It is a centuries-old traditional product of the island and the reason it was first made back in the day of no refrigerators was so that excess myzithra wouldn’t spoil and go to waste, while also using kefalotyri that had not been consumed. A local family-run dairy plant from Ios, called “To Niotiko”, now offers consumers this premium quality, preservatives-free product. Ingredients include goat, cow and sheep milk, rennet, culture blend, salt. It is best enjoyed mixed in green salads, pies, even as an appetizer with alcohol, either alone or in cheese platters.

The post Skotyri cheese from Ios island by Niotiko appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

The post High Fibre Saves Lives, But Food Processing May Remove Benefits appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

L.E.K.’s report came to three main conclusions:

1. Consumers look for nuanced claims that communicate specific attributes related to health and wellness, ethics, and the environment.
2. Consumers want their food to have an increasingly wide range of benefits.
3. Consumers will pay more for food that delivers the benefits it claims.

A look at food claims

Looking at five categories of attributes — natural, ethical, enhanced, less of…, and alternative dietary lifestyle — the survey found almost 75% of consumers committed to one or more attribute when choosing foods. This commitment shows up in all age groups, although Millennials lead the way.

Figure 1: Food Claims, Source: L.E.K Consulting

Changing attitudes toward food claims

The 2018 survey saw a change from previous years in how many attributes consumers want from food. Previously, consumer interest clustered around a few on-trend claims. However, this latest survey found consumers were committed or occasional supporters of almost 12 health and wellness claims — up 20% from the 2016 survey.

The survey also revealed that the kinds of expected attributes have changed. In earlier surveys, consumers were more likely to look for “less of…”  — claims often related to managing weight, such as sugar free, fat free, low salt, low carb, or low calorie. Consumer expectations then began shifting to attributes related to health and wellness.

The latest results show that most consumers want all-natural and organic foods at least some of the time. However, the most in-demand foods are those without artificial ingredients and preservatives. L.E.K. interprets this specific finding as reflecting consumers’ growing desire to look beyond general all-natural claims and understand the specifics of the food purchased. The lack of official FDA definitions of terms such as natural may be driving consumers to decide for themselves what they prefer in (or not in) their foods, according to L.E.K.

L.E.K. believes the next version of consumer health claims includes clean labels and sustainability. “Interestingly, ‘clean label’ means no artificial ingredients or preservatives — the two most sought-after claims in our survey, even though the term itself does not particularly resonate among this year’s survey respondents,” states L.E.K.

The bottom line is that consumers increasingly pay attention to these newer claims, with declining interest in the older claims. This shift is reflected in the 2018 survey finding that 60% to 70% of consumers, up 10 percentage points from 2016, will pay premium prices for natural, ethical, enhanced, or “less of …” foods. Among committed consumers, 73% to 86% will pay extra, an increase of 15 to 20 percentage points from 2016.

Healthy eating here to stay?

Healthy eating has become mainstream, with most consumers expecting foods and beverages that meet increasingly nuanced attributes of health and wellness, ethics, and sustainability. “What hasn’t changed is consumers’ delight in products that are indulgent and delicious — with quality ingredients supplanting processed, nutritionally empty ones,” states L.E.K. “The intersection of these desires is where superior pricing and profits await the brands that are paying attention.”

Source: Food Industry Executive

The post Consumers Say They Want to Eat Healthy appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

The Four Pillars of the Russian Cuisine

Vegetables. Abundance of vegetables is one of the distinctive features of the Russian cuisine. Vegetables were pickled and preserved otherwise to supply vitamins for long winters. Cheap, easy to grow and able to be stored for a long time varieties was preferred, such as onion, cabbage, carrot, turnips, and radish. Russians also liked potatoes brought by Peter I at the beginning of the 18th century. Vegetables make the base of rich and nourishing soups, spicy appetizers and are amply added into meat and poultry dishes.

Fish. Russian rivers and lakes have always been rich in fish (perch, roach, pike, ruff, sturgeon), that is why it has an important place in the menu. Besides fish was caught in the winter season as well (the famous “subglacial fishing”), and rich and nourishing fish dishes could be served all year round. Those include soups, roasted and stewed dishes as well as baked food.

Baked Foods. “Bread is the staff of life”, says an old Russian proverb. No meal either at a rich or a poor house can do without bread. There are many kinds of bread with considerably different flavors. However, Russian people have baked, not only bread: Russian cuisine is full of appetizing recipes of baked and roasted dishes of dough. What can be more nourishing and tastier during a long and cold winter? Baked food has always been a distinctive feature of Russian holiday feasts and accompanied many religious and ritual celebrations. Pan fried blini and oladi, famous pies with dozens of various fillings — every housewife has her personal signature recipe.

