The approximately US$ 200 million market for yogurt powder will witness strong yearly growth of 8% in 2019, according to a recent research study. The report opines that significant demand for yogurt powder will be generated by foodservice operators and food processors, in the near future.

While nearly 3/4th of the total consumption of yogurt powder is accounted by the industrial end user base, the rate of yogurt powder consumption has been recently witnessing rapid increase within the HoReCa sector. More than 75% of the end user base still prefers regular or non-flavored yogurt powder, whereas with increasing introduction of innovative products in the powdered yogurt category, the popularity of flavored yogurt powder is highly likely to elevate in coming years. According to the report, vanilla and berries are more likely to emerge popular among consumers of yogurt powder.

Over 3/5th of the yogurt powder consumed globally is skimmed type, followed by whole yogurt powder. The report attributes higher popularity of skimmed yogurt powder to extensive usage in meat products, dry mixes, processed cheese, ice creams and other frozen dairy-based desserts, infant formula, and confectionary.

Yogurt Powder Becoming a Natural & Organic Ingredient for Cosmetic & Personal Care Brands

Although more than 85% of the yogurt powder is consumed for application in food and beverage products, more prominently in bakery and dry mixes, FMI’s analysis points to rapidly increasing application of yogurt powder in the cosmetic and personal care industry.

The beauty and personal care circle is accelerating the industry’s shift to natural and organic ingredients, which has resulted in the widespread availability of a massive natural/organic product line-ups in the cosmetic and personal care industry. Moreover, the trend has been receiving strong support with emergence of the clean label trend, catering to evolving consumer demands. According to a recent survey conducted for the period of past 12 months, nearly 50% of the UK’s beauty products’ consumer base looked for products manufactured using natural ingredients.

As yogurt has a proven set of benefits on skin health, it has been in use in the manufacturing of specialized personal care and cosmetic products. However, the convenience of incorporating powdered yogurt into a range of skin care or other cosmetic products positions yogurt powder as a more preferred ingredient among cosmetic and personal care brands.

Competition Insights: Yogurt Powder Market

Following North American and European food processing sectors, the food processing sector based in emerging Asian and Middle Eastern regions is also speeding up in terms of adoption of innovative ingredients such as yogurt powder. Popular products such as Greek Yogurt further attract a wider consumer base, pushing innovations in the yogurt powder landscape. Several leading players in yogurt powder market are focused on augmenting investments in R&D facilities – to exclusively target product innovations and novel strategies for market entry. Many manufacturers are also developing interest in yogurt mixes, creating a new trend wave in the competition landscape of yogurt powder market.

Research also finds that several yogurt powder manufacturers are leveraging billowing sales of high-protein, low- or no-fat products. A majority of companies operating in the yogurt powder market landscape offer low- or no-fat products that have been made from skimmed milk.

Recently, Epi Ingredients and Glanbia Nutritionals have come up with yogurt powder variants that have protein content as high as 60% with the significantly less fat content. These products have been receiving a strong consumer base within the foodservice and food processing sectors. Key applications of high-protein yogurt powder lie in nutritional bars, cereals, dry mixes, and energy drinks. Sports drinks and nutrition/protein bars have been cited as relatively more profitable categories for the manufacturers of yogurt powder.

Source: Future Market Insights

The post Yogurt Powder Sales Opportunity appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

Vitamin forms

Knowing the form(s) of the vitamin in a food is critical to ensure the correct sample preparation and measurement techniques are used; this is because vitamins can exist in multiple forms, as shown in Table 1.

Laboratory methods are developed to either measure specific targeted forms of the vitamins listed in Table 1, or to measure a combination of some, or all, of the forms. Sometimes, multiple analytical methods are needed to include all forms in the reported total amount of that vitamin in the food. The most common technologies to measure vitamins in foods are described in Table 2.

As an example of how vitamin forms affect method selection, let’s look at vitamin B9. Vitamin B9, also called folic acid, comprises multiple naturally occurring forms (folates) and a man-made fortifying form (folic acid). These two forms have different activities in the human body.¹ The new 2020 US regulation,1 along with existing European Union regulations,² requires the declared amount of vitamin B9 to account for these different activities by listing the vitamin in units of Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE). For foods containing significant amounts of both the naturally- and man-made forms, the amount of each is needed to calculate the declared amount in DFE units on nutritional facts panels. The commonly used microvitamin method measures only the total amount of the vitamin (ie, folates and folic acid combined) in units of mg folic acid/serving.

