger, 157g vs. 117g.

With an oxymoron like healthy fries, everything is relative. The chart below looks at how Burger King’s deep-fried finger foods stack up against each other—and some of these foods could surely benefit from a grease-resistant coating of their own.

SATISFRIES  will be available at Burger King restaurants across the United States beginning September 24 alongside Burger King  classic French fries.

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!

BRAZIL MAY BE SPENDING ITS WAY TOWARD DOWNGRADE

Brazil may be spending its way toward downgrade

SILVIO CASCIONE AND ASHER LEVINE

SAO PAULO — Reuters

Published Tuesday, Sep. 10 2013, 4:09 PM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Sep. 10 2013, 4:43 PM EDT

Brazil’s finances are set to deteriorate substantially next year, leaving the government with few options to revive a sputtering economy and raising the threat of a credit downgrade.

The government is likely to miss its key 2014 budget target, the primary surplus, by as much as 50 billion reais ($22-billion U.S.), delivering only about half its goal, estimates by Reuters and private economists show.

Unlike most other countries, Brazil’s most-watched budget goal strips out interest payments on its debt, meaning its overall deficit would widen if the primary surplus dwindles.

Such an event could deal a major setback to Latin America’s biggest economy, which won its investment-grade credit rating in 2008 through a commitment to fiscal responsibility and strong economic growth.

Growth, however, has slowed sharply since 2011, and President Dilma Rousseff has unleashed costly tax breaks and credit subsidies in response.

The strategy has not only failed to support the economy, but also has exacerbated Brazil’s fiscal woes. Meanwhile, with Ms. Rousseff expected to enter a hotly contested run for a second term next year, she is unlikely to make major spending cuts because they could anger her fragile political coalition.

A credit downgrade, already priced in by credit default swap markets for mid-next-year, would put Brazil’s rating just one notch above junk status, making government and corporate borrowing more expensive and further eroding economic growth.

A downgrade could also complicate efforts to curb inflation by triggering further weakness in Brazil’s currency, which has lost 10 per cent of its value against the dollar this year.

Reuters spoke to analysts at two ratings agencies who highlighted the risks imposed by Brazil’s slow economic growth at a time when there is little room for additional stimulus.

“We recognize that even though there is some room for counter-cyclical fiscal policy in Brazil, that room is actually very limited,” said Sebastian Briozzo, a director with Standard & Poor’s, which placed a negative outlook on Brazil’s triple-B credit rating in June.

“Between this year and next, this is what we will be evaluating for the rating outlook to see how it is resolved,” he said.

The government still says it will meet its target for a primary surplus of 2.1 per cent of gross domestic product, but it is relying on projections that most economists think are wildly optimistic.

The primary surplus is the government’s excess revenue before interest payments on its debt.

While most analysts expect Brazil’s economy to grow about 2.3 per cent in 2014, in what would be a fourth-consecutive year of mediocre expansion, Ms. Rousseff’s government projected growth of 4 per cent when preparing next year’s budget.

The government’s growth forecast resulted in an overly optimistic estimate for tax collection, which in turn allowed authorities to justify a more than 10-per-cent expansion in public expenditures next year.

The picture looks different when the forecast economic growth rate is changed.

By projecting the increase in revenues for next year given the GDP growth rate expected by private economists, including provisions for inflation, Reuters found that the government’s projected primary surplus would fall short of what authorities are expecting.

Private economists including Felipe Salto, professor at Fundacao Getulio Vargas, and Catarina Braga, analyst at MCM Consultores, had similar conclusions.

Asked about the gap between official and private forecasts, Brazil’s Finance Ministry reiterated its estimates. Last month, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said that current government forecasts for the primary surplus would be revised early next year, which could lead to budget freezes.

Rising public spending was part of Ms. Rousseff’s big policy bet for 2013: that Brazil, which required a bailout by the International Monetary Fund bailout in 1998, had matured enough for investors to accept single-digit interest rates and less austerity.

Her government has changed tack since S&P issued its warning, but economists say none of the improvements so far – such as a 10-billion-reais budget freeze announced in July – has been a game-changer.

Even if the economy does not slow as expected next year, the budget goal will likely remain unrealistic. Brazil’s government has overestimated one-off revenues from toll road and airport concessions, economists said, while underestimating the spending likely to be made by states and cities in an election year.

The government already lowered its closely watched goal for the primary surplus, from 2.3 per cent of GDP, to the current 2.1-per-cent projection, though some economists said it was mostly a half-hearted attempt by policy makers to be more transparent after years of relying on accounting tricks to meet the target.

Private forecasts suggest Brazil’s government won’t even come close to its goal next year, with Barclays projecting a primary surplus of only 1.1 per cent of GDP.

Analysts are also monitoring Brazil’s recent intervention in currency markets as it tries to support the real after it reached nearly five-year lows. Brazil’s central bank has so far kept the door closed on its vault of $370-billion (U.S.) in foreign reserves, but may need to open it in the next few months if investors continue to lose faith in the country’s slow-growing economy.

“A severe loss of international reserves and/or deterioration in government debt composition could also put pressure on the rating,” Shelly Shetty, head of Latin America Sovereigns at Fitch Ratings, wrote in an e-mail.

Moody’s Brazil analyst Mauro Leos was not available to comment.

However, a potential change in outlook by Moody’s in the second half of the year will be “a key event to focus on,” David Beker, chief Brazil economist for Merrill Lynch, wrote in a recent investor note.