Cereals. Grains in Russia were used not only for making bread. People have liked to process grains and eat them. Hot and rich Russian porridges are made of a variety of cereals (barley, wheat, buckwheat, semolina), each of which has its own unique taste. Porridge becomes even tastier with various additives: berries, mushrooms or stewed meat or chicken, and roasted onions.

Traditional Russian Dishes

Blini (pancakes). Thin roasted scones of plain dough made from flour, eggs and milk are one of the most beloved by Russian people’s dishes. A bit sweet or meagre, golden brown, hot and well-oiled, they are an essential attribute of any holiday. Blini are always served with various additives — from rich (e.g. Meat, salted fish, caviar) to sweet ones (e.g. Berries, honey, jam), so they can be either a main dish or a dessert. In the second half of February or early March Russian people celebrate Maslenita — a holiday when blini are cooked at every home. Making blini very thin, even and lacy is a matter of honor for every Russian housewife.

Oladi is another dish from dough cooked in a frying pan. Oladi is similar to blini, but they are thicker and have porous structure. They are served with Smetana (sour cream).

Borsch. This is a soup based on beet-root and cabbage with pulpy pieces of vegetables that has nice vinous colour and sweet and savory vegetable taste. Borsch is a dish that exists in many varieties: it can be nourishing, with pieces of meat or very light, based on vegetables only. Depending on the region of Russia borsch is cooked with tomatoes, sometimes mushrooms or even apples.

Shchi. It is a light transparent soup of boiled cabbage with pieces of vegetables. It is a very light and useful dish for all seasons. In spring it is cooked with new cabbage and has fresh and delicate flavor. The winter dish is the so-called “sour shchi” based on pickled cabbage. Sour shchi has very bright and nice pickle flavor. However the smell of sour shchi is not very pleasant (due to pickled cabbage) but real gourmands simply disregard it.

Pirogi or pirozhki are baked food with various fillings. It is difficult to find a more diverse dish of the Russian cuisine! Pirozhki can be filled with meat, chicken, fish or mushrooms, boiled eggs, vegetables, fruits, berries or jam. The contrast of golden brown dough and delicate hot filling inside is very tasteful. Pirozhki is very popular “fast food”, they are often taken by people going on a long journey. Cooking of pirozhki at home is a real fun for the whole family, as even a child can easily make them. The most pleasant and unusual taste belongs to pies with mushroom (or potato and mushroom), apple or cherry filling.

Ukha is a transparent soup made from fresh fish, potatoes and carrots. Ukha is cooked from various kinds of fishes, mainly white ones. The sterlet ukha is a speciality, but ukha made from small river fishes is also very tasty (folks especially like ruffe ukha). Instead of bread ukha is often served with a traditional fish pie called rasstegai.

Buckwheat porridge is a nourishing dish from boiled buckwheat grains that has been anciently beloved by Russian people. Its taste and appearance resemble brown rice. The classical buckwheat dish is crumby, it shall be boiled so that all the grains keep apart. Quite often buckwheat is cooked with meat or other (usually not sweet) ingredients to make its mild taste more piquant. One of the popular dishes called “Grechka po-kupecheski” (Merchant-Style Buckwheat) is cooked with roasted mushrooms and onions.

Pickled products have been part of the traditional Russian cuisine since ancient times as they gave the opportunity to add vegetables to the diet during the long winter. Especially popular are pickled cucumbers because they stay as crunchy as fresh ones, but get savory salt and sweet taste. Common people also like sauerkraut made of chopped and pickled cabbage leaves. After pickling they become crunchy and semi-transparent. The taste of sauerkraut varies from sour to sweet and sour, it is a great appetizer and a freshening side dish. Pickled mushrooms are a haute Russian specialty. Milk mushrooms (Lactarius resimus and Lactarius turpis) have an especially delicate taste and elastic body. They are pickled and served with onions or mashed potatoes. Brines for pickling are made with various herbs and spices able to add new interesting tints to dishes.

Pelmeni. Their recipe was brought to Russia from China but has been considerably changed under the influence of Russian culinary tradition. Dough for Russian pelmeni is made of wheat flour and is rather hard. The filling is minced meat. Pelmeni are most often boiled, sometimes roasted and served with Smetana. Pelmeni is a very substantial dish, so it is better to eat them separately.