To calculate the vitamin level in DFE units with the microvitamin method requires additional data on how the food was produced at the production site. A newer and better option is AOAC International approved Final Action method³ 2011.06, where Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) individually measures the amount of folic acid and the amount of folates. CODEX Alimentarius recently recognised this as the base method for infant formula because this is the only approved analytical method that directly measures vitamin B9 in the required DFE units.⁴

Another example of multiple vitamin forms being impacted by regulations – and which prompted laboratory method advancements – involves vitamin A. In the US, prior to 2020, the nutritional facts panel listed vitamin A as the sum of vitamin A retinol and beta-carotene expressed in International Units (IU/serving).¹ As these two forms of declarable vitamin A must be separately measured using different analytical methods (the vitamins require their own chromatographic conditions), the lab must know if one or both forms are present in the food prior to testing. The correct method, or both methods in tandem, can then measure the total amount of this vitamin in a food.

Table 1: Vitamin groupings

* US defines declarable vitamin E as α-tocopherol.¹ Other countries may include up to seven additional forms.

**synthetic form commonly used as fortifying agent

*** for pet foods

Starting in 2020, the new FDA Nutritional Facts Panel expanded the number of allowable forms of vitamin A to four by adding alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin.¹ Analysing these four forms requires two or even three different analytical methods to accurately measure them, and thus, accurately report the total amount of vitamin A. Knowledge of the different forms either directly or by examining the ingredient vitamin sources will allow the proper methods to be performed. If the forms of vitamin A are unknown by the lab, then all the approved methods will need to be used to assure accurate results.

An interesting analytical challenge still exists for measuring vitamin E in foods. In the US, the FDA defines declarable vitamin E as alpha‑tocopherol where there is both a very bioactive naturally‑occurring form, and a less bioactive man‑made form.¹ The FDA requires manufacturers to make and keep written records to verify the amount of both forms¹ because there is no recognised analytical method that differentiates between the two. Until a method is developed and internationally recognised, the lab needs to have access to those records to properly calculate the amount placed in a nutritional facts panel.

Sample handling

Understanding the vitamin forms also allows the laboratory to select the appropriate sample preparation protocols to assure the vitamins are fully collected while maintaining their integrity. The basic scheme for sample preparation is depicted in Figure 1.

As described above, analytical methods measure one, several, or all of a vitamin’s forms. Isolating these form(s), as shown in Figure 1, requires extracting the targeted forms into a solvent compatible with the measurement instrument while maintaining the vitamin’s integrity by being at the proper pH and limiting degradation factors such as oxygen, light and certain metals.

In addition to understanding the vitamin forms in the food, the laboratory must know if the vitamins are encapsulated. This encapsulation helps protect the vitamin from degradation by shielding the vitamin from degradation factors during the food’s production. From the laboratory perspective, the type of encapsulation may require modifying the laboratory’s sample prep protocol.

Samples submitted for testing must be properly handled because some vitamins will degrade due to temperature, exposure to oxygen and/or light, pH, and other conditions that may or may not be easily controlled. The proper storage and handling conditions depend on the vitamin forms present in the food and on the food itself, notably if the food is dried, solid, or liquid.

Special care must be taken when the submitted sample is homogenised by grinding or blending, since this could introduce heat or oxygen, which may degrade the vitamins. This step is even more critical since only a sub-sample of the original sample, sometimes as low as 0.5g, will be used in the analytical measurement. Recommended handling conditions include keeping the sample cold or frozen and protected from light and air with appropriate packaging.

Table 2: Common technologies to measure vitamins in foods

Analytical result usage

Labelling regulations are country-specific with each defining the vitamin forms they allow to include in nutritional labels. If the analytical testing results are used for labelling purposes, the location of where the food will be marketed must be factored into the analytical method selection. For international trade, CODEX Alimentarius lists the analytical methods it has found to be most accurate in measuring vitamins in a number of different food groups.⁴ Your organisation and used laboratories must track these regulations to ensure accurate and defendable measurements are made.

Conclusion

Communication between a laboratory and product developers/assessors is needed to select the appropriate testing protocols to accurately and defensibly measure vitamin levels in foods. This is also true for other nutrients and potential contaminants.