In a July speech, Ms. Rousseff said her government remained committed to fiscal responsibility, telling ministers and business leaders: “The principle is that we can only spend what we have, so we don’t compromise our fiscal balance.”

But many analysts and investors may need more convincing.

“This government is never going to make a strong fiscal adjustment,” said Waldemir Quadros, an economics professor at Pontificia Universidade Catolica in Sao Paulo who specializes in public finances. “Forget it.”

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!

FOOD ON THE RUN’ AN EMERGING SECTOR WORTH $90 BILLION

Published September 20, 2013 in Food  Product Design

Posted in News, Beverages, Breakfast, Consumer Preference, Convenience Foods, Diet, Frozen Foods,Frozen / Refrigerated Foods, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Market Trends, Market Research, Nutrition,Demographic, Retail, Science & Research, Snack Foods, Economics

CHICAGO—Recent research dove into the daily eating habits of Americans and found that the age-old image of a family seated around the dining room table enjoying a home-cooked meal is falling by the wayside, while the number of Americans grabbing food on the run is an emerging segment, currently valued at $90 billion, according to new market data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).

While 79% of Americans are planners and eat three meals or several smaller meals throughout the day, research shows 21% eat on the run. Dubbed “opportunists" by IRI, these eaters tend to grab food and drink throughout the day as the opportunity arises, with little consideration as to whether they are eating a meal or a snack, as reported in the study, “How America Eats: Capturing Growth with Food on the Run."
Compared to the planned eaters, opportunists are less inclined to factor healthy eating into their daily regimen. More opportunists (36%) split their healthy and indulgent behaviors equally, eating healthy half the time and eating more freely the rest of the time, compared to planners (31%). A large number of opportunist eaters (39%) grab convenient foods with little thought as to whether those foods are playing the role of a snack or meal.

Opportunists are also more value-driven, the research showed. For example, 31% of opportunists tend to buy whatever food/beverage is on sale with little concern for nutritional value, compared to 18% of planners. Likewise, available coupons/discounts are a key influencer of meal/snack decisions for one-third of opportunists, versus about one-quarter of planners.

Results show opportunists still enjoy cooking (49%), but look for convenience when evaluating food and beverage options. Two-thirds want foods that are quick and easy to prepare, and one-third prefer to eat heat-and-eat or ready-to-eat foods rather than preparing options from scratch. As a result, opportunists spent 60% more on frozen appetizers and snack rolls versus planners during the past year. Frozen appetizers and snack rolls, as well as a variety of other convenience-oriented categories, are expected to demonstrate high growth, especially among opportunist eaters versus the market as a whole.

Opportunist eaters hail from diverse backgrounds, cutting across age, income and household brackets. Two-thirds of opportunists are female, and 92% are of non-Hispanic origin. Skewing slightly to the lower end of the income spectrum, nearly two-thirds of opportunists come from single-member or two-member households. Many are living a bachelor/bachelorette life, or the life of a dual-income-no-kid family, where life is a bit less scheduled. Just under half are under the age of 45.

Sources:

• IRi: IRI Research Examines How Americans Eat

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!

HEALTH ALERT: FIRST LADY URGES INDUSTRY TO EMBRACE RESPONSIBLE FOOD MARKETING

FIRST LADY URGES INDUSTRY TO EMBRACE RESPONSIBLE FOOD MARKETING

Published Sept 20, 2013 in Food Product Design 

Posted in News, Children, Diet, Nutrition, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Calorie, Calorie Reduction, Water,Beverages, Obesity, Weight Management, Fat Reduction, Fats/Oils, Sweeteners, Sugar, Sucrose,Business, Labeling, Packaging, Economics

WASHINGTON—First Lady Michelle Obama addressed food and media industry executives, advocates, parent leaders, government agency representatives and researchers during the Let's Move! food marketing meeting at the White House on Sept. 18, where she urged key stakeholders to do more and work faster to market responsibly to children

."When the average child is now spending nearly eight hours a day in front of some kind of screen, many of their opinions and preferences are being shaped by the marketing campaigns you all create. And that’s where the problem comes in," Mrs. Obama said during her speech. "I’m here today with one simple request—and that is to do even more and move even faster to market responsibly to our kids."
Parents are increasingly anxious as they see kids are developing diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and confronting obesity. Mrs. Obama insisted she wasn't "asking anyone to take the fun out of childhood," and asked attendees to "empower parents instead of undermining them as they try to make healthier choices for their families."

The marketing convening, as part of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move initiative to eradicate childhood obesity in the Untied States, was intended to encourage constructive, collaborative dialogue and strategize about ways to shift the marketing of unhealthy products to healthier products and decrease the marketing of unhealthy products to kids. Attendees of the event participated in two separate breakout sessions to share ideas and discuss future steps to build and develop a marketing and food industry dedicated to healthier food choices for kids and families. 

She praised companies, such as Birds Eye Vegetables and Disney, who launched an initiative to require all food and beverage products advertised, sponsored or promoted via Disney-owned platforms to meet nutritional guidelines in order to promote fruit and vegetables, as well as limit calories, sugar, sodium and saturated fat by 2015.

"You guys know better than anyone how to get kids excited. You’ve done it before, and we need you to do it again," Mrs. Obama said. "And fortunately you have everything it takes to get this done because through the magic of marketing and advertising, all of you, more than anyone else, have the power to shape our kids’ tastes and desires."

Sources:

• The White House: First Lady Michelle Obama Encourages Collaborative Food Marketing Effort to Empower Parents

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!