Stroganina is a dish of the Russian North cuisine. It is really thin slices of frozen fish or meat that are dipped into a mixture of salt and pepper. Stroganina is a very unusual crispy appetizer.

Okroshka is freshening cold soup with pieces of fresh vegetables. Okroshka is made with traditional Russian beverages — kvass or kefir. It is a very tasty and light summer dish that feels good in hot weather. Usually okroshka is served with Smetana.

Russian Drinks

Kvass is a traditional summer beverage made of rye bread or flour and malt. Kvass has rye, sour, and freshening taste. It perfectly quenches thirst, but may seem too poignant to some people. In summer time you can find iron barrels, selling cold kvass in the streets of Russian cities. However, when eating at a restaurant it is advisable to order kvass made in wooden barrels. Kvass contains a bit of alcohol (up to 3%), that is why it is not recommended to drink it before driving!

Medovukha is a light honey based alcoholic drink with added grasses and berries. Medovukha is served hot and consumed slowly. It usually has a pleasant sweet taste.

Sbiten is a drink similar to medovukha but having less distinct sweet taste. Sbiten is often cooked with various herbs and serves a perfect prevention against colds. To some extent it resembles herbal tea with honey.

Mors is a drink based on water diluted berry juice (the most popular kind is cranberry mors). Usually it has nice red or ruby color and fresh, slightly acid taste. The history of mors counts several centuries. Cold mors perfectly quenches thirst and helps to clean taste receptors.

Russian exotic — the most authentic dishes and drinks

Borodinsky bread is made of rye flour. It has dark brown color, nice piquant flavor and thick body. Its taste is difficult to describe: it is spicy, sweet and sour with a tint of fermentation. Borodinsky bread is covered with spices, usually coriander seeds. Brown bread perfectly complements most dishes of the Russian cuisine. It is very tasty when cut into thin pieces and slightly dredged with salt.

Kholodets. This dish is probably for the bravest and persistent followers of the Russian cuisine. It is cold jelly made of rich bone broth with pieces of meat and vegetables. Kholodets is dressed with cold sauce of grated horseradish. Kholodets has an impressive look — through transparent jellied broth one can see nice circles of carrots and potatoes. However, this dish is far from being popular even among Russians.

Kefir. A drink made by fermented milk having thick consistence and unique sour and creamy taste. The closest analogue is natural yoghurt. Kefir appeases hunger, perfectly refreshes in hot weather, and is very useful for digestion. However, many people who try it for the first time point out that its taste is unusual.

Vodka. This is one of the most popular among foreigners, Russian words and the main strong national drink in Russia. When choosing vodka it is better to give preference to well-distilled spirit. Pickled products and brown bread are traditional vodka chasers.

What is the right way of drinking vodka?

According to the Russian tradition a shot of cold vodka should be drunk at a gulp, then smell a piece of dark bread and only after that have a bite.

To some people Russian cuisine may seem too exotic; however, those who are open to new tastes would like it. First of all, this is home and not restaurant cuisine, so if you get a chance to try Russian dishes made by not a professional cook but a housewife do not miss it! However, one should take into account that a table fully covered with dishes is the standard of Russian hospitality.

Source: Russia

The post Traditional Dishes – Russian Cuisine appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

Russian cuisine is famous for its festive dishes such as smoked sturgeon balyk, sturgeon with horseradish, slightly salted salmon, red, black and pink caviar, pickled and salted mushrooms. But this is, of course, only a small part of Russian national cuisine. Other popular and traditional dishes include kasha, a mixture of cereals and porridge, soups such as borsch, pancakes, pirogi pies with different salty fillings, and many dough based dishes. Poultry dishes are considered festive in Russian cuisine. Stews, meat and cabbage are popular daily foods, as well as goulash, an old traditional meat dish.

Bread and other wheat products are also an essential part in the food culture, especially brown bread. Other popular breads include olad’i, which resembles a pancake, shan’gi, white bread rolls, pyshki, tiny doughnuts dating back from Soviet times, baranki, and bubliki, similar to bagels, and kalachi, white baked bread. Russian bread products have a long history along with vodka, which first emerged in the late 1400s.

Vegetable and meat salads are also very popular. Salads are usually heavier than in Western countries, and consisting of potato, carrots, beetroot, mayonnaise etc. The most famous salad in Moscow is the Olivie, which was named after its inventor, a French chef of the Hermitage restaurant in the 1860s. It is made mainly of vegetables mixed with mayonnaise, and boiled meat or chicken. Everyone has their own variation of the salad.