Source: New Food Magazine

The post Lab Insight: Measuring Vitamins appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

Shifting trends

Three global macro-trends Friesland Campina Ingredients Food & Beverages identified last year – experiences engaging all senses, conscious indulgence, personalise it yourself conveniently – remain relevant. Our special extra edition reveals that we are now witnessing some important sub-trends, which become apparent as consumers adjust to a new normality.

Small indulgences with a bonus

Even before COVID-19, concerns left consumers more conscious than ever about their health, and interest in food and drinks with a nutritional benefit was increasing. The Food & Beverages listening research from 2019 reported that a quarter of all online conversations around ‘conscious consumption’ in Asia-Pacific in the past 12 months were about how products can help consumers stay healthy.

Conversely, not being able to visit a favorite restaurant, meet up with friends and family or travel on holiday means small indulgences are now being appreciated more than ever. Foods and drinks that feel like a treat, but that come with incidental goodness, are a smart solution to enjoy indulgence and goodness at the same time and bring some optimism and positivity.

Trending recipes in our Trend Report Extra Summer Edition include a refreshing ice strawberry green tea with the added bonus of a probiotic foam topping. In the bakery segment, an authentic Mediterranean-style olive oil tear ‘n’ share bread with heathier oils also proved popular.

A flavour of nature

Consumers are still looking for foods and drinks that engage all their senses – taste, looks, smell, feel and even sound are all important. Multi-sensory indulgence is a still a relevant need.

However, we are seeing a more conservative attitude to indulgence in recent times. The flavours of nature, and ingredients more usually associated with the beauty or personal care industry, are migrating to people’s plates. Our listening study has identified a 5.2 percent increase in online conversations about the Japanese cherry blossom sakura, and a five percent rise in chats about charcoal.

A rose (n)ice cream – with the goodness of added probiotics – or a striking-looking charcoal latte could offer just the touch of indulgence needed to boost spirits right now. Especially when we’re forced to communicate online and showing our home creations via online websites, these concepts with a touch of nature yield creatively share-worthy results.

No waste, good taste

Our inaugural trend report identified a key trend in personalization, with limitless toppings for cake, ice cream, coffee and other drinks allowing consumers to make their personal creations. We now see a blending of trends, combining great flavours with a conscientious approach to reducing waste.

Consumers whose favorite coffee bars are currently out of bounds, are seeking solace in recreating their food service-inspired favorites at home. With dining out not an option during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are finding clever ways to embrace the zero-waste culture and conjure up tasty treats from what they once considered to be leftovers.

Browning bananas transformed into a deliciously moist and moreish bread that makes the perfect teatime treat. Fruit that is past its best makes the perfect coulis to top it off, and helps consumers to be environmental conscious at the same time.

In it together

With the news headlines dominated for weeks by the COVID-19 pandemic, no individual or business has been left unscathed or unchanged. We are all in this together.

Friesland Campina Ingredients Food & Beverages remains positive and optimistic about the future. Now that we are starting to see enlightenment in some regions, it could be the perfect time for some of us to refresh menus with these latest trends in mind and explore together how we can shape new normal food and beverage trends. At Friesland Campina Ingredients, we’re as curious as everyone else what the world will look like after this and look forward to the new times to come.

Source:  Food Magazine

The post Building On Consumer Preferences appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

COVID-19 hit quickly and quite violently for a while. Many of us simply lost our psychological and rational bearings and got into a survival funk. The result was panic-buying, lineups and a genuine distrust in our food supply chain’s ability to provide the food we would need for some time. For days, perhaps weeks, many felt genuinely food insecure, and this was in Canada, one of the richest countries in the world – a notion that had been considered impossible just a few weeks before.

As we end the first phase of our long, slow march towards normalcy, we can see that things have changed dramatically. Our food vocabulary has completely changed, in a matter of just a few weeks. Conversations about plant-based products, veganism, animal welfare, and sustainability have swiftly been replaced by discussions about supply chains, empty shelves, flour, yeast and eggs.