History and the orthodox religion have also had a significant effect on Russian food culture. Soviet snacks and dishes still remain popular and Orthodox culture has had a big influence on which dishes are eaten at which time of the year. There are still special restrictions concerning the food during Lent, during which meat, poultry, and dairy products are not allowed, and so vegetables are used, for example the form of stews and soups. Fish is also used as a replacement for meat.

This can be seen also in Russian restaurants: during lent you might be offered dishes without meat, eggs and butter. However, they will have traditional fish, vegetable and mushroom dishes on offer.

Russian desserts

Kissels are popular desserts consisting of sweetened juice thickened with flour.

A kissel can be made from berries or other fruit. It can be made thick and jelly-like to be eaten with a spoon or it can be drinkable. It can be served both hot and cold, for example on pancakes or with ice cream.

Dishes containing curd, which was mistaken for cheese before, are a very popular part of the food culture. One special dish is oladyi, more commonly known as syrkini – cheese cakes, which are made of curd with eggs and flour and then fried in oil.

Pancakes have a special spot in the Russian food culture as they are a very old tradition. Pancakes were considered ritual food, representing the sun in the old pagan traditions.

The pancake week, Maslenitsa, is organised every spring to celebrate the sun and the end of winter.

Vodka is one of the most popular drinks in Russia, mainly because it is cheap. It is usually drunk very cold, and generally with food or some snacks.

Tea, surprisingly, is a very popular drink in Russia. Tea is drunk traditionally from the Russian Samovar, which is a heated metal container used for boiling water. Other popular drinks include Sbiten, a spicy hot drink flavoured with wine or honey, and Kvass, a drink usually made from black rye or rye bread.

Russians also drink Mors, which is made of berry juice and water, and birch tree juice, using extracts from the trees.
Home-made mint Kvass: Kvass is a Russian bread-based drink and an ingredient in many soups (light kind).

Source: Expatica

The post A Guide To Russian Cuisine appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

It is also an area where Greek companies have managed to innovate and differentiate themselves, both in terms of the product but also in terms of packaging. Over the past 10 years, there are several examples of companies in the food sector who have achieved significant market shares abroad by leveraging the combination of traditional Greek ingredients and innovative marketing and packaging.

Over the next years, the food & agriculture sector in Greece is expected to be a significant contributor to GDP growth and value added, driven by several key market trends and competitive advantages:

• The recent shift towards organic, natural ingredients in the Greek agriculture sector which are highly regarded and can command a greater premium and value added
• The prevalence of the Mediterranean Diet, as a premier paradigm of healthy, natural eating across the world
• The key drivers of health, ethics, physical fitness and pleasure that affect consumer preferences in developed economies
• The increased drive for self-sufficiency and food safety
• The potential for clusters of innovation and R&D in several specialized Greek food supply chains, combining EU funding, the work of research and academic institutes and the interest of industrial champions in the application of new technologies

Given the above environment, Greek food manufacturers can take advantage of their smaller scale, access to high-quality inputs and traditional Mediterranean positioning to differentiate from the global food manufacturers and gain market share value-added product segments and higher price points.

Driven by the above opportunities, there are several major Greek and international investors already looking to improve the competitiveness of the Greek food sector, by consolidating smaller holdings, shifting production to higher-value crops and investing in innovative production and packaging technologies.

Many multinationals are enjoying the benefits of being based in Greece. Giants such as Mondelēz, Lays, Barilla, Cadbury, General Mills, Friesland Campina, manufacture a wide range of products and find that local and regional markets are receptive to new product lines as well as established favorites.

Greece’s food and beverage companies have created a large sales and distribution network in Southeast Europe, a strength that is reinforced by the dynamism of the Greek enterprises operating in the region. Topping the list of products exported are vegetables, fruits, olive oil, dairy products, fresh seafood, canned fruits, olives, raisins, wine, and tomato products. More recently, Greek food and beverage companies are rapidly penetrating higher-growth markets such as the US, China, Russia and Western Europe.

There is abundant opportunity to create value added in many product categories, especially as the global interest in healthful foods, snack foods, and convenience foods continues to expand. Honey and nut-based snacks, pasta products, marmalades and pickled goods, as well as novel seafood and meat products demonstrate a significant potential in numerous markets. And as consumption of olive oil grows, Greece is ideally positioned to respond in this sector as it is the third largest producer of olive oil in the world.