Fear is a powerful sentiment, one of the most powerful feelings a human being can experience. As we were confined to our homes, we were all forced to go back to basics. We could argue that Canadians have never cooked this much since the end of the Second World War. Our relationship with our kitchens, the true heart of the home, has grown stronger. In fact, according to a recent survey from AMC Group, 42 percent of the people polled plan to make more home-cooked meals after the virus passes. It likely won’t be 42 percent, but it certainly will be more than 10 percent. We are creatures of habit, and given how long lockdowns have lasted, COVID-19’s legacy will be about how it forever changed the way we relate to food. In other words, some of our new habits will remain.

With a powerful combination of providing comfort and promoting good health, milk and dairy products will be found in the middle of all these changes. With its marvellous fusion between animal and vegetable, and given its unparalleled natural integrity and voice, milk always finds a way into recipes and beverages for many diets. What’s more, as has been demonstrated several times in health research, a sedentary lifestyle will get people to consume more dairy products, eventually. With most restaurants closed, overall demand for milk is down, so numbers are not encouraging for now. But sales will come back, with consumers giving more space to dairy at home. With ‘staycations’ being more popular over the next little while, dairy consumption at home will also push sales in the food service industry over time.

Furthermore, coming out of COVID-19, dairy farmers will likely have more direct access to consumers. According to a recent poll, 22 percent of Canadians intend to shop online more often after the crisis. COVID-19 could literally democratise the supply chain. Once online buying for food purchases exists in consumers’ minds, anything is possible. We are already seeing groups of farmers engaging with consumers online due to a void created by grocers who find themselves overwhelmed by demand. And farmers will charge a premium, because they can.

Obviously, the virus has created havoc in our daily lives, but perhaps COVID-19 is exactly what the dairy industry needed. Sustainability, plant-based protein and all other spending trends we saw in food before COVID-19 will eventually bounce back. Their return, though, will be linked directly to economic health and consumer confidence, and that may take a while – long enough for dairy to play a much larger role in our daily lives.

Source: New Food Magazine

The post Dairy’s Possible Renaissance 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 .

In essence, the technology gently removes the water in a product without affecting the goodness. At European Freeze Dry, the products for freeze drying start as frozen raw materials, and undergo a process known as sublimation under standard programmes. During the freeze drying process, a deep vacuum is applied, and under these conditions neither ice or water can exist. The pressure from the vacuum, with a controlled amount of heat applied, causes the ice to leave the product as a vapour trail which is then captured on an ice condenser within the freeze drier, upon which the vapour forms again as ice.

The process takes approximately 24 hours, carried out in a set of ‘chambers’ which can be controlled at various temperatures and time schedules depending on specific product requirements. Increasingly, manufacturers need to reassure their customers that super-foods are everything they claim them to be without added sugars or anything unknown or potentially harmful. Working closely with customers, the R&D team at European Freeze Dry sees a continued rise in popularity for freeze-dried vegan ingredients, to be used in new products or food production processes.

We are also using our technology in the development of nutraceuticals – natural foods and dietary supplements – with the natural flavours and colour retention being an integral part of the product. We are constantly breaking new ground with our customers and bringing new ideas and products to market to support food trends such as meat replacement and special dietary requirements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, European Freeze Dry has seen an increase in demand for its products in tins and ready meals, with food manufacturers increasing the volumes of food for those who are vulnerable and unable to leave their homes.

Products under development in the R&D team currently include diced caramelised toffee apple, soya beans and black turtle beans. Meanwhile, scientists and nutritionists are examining a variety of common and more exotic food types, and how their natural qualities can provide health benefits, from adding a nutritional supplement to a diet, through to targeting more specific benefits such as aiding weight loss or cancer prevention.

More recently, newly discovered flavonoids such as rosehip and elderberry juices are being included into flu prevention products. Similarly, lamb’s hearts are used routinely in a powdered format to supplement men’s health and wellbeing. Freeze-dried liver is also regularly used as an iron supplement, which can improve red blood flow and reduce the chance of anaemia. Compared to more aggressive drying methods such as spray drying or air drying, freeze drying methods are proven to retain the purity of the product, even when they are ground down into a powder.

Popular ingredients for the vegan products market include turtle beans, diced sweet potato, black-eyed beans, diced beetroot and caramelised onion. At the same time, there are increasing challenges in the supply chain not least for reduced waste in the food manufacturing process. Everyone in the supply chain needs to demonstrate economies in the production of food and drink for the consumer, whilst retaining the flavour, colours and nutrition of the product. Using food products for their health benefits is not a new phenomenon. Common messages around eating fruit and vegetables to maintain our vitamin and nutritional intake have been around for years.