Why Greece

Brand value / positioning – Greek diet is regarded as a pre-eminent example of Mediterranean diet, which has been globally accepted as one of the healthiest and most nutritional

Geography and climate conditions – Greek geography and climate can sustain some of the most diverse, high-quality natural raw materials and produce, including such exotic ingredients as saffron and truffles

Traditional high-quality ingredients – Greece has a number of recognizable POP or other local ingredients and foods whose quality is recognized by some of the greatest Chefs in the world

Specialized know how and expertise – agriculture and food production is a traditional Greek occupation, which has led to a significant amount of food research departments, agricultural schools, trained food technologists and chemists, and skilled farmers.

Research and Innovation – Greece’s universities and research institutes focus heavily on providing assistance to the food and beverage industry. A number of highly specialized research centers such as the University of Thessaly, the Food Industrial Research & Technological Development Company (ETAT), the Institute of Agrobiotechnology and the Institute of Aquaculture, assist manufacturers and processors in developing innovative solutions to meet the needs of today’s marketplace.

Key investment opportunities

• Repositioning and consolidation of primary food production using new technologies (hydroponics, greenhouses etc.) and high-value crops
• Participation in the growth and consolidation of smaller, organic producers with strong export potential
• Investment in the packaging, export and marketing of traditional staples of Greek diet such as olive oil, herbs and aquaculture
• Investment in boutique and niche market goods, leveraging the abundant high-quality raw materials, the EU-level production standards and the competitive operating costs
• Development of high-value product lines based on the global “Mediterranean Diet” trends and the exploding organic food sector
• Investment in mass-market food production for private-label or branded use, taking advantage of Greek access to the emerging growth markets of Southeast Europe where Greek F&B companies have developed an extensive production and distribution network
• New product development, production and distribution based on the R&D facilities and know-how of Greek research centers and the familiarity of Greek consumers with international food products, brands and tastes.

Food & Agriculture subsectors

Agricultural production / organic foods

Primary agricultural production has been a major export sector for Greece in the past, with Greek fruit and vegetables being consumed in several international markets. Despite the small lot size, the Greek agriculture sector has maintained a positive trade gap in a wide range of agricultural products such as tomatoes, kiwis, oranges etc., which are traditionally products with stable prices and rising demand.

The current state of affairs is shifting more people towards high-quality farm production and export, and shifting farmers to more sophisticated, export-focused, higher-value crops. This is driven both by the Greek Government, which views food exports as a significant opportunity, and also by local farmers co-operatives which are improving their know-how and entrepreneurial skills and helping farmers modernize their means of production.

The role of private investors in this process can be significant, since they can provide capital but also know-how and market access to Greek producers in order to maximize their value added and their competitiveness in the European markets.

There are several specific sectors that show potential for increased returns in terms of production capacity. Most notably, there are several types of crops which are considered “export engines” (e.g. grapes, oranges, peaches, nectarines, kiwis) and which can all meet European and global demand with the appropriate standardization and quality control. Also, a major area of value is organic food production, which is highly sought after and commands a significant premium in key western markets.

Greek specialty foods

Greek specialty foods include a variety of products, ranging from high-value niche products (Chios Masticha, Kalamata olives, Kozani Saffron, Aegina pistachios) to widely available categories which are endemic to the Greek diet (e.g. greek yoghurt, olive oil, honey) to Protected Designation of Origin Status (PDO) products only found in Greece.

These products form the spearhead of an upgrading of the Greek food production, having significant export potential and high value added in the international markets. Investment opportunities exist in several key areas:

• Consolidation and upgrading of their supply chain to ensure supply chain efficiency
• Development of innovative end products around these high-value crops
• Marketing and sales capabilities in order to penetrate developed markets and ensure market access
• The combination of local production and know-how with such investments can generate high returns for the investor interested in pursuing strategic investments within this specialty sector

Aquaculture

Although aquaculture is a relatively specialized sub-segment of food production, it is a rapidly growing sector of the Greek economy – and one where Greece can leverage its competitive advantages and already is a major international exporter.

In Greece, approximately 90% of the sector’s value is driven by two main fish products, seabass/seabream, in which Greece holds a dominant position in the global markets. Greek aquaculture production is known for its product quality and has enormous further growth potential if it invests in more capacity, economies of scale and cost-improvement initiatives.

Fish farming holds a leading position in Greece’s Food industry and it is a top industry sector in the EU characterized by strong market consolidation. Investing in the consolidation and expansion of aquaculture facilities and the improvement of competitiveness, operating efficiency and market access can yield significant returns for this sector based on its growth potential and existing market positioning.

Olive Oil

Greek olive oil is recognized as very high-quality, driven by the natural environment and production values of Greek oil producers. There are literally hundreds of local varieties and tastes, including a number of organic producers which are positioning in the global high-value market with specialty and luxury oils.

Greek Olive oil and oleaginous products are amongst the most famous agricultural products of the country, with co-ops, companies and the Greek State geared towards furthering the national export potential. Greek companies have established significant brand recognition and international distribution networks, whilst investments in market consolidation, processing, R&D, product differentiation, improved packaging, and more concentrated production output can further expand an already blossoming industry and yield significant returns.

Source: Enterprise Greece

The post Investing In Greek Food & Agriculture appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

The results of a survey assessing the most commonly selected definition of “food safety,” from a predetermined set of answers, by food manufacturers, food inspectors (state and federal), and other food safety professionals who participated in food safety training or lectures provided by the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension. The choices of answers included all responses to a published survey, in which 5,000 consumers nationwide and executives from 40 retail companies were surveyed to assess, among other things, their selection of what attributes are the most representative in the definition of “food safety.”

Our findings showed that, given specific predetermined answers, the most common definitions chosen were “free of harmful elements” and “none of the above” to describe their interpretation of “food safety.” We have reasoned that, although appealing as a definition of “food safety,” the response “free of harmful elements” does not represent good manufacturing practices on how food is manufactured around the world.1 Yet, the selection of no specific response indicates more research is needed to provide a more comprehensive list of options for defining the concept of food safety.

At a food safety meeting, while discussing the current limitations on how people understand and define food safety, we decided to organize a survey of individuals working with foods to collect the definitions of “food safety”. Thus, UVM Extension organized an online survey to collect information on the current understanding of the term “food safety” among food industry professionals.

Initially, the survey was sent to a selected group of individuals for feedback on the questions and response options. The survey was then modified and restructured to have 10 questions on demographics, in which participants willingly provided information that included residence location, occupation, age, education level, and the number of years working with foods. At the end of the survey, there was an open-ended question that asked participants to provide their definitions of food safety. Participation was voluntary and all answers were kept confidential.

We targeted primarily food manufacturers and food professionals for the survey. Survey responses were collected between March 19, 2019, and May 20, 2019. The survey was posted through the LimeSurvey system of UVM. Participants received an email with a link to the survey to complete the survey online.

Results

We received a total of 159 responses. However, 76 were incomplete because participants started the survey but never completed the final submission. From 83 full responses, two were related to animal feed and pet food; therefore, they were removed from this study, which focused on the definition of food safety applied to human food. Thus, 81 responses matched the criteria of being full responses submitted by the individual completing the survey.

The analysis of the demographics data showed that 54 percent of the respondents were from the U.S., and the rest were from Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Peru, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Thirty-three percent of the respondents were in senior management positions (owners, directors, and managers), whereas the remaining respondents work in retail (44%), are processors (12%), or work as consultants (16%).

Other key characteristics of the population of respondents included:
•    72% of all respondents were between the ages of 31 and 60
•    61% of the respondents have worked at least 11 years

Regarding the highest education level attained by participants, 62 percent of respondents had an M.Sc./M.A. degree or higher educational level. Within food safety training, 30 percent had Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points training, and 24 percent had Preventive Controls for Human Food (Food Safety Modernization Act) training. In general, survey participants selected a variety of food types with which they work.

Our overall analysis of the demographic data shows a large percentage of participants have been working for the food industry for several years, have advanced degrees and food safety training, and have daily responsibilities related to food safety activities.

The definitions of food safety provided by survey participants included multiple words and terms. In 20 percent of the cases, the definition provided included the term “food safety” and described the end results of food safety, such as:

•    The presentation of food that can be consumed with little to no risk for foodborne illness, either chronic or acute
•    Taking actions that ensure safer food
•    No harm to consumer of the food
•    Keeping food safe for consumers
•    The biological, chemical, or physical status of a food that will permit its consumption without incurring excessive risk of injury, morbidity, or mortality
•    Food that cannot cause any type of damage
•    Food I can trust!
•    Food that is consistently safe for consumers of all ages, health, anywhere in the world
•    The quality of the food not to cause harm to the consumer
•    Possibility that every person has safe food from the point of view of safety, nutrition, and energy
•    Protecting public health

We grouped the definitions collected based on keywords that were repeated across responses. These keywords were based on their association with or relationship to “safe.” Table 1 shows a selected number of keywords that appear multiple times in the definitions submitted by survey participants.