Scientists are increasingly finding new methods to use different ingredients to offer health benefits, such as preventing flu, reducing obesity or increasing fertility, which can improve our quality of life. Freeze drying also means there is a much-reduced potential for microorganisms existing in such low amounts of water, ensuring that nutraceuticals can stay safe to consume over an extended time period, up to two years. The result is a 100 percent natural freeze dried product, which retains the flavour, structure and nutritional benefits of the raw product. From there, it can be supplied as a stable supplement or ground down into a powder which can be inserted into tablets.

Source: New Food Magazine

The post Freeze Drying With Nutrition And Shelf Life 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

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Are alcohol sales actually essential? According to the federal government, just over half of Americans age 18 and above (55.3%) drank alcohol in the past 30 days; just over a quarter binged – more than four drinks on an occasion for women, or five for men – and 1 in 17 (5.8%) had an alcohol use disorder, ranging from mild to severe.

For those in this latter group who are actually dependent on it, alcohol may indeed be essential. But evidence thus far in the epidemic is that people in general are buying more alcohol, and in larger quantities. As someone who has spent 30 years studying the link between alcohol policy and public health, I know that this is likely to result in a spike in alcohol use disorders for years to come.

Booze up

According to Nielsen figures, for the week ending March 14, off-premise outlets such as liquor and grocery stores saw sales of wine up 27.6%, spirits by 26.4% and beer, cider and malt beverages by 14% compared to the same week a year earlier. Sales of 3-liter boxes of wine rose by 53%, and 24-packs of beer increased by 24%. Online alcohol sales for that week were also up, 42% year-on-year.

Some of this increase is undoubtedly stockpiling, especially given that in many locations bar and restaurants are closed. But we also know from prior experience and studies that periods of economic and psychological stress like this have two effects on alcohol use. People have less money to spend on alcohol, which drives their spending down; at the same time, they are likely to drink more to alleviate the stress they are feeling. In short, they are buying larger quantities of cheaper alcohol.

This increase in drinking will have both a short- and a long-term impact on health and safety. In the short term, alcohol abuse suppresses multiple aspects of the body’s immune system response, with particular effects on the lungs’ ability to fight off infections like COVID-19.

The rise in off-premise sales of alcohol and home consumption will also likely affect interpersonal violence. Adding alcohol to a possibly violent situation is like pouring gasoline on a lit fire. Off-premise sales of alcohol are more likely to be associated with violent crime than drinking in a bar or restaurant, as the drinking takes place without the presence of servers and other patrons. Multiple cities are reporting decreases in property crimes in the wake of the pandemic, but a rise in domestic violence. Child abuse cases may also be on the rise – while national data are not available, a Fort Worth hospital that usually sees eight such cases in a month saw six in a week.

Binge drinking

As for long-term effects, a study of the impact of the SARS outbreak on Beijing hospital employees in 2003 found greater likelihood of alcohol abuse or dependence symptoms three years later associated with quarantine or working in high-risk settings such as wards dedicated to treating patients with the respiratory illness. Greater exposure to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was associated with more binge drinking after a year, and higher odds of alcohol dependence one and two years later. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, alcohol consumption rose. After Hurricane Rita, adolescent alcohol use increased in Louisiana. What this suggests is that during the coronavirus crisis, people are putting in place patterns of heavier drinking that will show up in future higher rates of alcohol use disorders.

As governors declare alcohol sales essential, cities can still use policy levers to flatten this curve of problems from alcohol use. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, CityHealth, a project of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente rated the nation’s 40 largest cities on whether they have claimed jurisdiction over alcohol sales within their borders.+

Eight can regulate alcohol outlets, including limiting hours and days of sale, establishing maximum purchase amounts, and banning price discounting, which is known to increase alcohol consumption. If necessary, they can also shut down premises.

Another eight have elements of local control over alcohol sales, but lack jurisdiction over some portion of new or existing outlets.

The remaining 24 cities lack control, because they are preempted from it by state laws that prohibit local action, or because they have not expressly taken such authority in their city codes. Yet even in these cities, civic and public health leaders could use emergency powers to limit or shut down alcohol sales in their jurisdictions.