Within the group of words that appear more than 10 times, the word consumer appeared 16 times (20%) and was associated with the words safe, no harm, protection, prevention. It appears that survey participants recognize the importance—and in these days the legal implications—of food that may harm consumers. The word contaminants appears 11 times (14%) and was associated with avoid, free, and prevent.

The words illness and handle or handling appeared each 10 times (12%). The words process, processed, or processing appeared 17 times (21%) and in many different sentences. The word risk appeared 12 times (15%) and was associated with avoid, eliminate, excessive, little, minimal, minimize, mitigate, and reduce.

The words eliminate and elimination appeared only three times and in association with hazards. The word free appeared only five times (6%), highlighting a major contrast with our previous survey, in which participants could only choose out of a predetermined set of answers. The word free was associated with harmful organism, harmful contaminants and diseases, foreign or extraneous materials, organisms of public health concern, and undeclared allergens.

In some cases, the definitions appear to refer to practices that result in safe foods, such as:

•    To guarantee, through inspection, surveillance, and sanitary control actions with a risk approach, the safety of the food that is commercialized, or
•    Food safety is everything people involved in food processing from the production to the consumption do to have food that does not produce harm when it is consumed, or
•    Food safety is the set of practices that are implemented in a company in order to prevent food contamination events that may affect the health of consumers.

The word “quality” was mentioned in seven responses (9%). Two responses focused on food security (accessibility to quality, safe food), while three responses hinted at a link between quality and safety, where quality provides safety. Those definitions were:

•    “Food safety” refers to the conditions and practices that preserve the quality of food to prevent contamination and foodborne illness.
•    “Food safety” includes quality and safety through the whole food chain.
•    The quality of the food not to cause harm to the consumer.

In two out of nine responses, survey participants did not assume a correlation between quality and safety. In these cases, the definitions were:

•    Set of policies and strategies to guarantee quality, nutritional value, and food safety.
•    They are the different processes and strategies that are carried out by producers, manufacturers, marketers, and the state to ensure that the food and beverages produced are safe, nutritious, and of quality.

The findings from our survey are of interest because it appears that personnel working with food did not perceive quality as a determinant of safety, as has been shown to be the case when surveying the public. Both safety and quality have been grouped within “credence attributes,” meaning that the attributes that define quality or safety cannot be verified by the consumer. Credence attributes are those that consumers cannot evaluate with confidence; therefore, consumers must rely on opinions with regards to the product itself or the producer.6 Nelson3 proposed that consumers perceive safety and quality from specific clues associated with the product itself, such as intrinsic or extrinsic attributes. Although visual cues can reinforce perceived quality aspects, safety is so abstract that consumers do not have any means to reinforce perceptions of food safety.

A study by van Rijswijk and Frewer found that two-thirds of the participants from Germany, Italy, and Spain perceived food quality and food safety as interconnected concepts. For those participants reporting a strong relation between food quality and food safety, the safety of a product was inferred from the quality of the product, and not vice versa. In other words, when people perceived a product as being of good quality, they assumed that the product was also safe. Although food safety was primarily defined with terms such as absence of risk or harmfulness, and with a positive association with health, terms such as not risky/safety, risky/harmful, proper production method, proper handling, and healthy (no health risk) were shared for both the definition of “safety” and “quality.”

Most of the research in the area of perception of food safety has targeted consumers and has involved studies where both safety and quality were assessed. We don’t have similar surveys targeting food safety professionals and/or individuals working with food. As we improve our understanding of the science behind food safety, it appears necessary to determine whether the terms safety and quality are still perceived as interconnected. In our survey, the word quality was seldom used, and therefore individuals working with foods appear to have a clear separation of the attributes related to quality versus those related to safety.

In the last two decades, there have been increased efforts to improve food safety knowledge among consumers. Yet, we know little of how food safety professionals and individuals working with food understand this term. The results from our survey highlight that there are common words that individuals working in the food industry use to define food safety. However, the actual definitions vary from simple ones, such as the process for minimizing the risk of hazards in food, or protecting public health, to longer definitions, such as:

Food is safe if the food at the moment of consumption under normal circumstances and in normal quantities will in general not lead to acute or chronic health problems for the consumer. Food with allergens [is] safe for the average consumer, but not those with allergies.