Measures and optics

A large body of research has found that the number of stores selling alcohol in an area, and how they serve and sell it matters for public health. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services concluded that limiting both the density of outlets and the hours and days they may sell are effective measures for reducing alcohol problems.

There are many anecdotal reports of stores limiting how many rolls of toilet paper consumers may purchase, yet people are walking out with cartloads of alcoholic beverages. Jurisdictions at every level, including cities, need to be aware of the likely effects of increased alcohol abuse in times like this, and use the policy levers at their disposal to mitigate these effects. Alcohol may be essential for some, but too much of it is dangerous for many, both now and into the future.

Source: The Conversation

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Additionally, as a result of COVID-19, consumers are becoming more concerned about the environment and are seeking out moments of comfort, both of which will shape eating habits.

Consumers will want to maximise their health in order to boost their immunity and reduce vulnerability to disease and illness.

Research from FMCG Gurus has found that a total of 76 percent of consumers across the globe say that they are concerned about the coronavirus, whilst 59 percent say that they have become more conscious about their overall health and 57 percent about their immunity. As a result of this, 73 percent of consumers say that they plan to eat and drink healthier.

When asked what steps they will take to lead a healthier lifestyle, the top three answers given by consumers was increase intake of fruit (58 percent), reduce sugar intake (45 percent) and increase protein intake (37 percent). This shows that consumers will adopt a back to basics approach to nutrition, turning to everyday food and drink products that they deem to be natural and contain ingredients that offer a nutritional boost. Turning to everyday food and drink such as fruit will be linked to trust and affordability, which is important at a time when 63 percent of consumers think that the world is heading towards recession.

Although there has been little positive sentiment that has emerged from COVID-19, one area that has resulted in optimism is that consumers have become more confident that damage done to the environment is repairable. This is a result of consumers witnessing natural resources start to replenish themselves in a short period of time because of restrictions in movement. As a result of this, 55 percent of consumers said they have now become more conscious about the environment and 35 percent said that they are now paying closer attention to sustainability claims.

Another key area that will influence food habits in 2020 and beyond is the need for escapism. For instance, a high proportion of consumers are concerned about the impact that COVID-19 is having on their mental wellbeing, whilst 55 percent of consumers have sought out food products to improve their mood in the last month.

Consumers will have a wide range of worries, such as the health and wellbeing of themselves and loved ones, as well as financial concerns due to any impending recession. This is something that will drive demand for products that offer moments of comfort and escapism from daily pressures.

Across the globe, a total of 48 percent of consumers believe that COVID-19 will continue to influence day-to-day lives for at least twelve months. As such, this is something that will drive demand for food that is healthy, sustainable and offers moments of comfort.

Source: New Food Magazine

The post Evolving Eating Habits Due To COVID-19 appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .

Awareness surrounding climate change and increasing consumer pressure to focus on the industry’s environmental impact is placing the spotlight on sustainability. While governments, manufacturers and packaging companies are making commitments to improve the circularity of packaging and reduce plastic waste, other factors such as environmental pollution, urbanisation, soil erosion, and food integrity play a role in sustainability too.

Nutrition and wellness are also key trends in the food industry, with diversifying fields of research. For example, Mintel identified ‘healthy ageing’ as one of its 2019 global food and drink trends,1 driven by the growing proportion of the population aged 60 and over. This presents an opportunity for manufacturers to address age-related health implications and develop products to promote healthy ageing. Another example of novel research is the study of how food and drink affects the circadian rhythm, which impacts overall health.

Waters’ International Food and Water Research Center (IFWRC) was opened in Singapore to further innovative research in the food and water industries, by creating a platform for both industry and academia to solve their challenges. One of the primary advantages offered by the IFWRC is timely access to state-of-the-art instrumentation along with on-site staff specialists. This helps to facilitate and fast track projects that researchers are otherwise unable to resource in their own organisation’s infrastructure. A Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), comprised of experts from academic and industrial fields, is responsible for selecting which projects should go ahead, prioritising those that are deemed to contribute to wider industry goals.

There are two things that everyone on this planet has in common, regardless of age, gender or race: the right to access safe nutritious food and clean water. Whether we’re talking about regulators, contract testing organisations, private industry or academia, everyone is working together to advance the cause of food and water security around the world.

Source: New Food Magazine

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