There were many definitions that included the words management, handling, practices, procedures, preparation, and/or manufacturing to describe food safety, and from a scientific standpoint, we know that food safety is improved by known practices that, when properly implemented, will lead to the manufacturing of safe food products most of the time. Some of these definitions were:

•    Application of the art and science of handling, preparing, and storing food to best reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from foodborne illnesses.
•    Management and elimination of physical, chemical, and biological hazards inherent to grown, processed, produced, distributed, and sold food.
•    Food safety is the prevention of food contamination prior to its being released to the consumer by ensuring that all foods made available for sale in the marketplace are safe for all consumers.
•    My definition as it applies to my job as a food safety professional: Manufacturing foods that are safe to consume and that are made in a sanitary processing environment.
•    The regulations, programs, policies, and procedures that ensure the safe production, packaging, distribution, and delivery of food.
•    Ensuring manufactured and prepared food is safe to consume through a variety of controls throughout the supply chain.
•    Food safety is a scientific discipline describing the safe processes and practices to grow, harvest, store, transport, handle, prepare, and serve food and food ingredients to prevent foodborne illness.
•    All things related to the growing, harvest, production, and handling of foods and beverages that will not cause acute or chronic illness in humans or animals.
•    Food safety is a way of life; it is how you store, handle, [and] distribute product to avoid any contamination or risk to the product/ingredients.
•    The practices and protocols put in place to maintain the integrity of food products, ensuring that they are free from harmful contaminants and diseases, from farm to table.

Thus, it appears that the general definition of “food safety” that emerges from this survey could be summarized as: the production, manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding practices known to result in safe (wholesome) foods.

Because we targeted primarily food manufacturers, the survey has several limitations in its interpretation. Similar surveys, or in-depth interviews, could help verify whether a larger group of participants would provide similar responses. We also don’t know whether similar answers would be obtained from individuals working in primary food production, such as farms, or individuals who grow their own foods for consumption. In addition, the source of information could play an important role in how people define food safety. This is especially true when we know some players may amplify information on social media that may not correlate directly with what is known to impact food safety.

In summary, there were many definitions of food safety. Yet, the words management, handling, practices, procedures, preparation, and/or manufacturing were cited the most. Also, respondents did not perceive quality as a determinant of safety, departing from the results of previous surveys. Thus, more studies should be done to understand these variations in food safety definitions.

Source: Food Safety Magazine

The post The Meaning Of Food Safety appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

The cantaloupe is a juicy, orange summer fruit that’s related to the watermelon and honeydew melon. It also belongs to the same plant family as cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, and gourds.The semi-sweet cantaloupes most familiar to people in the U.S. are a type of muskmelon called Cucumis melo reticulatus. The scientific name stems in part from the word “reticulated” to describe the cantaloupe’s rough, webbed outer skin.People have cultivated cantaloupe for thousands of years. Most people agree it likely first grew in Persia (modern Iraq). The fruit made its way to the New World with Christopher Columbus during his second voyage in the late 1400s.

Nutrition

Like many fruits and vegetables, cantaloupe is mostly water. One cup of fresh cubes has 144 calories, 6% of your daily serving of fiber, and zero fat and cholesterol.

The post Health Benefits Of Cantaloupes appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight

This is a simple chocolate delight recipe for any type of potluck occasion, and the pan always comes home empty.

• Prep Time35 min
• Total Time35 min
• Yield15 Servings

• Course
  • Dessert
• Cooking Method
  • Chilling

Ingredients

For the chocolate chip cookie delight

• 1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 3 cups cold 2% milk
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• Optional: Chopped nuts, chocolate curls and miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Method

Step 1

1

Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 13×9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° until golden brown, 14-16 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Step 2

2

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Fold in 1-3/4 cups whipped topping. Spread over crust.

Step 3

3

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls if desired.

Step 4

4

Cover and refrigerate until firm, 8 hours or overnight.

Test Kitchen Tips

You've got to love how no-fuss this is, but if you have a favorite homemade cookie recipe and are feeling ambitious, by all means substitute it for the prepared dough.
Be sure to beat or whisk your pudding for a full 2 minutes to thicken it. A hand mixer on medium speed is a good choice, but hand whisking and a little elbow grease work, too.

The post Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

The post Ode – BBQ Sauce Made Healthy appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .