This issue of

PFNDAI Bulletin

Sponsored by

Firmenich Aromatics (India) Pvt. Ltd

1. Editorial -- 2

2. Traditional India Foods: Physico-Chemical Aspects -- 3

3. Calcium: An Important Macro Mineral For All Age Groups -- 6

4. Flavour Trends in Functional Foods & Beverages -- 10

5. Functional Trends: Beyond Healthy Ingredients -- 12

6. In The News -- 14

= Nutri-Cosmetics: Eat, Drink and Be Skeptical By Natasha Singer -- 14

= 2007 Dieting Trends: A Survey -- 16

= Anti-cancer Properties of Berries Studied -- 17

= Budget food ranges 'less healthy' -- 17

= Dieters do calories, not exercise -- 18

= High-Protein diet good for heart -- 18

= New crops needed to avoid famines -- 18

= New wheat produce more magnesium -- 20

= Teens who take Multivitamins have healthier lifestyles -- 20

= Transformed potato produces French fries with less acrylamide -- 20

7. COMING EVENTS -- 21

8. PFNDAI LIBRARY -- 24

Circulated to PFNDAI Members OnlyPFNDAI is not responsible for the authenticity and correctness of the information

published and the views expressed by the authors of the articles.

EDITORIAL BOARDMr. Badami M. C.

Dr. Holla K. S.Dr. Padgaonkar S. V.Mr. Sakhavalkar J. A.

Ms. Swati Deodhar Singh

E-mail : pfndai@pfndai.orgWebsite : www.pfndai.com

INDEX

PFNDAI BulletinDecember 2006

Noted economist from Columbia University, Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati, who received several awards in PoliticalEconomy, talked about Indian farmers and globalisation. He said that our farmers could withstandchallenges of globalisation. Only they need access to growth. Government must ensure the infrastructureas well as health and education in order to get proper growth among the poor rather than EmploymentGuarantee Schemes, which are prone to corruption and being difficult to measure its effectiveness inalleviating poverty. He also said, India was better placed than China, whose growth was on shaky groundsas their government was involved in state-run land grab and allowing infrastructure to remain poor. It wasalso not bothered about heavy environmental cost the country was paying.

Hearing these words makes us happy, but let us not be complacent. Just because we are doing a better joboverall, although our growth rate is less than China, we have a long way to go. With farmers committingsuicides in spite of sops declared by the PM himself, we know there is something wrong. State with itsineptness, insensitivity and corruption, will find it difficult to carry out the work that has deep rootedproblems.

Some industrialists have shown that when determined, Indians are capable of fantastic achievements.Some in food manufacturing and retail industry have shown that farmers can be directly contracted avoidingmiddlemen. This not only helps consumers but also helps farmers. The roots of this were probably sown inthe milk revolution started in Anand but now we see the similar efforts in many spheres like fresh produce,grains etc.

The interaction should not stop at just giving them seeds and know-how to produce and sell to industry, butalso other avenues of growth mentioned above such as health and education. When there is a morecomplete partnership the benefits would be several magnitudes more.

At present, we do see tremendous economic development in India, but the divide between haves andhave-nots is steadily increasing, its rate escalating. This kind of development is unhealthy for a country andengenders all ills and crimes. Let the industry take the lead in bridging this gap starting with the farmers.

Another responsibility the industry can take is with the consumers. Although many food companies believein safety, nutrition and quality, there are quite a few that are concerned only with the bottom line. Let theindustry as a whole not wait till authority catches up with those who will cut safety, nutrition and quality inorder to cut cost and make profits, think of a way to educate consumers about these important aspects offoods. This cannot be a sporadic effort but whole industry should join hands to educate the consumers sohe or she can make better and well-informed choices.

There is a lot of misinformation going around. Anyone writes articles on food and becomes expert onnutrition, without any experience or expertise. There is a need to provide authentic information, asconsumers are not capable of separating science and myth. Let food industry also provide education or atleast support efforts of educating consumers besides just selling them food products.

Dr. J. S. PaiExecutive Director(Email: executivedirector@pfndai.org)

Editorial

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Like our culture, Indians have a very long tradition ofsome typical foods, developed in Indian subcontinentand now eaten all over the world. There is a typicalcooking style. Indians like to eat rice, chapatti or roti,with curried vegetables and meat or fish, dals, withsome accompaniment of pickles, papads, chutneys,raita etc. Indians love their sweets including peda,burfi, rasogolla, sandesh, gulab jamun, jalebi, petha,carrot or wheat halwa, shrikhand, basundi, chikki,Mysore pak and a long list of a variety of sweets.They also love to eat breakfast, snack and savoury(namkeen) items like samosa, vada, idli, dosa,dhokla, pakoda, sev, bhujia, ganthia, chivda, farsan,chakli, bhelpuri etc. The variety in meal items,breakfast items, snacks, sweets, etc. is just mindboggling and a short lecture or even a seminar wouldnot do justice to the intricacies and innovativepractices followed in preparing these. More recently,there has been a further advancement I will just tryto give a small glimpse into the physico-chemicalaspects involved in their preparation.

The products were prepared in order to eitherpreserve the perishable foods. Examples would bemilk is converted to khoa which can last for a muchlonger period. Fruits and vegetables are convertedto morabba, fruit leather, candy or pickles.

Another reason is to make them palatable, edibleand tasty. Cereals and pulses are consumed bycooking them. Spices were added to improve theirpalatability but preparing a large number of savouryproducts improved their taste and flavour. However,again the cooked grains and pulses had limited shelflife, so in order to preserve them either moisture hadto be removed. This may be done by drying but evena more tasty alternative is frying them. There is alsoanother way of preserving them and that is by addingsugar or jaggery to them to make sweets out of them.Laddoo, Mysore pak, carrot halwa, Bombay halwa,are some examples and the both frying and sugarare used in jalebi.

Some of the products are made in order to makethem more nutritious, while enjoyable. Cereals andpulses when mixed, give a better amino acid profile,which is seen in such products like idli, dosa, dhoklaetc. which are also fermented so their vitamincontents are also enhanced. Even in products likechivda, farsan, certain chikkis etc. this improvementis seen.

There are many other reasons such as regionalpreferences and availability of certain raw materialsthat would also influence the types available. North,with more milk production and consumption wouldhave sweets based on milk, and East, withpreference for cow’s milk has a lot of chhana basedproducts prepared from cow’s milk. South haspreferences for grain and pulse based sweets, butthis is now slowly disappearing. The regionalspecialities are now getting consumed everywhere.

There are also some products which have religioussignificance, example being modak preferred by LordGanesh. Some of the sweets have some festivalconnotations and some foods have acquired fastingfood status.

Let us look at some examples from some typicalgroup of products to understand the chemical aspectsinvolved in the preparation of these products, whichhave the physical and sensory relevance such ascolour, flavour, texture, appearance etc. for whichthese products are consumed.

Milk Products:

Although cow’s milk is mostly consumed world over,Indians consume buffalo milk much more than cow’s.Although goat milk consumption is also significant itis quite low compared to buffalo and cow. There areinherent differences in chemical and physicalproperties of the two milks as seen below.

Composition of Cow & Buffalo Milk

Constituent (%)Cow Milk Buffalo MilkWater 86.50 83.18Fat 4.39 6.71Protein 3.30 4.52Lactose 4.44 4.45SNF 9.11 10.11Total solids 13.50 16.82

These are only the average values. There are manydifferences that will be seen within these which maybe due to breed, time & stage of milking, lactationperiod, season, feed, nutritional level, environmentalconditions, health, age, exercise, medication andhormonal treatments etc.

The intrinsic quality of chemical constituents throughdifferences in species/breeds makes their milkeminently suitable for certain specialised products.

Traditional Indian Foods : Physico-Chemical AspectsDr. J. S. Pai , Executive Director, PFNDAI

Based on Presentation at ICFOST 2006 at Hyderabad

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For example, qualities such as high total solidscontent, superior whiteness and viscosity renderbuffalo milk suitable for making khoa, peda, burfi,dahi, paneer, kheer, payasam, malai, kulfi, ghee andother traditional products. Cow milk yields a softcoagulum, making it suitable for preparation ofchhana and its products such as sandesh, rasogolla,chumchum and rasmalai.

In cow milk, carotene is the major pigment and it isderived from feed. It gives cow milk a pale yellowappearance. However, buffalo has the ability toconvert carotene into vitamin A before passing it intomilk and so it appears white. Therefore when youwant whiter base such as khoa, then buffalo milk ispreferred. From this one can prepare colouredsweets by adding a variety of colours.

Buffalo milk also has more protein and fat. Thecoagulable proteins, caseins are much more inbuffalo milk, so when milk is coagulated by heat and/acid, there is firmer and denser coagulum producedwhich is suitable for products like paneer, peda, burfietc. Cow’s milk produces softer coagulum and givesa springy texture, which is more suitable for productslike rasogolla, sandesh and rasmalai.

Traditional milk sweets

Indian mithais have been developed to preserve thenutritional goodness of milk and to extend its shelflife under high ambient temperature. Sweets aremainly prepared from three intermediate productbases: khoa (partially heat-desiccated milk), chhana(coagulated milk after draining of whey) and chakka(concentrated curd). Ghee and makkhan aretraditionally prepared to conserve milk fat in areaswhere production of liquid milk is surplus. Much ofthe processing of sweets is done on a small-scaleby the halwai.

Khoa is a major intermediate product base for avariety of sweets. It is obtained by rapidly evaporatingmilk in shallow pans to a total solids content of about70%. The product could be preserved for severaldays and is also used as a base for different kinds ofsweets like peda, burfi, gulab jamun, etc. Anotherimportant base is chhana. It is obtained by acidcoagulation of hot milk and draining out the whey.This product is used as an ingredient in different kindsof sweets, especially in the eastern region of India.Chhana based sweets are popularly called Bengalisweets. The third major intermediate base is chakka,popular in western India. It is a fermented productobtained from dahi (curd) and is used in a variety ofGujarati and Maharashtrian desserts. Traditionaldairy products in India:

Desiccated Milk-based Products: Khoa/Mawa,Gulabjamun, Kalajamun, Lalmohan, Burfi, Kalakand,Milk cake, Peda, Rabri, Khurchan, Basundi and Kulfi

For these products the starting material is khoa ormawa, which is prepared by concentrating milk to apasty consistency by constant stirring. Thus the onlyconstituent that is reduced is water with almost allothers remaining with the product. This product isvery pliable and with addition of sugar and some otherminor ingredients for flavour and colour a variety ofdifferent products are prepared.

Three types of khoa are available in market, dhap,pindi and danedar. The first two have the differenceonly in concentration as pindi has more solids.Danedar is prepared with some acid being addedtowards latter part of concentration, which gives thegranular texture preferred in certain types of sweets.

Types of Khoa and Products

Type TS (%) Fat (%) ProductsDhap 56-63 20-23 Gulab jamunPindi 67-69 21-26 Burfi, PedaDanedar 60-65 20-25 Kalakand, Milk cake

Heat-Acid Coagulated Products: Paneer, Chhana,Rasogolla, Rasomalai, Rajbhog, Khirmohan,Sandesh, Pantua, Chhana-Murki and Chamcham

The difference between paneer and chhana istraditionally the former is prepared from buffalo milkand the latter from cow’s milk. Since buffalo milkhas more fat and protein as well as due to thecompactness and firmness of the coagulum paneeris usually much firmer or tougher than chhana, whichis much softer when prepared from cow’s milk.Legally there is hardly any distinction. Both areprepared by heat coagulation after lowering the pHby limejuice or acidulants like citric or lactic acid.This process leaves out whey, which containslactose. Since the product contains very little lactoseand contains mostly protein and fat, it is very spongycompared to khoa, which contains good amount oflactose.

Thus the products prepared from chhana likerasagolla, rasomalai, sandesh, etc. are quite elasticand distinctly different from peda, burfi etc.

Cultured/Fermented Products: Dahi, Mishti Doi,Shrikhand, Lassi, Mattha/Chhach/ Chhas, Kadhi,Raita, and Dahi vada

When milk is allowed to ferment, lactose (milk sugar)gets converted to lactic acid and pH drops. This

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fermentation is carried out by lactic acid bacteria andone gets products like curd (dahi), yoghurt etc. Thedifference between the Indian curd and westernyoghurt is that curd fermentation uses natural floraand commonly one gets less acidity, while yoghurtfermentation uses pure starter culture consisting ofmixed lactic acid bacteria, which are rapid fermentersof lactose and one gets higher acidity. Examples ofcultures for curd are Lactococcus lactis variants,Lactococcus diacetylactis, Lactococcus cremoris etc.and for yoghurt are Lactobacillus delbrueckii andStreptococcus thermophilus. Bigger producers arenow using standard cultures for curd manufacture.The curd is usually more flavourful than yoghurt, thefinal product may contain some flavourants. Curdflavour will also depend on the type ofmicroorganisms in the flora used for fermentationand thus may vary.

Whey is then drained using cloth (modern processesuse basket centrifuge) which removes most of theunfermented lactose. Sweets like shrikhand, mishtidoi etc. are prepared by adding sweeteners like sugarand jaggery along with flavourants and colours.

Sweeteners used in Indian sweets

Sugars used in Indian sweets have many functionsincluding bulking agent, preservative, texturiser,humectant, dispersing agent, stabiliser, fermentationsubstrate, flavour carrier, browning agent anddecorative agent.

Sugar cane is the major source of sweeteners fromwhich jaggery, raw or bura sugar, khandsari andrefined sugar are prepared. These have differentdegree of refinement, during which slowly the non-crystallisable materials are removed thus from brownto white or colourless products are obtained. Jaggerycontains varying amounts of glucose+fructose tosucrose depending on the extent of hydrolysis duringheat treatment to remove water. Removal of scumand use of sulphites gives lighter colour.

Jaggery is used in many sweets thus giving them itscharacteristic flavour and colour. Higher amount ofmono-saccharides give textural attributes to productsmaking them softer or more chewy. When these areremoved during refining, the products then becomeharder and more brittle. A typical example is chikki,mostly prepared from ingredients like nuts, cereals,oil seeds etc. Groundnut, cashew, rajgeera(amaranth seeds), til (sesame) etc. are quite popular.When jaggery with a lot of mono-saccharides is usedthe chikki is softer and more chewy. The texturecould be adjusted using some sucrose, making itharder. Popular cashew chikkis normally use sucrose

and/or glucose, since their flavour is neutral unlikejaggery, so you get more cashew flavour.

Jaggery is being used to lesser extent as evencottage scale sweet manufacturers have startedusing sucrose (common refined sugar). Jaggery hassome of the micronutrients including iron and calcium.Jaggery is also produced from other sources like date,palm etc.

Sugars have other properties like preservative. Someof the fruits are preserved in the form of preserves(morabba) and jams. Of these, amla and mango aremore popular. Sugars also important browning agent.Jaggery has a natural brown colour, but even sucrosewhen heated caramelises to give golden browncolour. In milk sweets, there is an additionalopportunity for sugars to react with proteins to givebrown colour. This is seen in some versions of pedaespecially the Dharwad Peda, which is brown andcoated further with sugar crystals. Gulab jamun isfried and gets brown due to reaction between proteinand lactose as sucrose is yet to be added in the formof syrup. Bulking properties of sugar became moreimportant when efforts were on to formulate sugarlesssweets using artificial sweeteners. Sugars normallyforms a very significant portion of Indian sweets(which are sweeter that western sweets), and provideboth the bulk and texture.

Chapatti and Roti

Wheat flour has been used to make a large numberof staple products like chapatti, roti, phulka, paratha,nan, bhakri, kulcha, bhatura, puri and a large numberof variants in many of these. Whole wheat flour (atta)is used in most products but in some like nan, bhaturaetc. refined flour may be used, in bhakri jowar & bajraflours may be used, in roti corn flour may be used.Most of the products may be roasted or baked butbhatura and puri are fried. Although all may beclassified as unleavened breads, some are fermentede.g. nan uses fermentation to make it light.

Chapatti is made typically with whole wheat flour withwater, oil and salt to make a soft dough. It is rolled,folded and rolled again after applying oil beforefolding. Sometimes dough is allowed to be kept asidebefore rolling to get soft chapattis. Gluten formationmay be making them pliable and soft. The rolledsheets are then roasted or pan fried.

Roti is a thicker version of chapatti. Addition of maizeflour or bajra flour to wheat flour will give makeki orbajreki roti. Usually rotis are not as soft as chapattisand sometimes they are very hard. Rotis are mostly

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made in north India and chapattis in western partswith some south families making them.

Advent of refined flour, maida has allowed some ofthe variations, especially the nan. Fermentation withyeast gives fluffy dough which makes a light nan.Curd is originally used as a source of fermentingmicrobes but now yeast is used in addition to ensurerapid fermentation. Bhatura also uses refined flourand fermentation. Puri is made with whole wheat flourand unfermented unlike bhatura although both arefinally fried before consumption. Use of refined flourand fermentation gives added softness and fluffinessto the product. Since refined flour lacks bran presentin whole wheat flour, there is nutritional compromise.

Papad

This is a typical Indian product now becoming popularworld over. Made commonly from black gram, butnow a large number of ingredients are being usedfrom a variety of pulses, rice, potato, jackfruit, etc.together with spices, salt, oil, leavening agent etc.The dough made of these must have a properconsistency so it could be rolled thin circular sheet.This is then dried to stabilise under ambient

conditions. These are eaten after frying or roasting,which drives the last traces of moisture and makesthem very crisp.

The dough consistency with proper amount of wateradded to ingredients, rolling with use of oil to preventsticking, proper rolling to ensure proper distributionof stresses created in the dough so during dryingthey do not go out of shape and after frying theyremain crisp and not too hard or limp. These weresome of the problems the machinery developers hadto solve for large scale production. But now they havenot only the original papads but a huge range ofpapads with different flavours, colours, sizes andshapes.

Basic papads are made from black gram, which hasproper amount of protein and starch together withother polysaccharides to give good stiff dough thatcould be rolled into fairly thin sheets with the help ofoil. With proper amount of water, the dough doesnot disintegrate. The moment other ingredients likerice flour is added, protein content goes down andstarch also is less pliable as it has more amylose.This is where ingenious combination of other legumeflours becomes useful.

Calcium is the most abundant divalent cation inhuman body, making upto 1.5-2.0% of its totalweight. More than 99% of body calcium is in theskeleton. The remaining 1% is in the blood andextra cellular fluids and within the cells of softt issues, where it regulates many importantmetabolic functions. Calcium is responsible forstructural functions involving the skeleton and softt issues and regulatory funct ions such asneuromuscular transmission of chemical andelectrical stimuli, cellular secretions, and bloodclotting. The physiological functions of calcium areso vital to survival that in the face of severe dietarydeficiency or abnormal losses, the powerfulmechanisms of conserving calcium that arepossessed by living things, can demineralise boneto prevent even minor hypocalcaemia. Calciumrequirements are di f ferent for al l . Therecommended adequate intake level by the IOMfor Calcium is:

* * * * *

Calcium: An Important Macro Mineral For All Age Groups.By: Ms. Ummeayman R

Food Technologist, PFNDAI

= 1 -3yrs —500mg/day= 4 -8yrs —800mg/day= 9 -18yrs —1300mg/day= 19-50yrs —1000mg/day= 51+yrs —1300-1500mg/day

Net calcium absorption can be as high as 60% ininfants and young children. Absorption slowlydecreases to 15-20% in adulthood and even moreas one ages. Because calcium absorption declineswith age, recommendations for dietary intake ofcalcium are higher for adults aged 51 and older.Calcium absorption may be affected by the calciumstatus of the body, vitamin D status, age, pregnancy,and plant substances in the diet. The amount ofcalcium consumed at one time such as in a mealcan also affect absorption.

Who requires Calcium?Menopause often leads to increases in bone losswith the most rapid rates of bone loss occurring

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during the first five years after menopause. Drop inoestrogen production after menopause result inincreased bone resorption, and decreased calciumabsorption. Annual decreases in bone mass of 3-5% per year are often seen during the yearsimmediately following menopause, with decreasesless than 1% per year seen in after age.

A medical problem or treatment such as renal failure,surgical removal of the stomach (which significantlydecreases calcium absorption), and use of certaintypes of diuretics (which result in increased loss ofcalcium and fluid through urine) can cause calciumdeficiency. Simple dietary calcium deficiencyproduces no signs at all. Hypocalcaemia can causenumbness and tingling in fingers, muscle cramps,convulsions, lethargy, poor appetite, and mentalconfusion. It can also result in abnormal heartrhythms and even death. Individuals with medicalproblems that result in hypocalcaemia should beunder a medical doctor’s care and receive specifictreatment aimed at normalizing calcium levels in theblood.

Calcium helps in weight management too and thusreduces the incidences of obesity. Several studieshave linked higher calcium intakes to lower bodyweights or less weight gain over time. Twoexplanations have been proposed for how calciummay help to regulate body weight. First, high-calciumintakes may reduce calcium concentrations in fat cellsby lowering the production of two hormones(parathyroid hormone and an active form of vitaminD), which in turn increases fat breakdown in thesecells and discourages its accumulation. In addition,calcium from food or supplements may bind to smallamounts of dietary fat in the digestive tract andprevent its absorption, carrying the fat (and thecalories it would otherwise provide) out in the feces.

Calcium prevents Osteoporosis:Osteoporosis is a disorder characterized by porous,fragile bones. It is a serious public health problem.Osteoporosis is a concern because of its associationwith fractures of the hip, vertebrae, wrist, pelvis, ribs,and other bones. Each year, Americans suffer from1.5 million fractures because of osteoporosis.Osteoporosis and osteopenia can result from dietaryfactors such as:

= chronically low calcium intake= low vitamin D intake= poor calcium absorption= excess calcium excretion

When calcium intake is low or calcium is poorlyabsorbed, bone breakdown occurs because the bodymust use the calcium stored in bones to maintainnormal biological functions such as nerve and muscle

function. Bone loss also occurs as a part of the agingprocess. A prime example is the loss of bone massobserved in post-menopausal women because ofdecreased amounts of the hormone estrogen.Researchers have identified many factors thatincrease the risk for developing osteoporosis. Thesefactors include being female, thin, inactive, ofadvanced age, cigarette smoking, excessive intakeof alcohol, and having a family history ofosteoporosis.

Dietary sources of Calcium:Taking a balanced diet containing large quantities ofmilk and milk products, soy beans and soy productsand vegetables such are kale, broccoli, turnip greenand Chinese cabbage will be sufficient to provideadequate calcium as these contain a high level ofcalcium which is readily available to the body.Although most grains are not high in calcium, theydo contribute calcium to the diet.

Tofu is commonly recommended as a good sourceof calcium. The amount of calcium in Tofu dependson the coagulating agent used to precipitate the soyprotein in the process of making tofu. Calciumsulphate and nigari (magnesium chloride) are twocommonly used agents. The agent used will be listedon the label under ingredients. Tofu that is preparedwith calcium sulphate will contain more calcium thantofu made with nigari. Calcium content will be listedas percent of the Daily Value, multiply the percentDaily Value by 10 will give the amount of calcium (inmilligrams) in one serving. For example, tofu with10% Daily Value for calcium would have 100 mg ofcalcium in one serving.

Absorption and Regulation of Calcium:The endocrine system maintains the calciumhomeostasis in vertebrates in a very complexmanner. It involves the interaction of two polypeptidehormones, parathyroid hormone and calcitonin (CT),and a sterol hormone, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol(calcitriol). In the skin, 7-dehydrocholesterol isconverted by the action of U.V. rays of sunlight toVitamin D, which further forms calcitriol .Thebiosynthesis of calcitriol from the major circulatingmetabolite of vitamin D, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol(calcidiol), takes place in the kidney and is regulatedby PTH and CT as well as by concentrations ofcalcium and phosphate in the extra cellular fluid.Calcitriol increases the uptake of calcium andphosphate by acting on the intestine to increase theirabsorption and on the bone to increase theirmobilization. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), which isreleased in response to low serum calcium, appearsto be the mediator that stimulates the production ofcalcitriol by the kidney. Thus, it is proposed that a

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low dietary calcium intake is reflected in lower serumcalcium, which in turn affects PTH secretion and asubsequent increase in kidney synthesis ofcalcitriol.

Calcium is absorbed mainly in the part of duodenumwhere an acidic medium prevails; consequentlyabsorption is greatly reduced in the lower part of theintestinal tract where the contents are alkaline.However calcium is absorbed only if it is in water-soluble form and is not precipitated by another dietaryconstituent, such as oxalate.

Factors affecting calcium absorption andexcretion:Phytic acid and oxalic acid, which are found naturallyin some plants, may bind to calcium and prevent itfrom being absorbed optimally. These substancesaffect the absorption of calcium from the plant itselfnot the calcium found in other calcium-containingfoods eaten at the same time. Examples of foodshigh in oxalic acid are spinach, collard greens, sweetpotatoes, rhubarb, and beans. Cocoa is also high inoxalate; however the amount of cocoa in chocolatemilk is not large enough to interfere significantly withcalcium absorption. Examples of foods high in phyticacid are whole grain bread, beans, seeds, nuts,grains, and soy isolates. Although soybeans are highin phytic acid, the calcium present in soybeans isstill partially absorbed. Fiber, particularly from wheatbran, could also prevent calcium absorption becauseof its content of phytate. However, the effect of fiberon calcium absorption is more of a concern forindividuals with low calcium intakes. In an alkalinemedium, calcium with phosphorus forms insolublecalcium phosphate. In individuals with fatmalabsorption, calcium absorption decreasesbecause of the formation of calcium fatty acid soaps.

Glucocorticoids decrease calcium absorption. Statesof glucocorticoid excess are associated with negativecalcium balance and a marked increase in fracturerisk. In a recent study, oral calcium supplements plus1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D decreased glucocorticoid-associated bone loss. On the basis of theseobservations and other studies, oral calciumsupplements should be considered in all patients whoare receiving exogenous glucocorticoids. The specificdisease for which the glucocorticoid therapy is used(e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory boweldisease, asthma) can be a determining factor in theoccurrence and degree of bone loss.

Calcium insufficiency due to low calcium intake andreduced absorption can translate into an acceleratedrate of age-related bone loss in older individuals.Among the homebound elderly and persons residing

in long-term care facilities, vitamin D insufficiencyhas been detected and may contribute to reducedcalcium absorption. Calcium intake among womenlater in the menopause, in the range of 1,500 mg/day, may reduce the rates of bone loss in selectedsites of the skeleton such as the femoral neck.

Calcium excretion from the body is affected by manyfactors including dietary sodium, protein, caffeine andpotassium. Typically, dietary sodium and proteinincrease calcium excretion as the amount of theirintake is increased. Increased dietary potassiumintake in the presence of a high sodium diet(>5100mg/day) may help decrease the calciumexcretion particularly in postmenopausal women.Caffeine has a small effect on calcium absorption; itcan temporarily increase calcium excretion and maymoderately decrease the calcium absorption.However, 1 cup of coffee or 2 cups of tea per daymay have no negative effects on the bones of ayoung woman who has adequate intake of calcium.Aluminium in the form of antacid medication, whentaken in excess, may significantly increase urinarycalcium loss.

Alcohol can affect calcium status by reducing theintestinal absorption of calcium. It can also inhibitenzymes in the liver that help convert vitamin D toits active form which in turn reduces calciumabsorption. However, the amount of alcohol requiredto affect calcium absorption is unknown.

Calcium fortified foods and CalciumSupplements:Although most people know they need dietarycalcium for bone health, the actual consumption ofcalcium rich food is far too low. There is a substantialgap between the RDA of calcium intake and whatpeople actually consume. To counter this disparity awide variety of calcium fortified foods and beveragesare being marketed. Orange juice, juice drinks,cereals, waffles, snack foods, calcium-fortifiedbreads, calcium-fortified soy milk, candy, infantformulas, sports beverages, diet products, dairyfoods, water and even pop corns are commonly foundto be fortified with calcium. However healthprofessionals recommend giving first priority to foodsnaturally containing calcium, in meeting calciumneeds. Foods naturally containing calcium have highcalcium bioavailability and many other essentialnutrients, as well as possible other health promotingcomponents, in addition to calcium. Some calciumfortified foods and beverages relate to unknownbioavailability and potentiate negative effects ofexcessively high calcium diet on other nutrients suchas iron, zinc and magnesium.

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An enriched insulin formulation developed by OraftiActive Food Ingredients was studied by Bayor collegeof Medicine in Hoston. An 8g/day of product(Raftilose Synergy1) increased calcium absorptionby 20%. The ingredient may be used for formulatingdairy products such as ice-cream, cheese spreads,yogurt and fluid milk products. In addition it can beeasily incorporated into soy products, nutraceuticalbeverages, bakery product and nutrition bars. Inearlier studies, scientists working with Dr. KendalHirschi, a plant physiologist at Bayor college ofmedicine, discovered that turning “on” the productof a protein called CAX1 in the cells of a tiny weedknown as Arabidopsis thaliaan increased the calciumcontent of the plant’s leaf and root cells by 30 to 100%. Now they have identified a tiny slice of nine aminoacids that gives the protein its calcium-boostingprowess, and successfully transferred the slice tosimilar proteins, called transporters. The researchersbelieve that these findings are an important steptoward the development of vegetable varieties thatare “naturally fortified” with calcium.

For some individuals, calcium supplements may bethe preferred way to attain optimal calcium intake.In 2002, calcium supplements were the number oneselling mineral supplements. Calcium supplementsare available as various salts, and most preparationsare well absorbed except when manufactured suchthat they do not disintegrate during oral ingestion.The two main forms of calcium found in supplementsare carbonate and citrate. Calcium carbonate is themost common because it is inexpensive andconvenient. The absorption of calcium citrate issimilar to calcium carbonate. For instance, a calciumcarbonate supplement contains 40% calcium whilea calcium citrate supplement only contains 21%calcium. However, you have to take more pills ofcalcium citrate to get the same amount of calciumas you would get from a calcium carbonate pill sincecitrate is a larger molecule than carbonate. Oneadvantage of calcium citrate over calcium carbonateis better absorption in those individuals who havedecreased stomach acid. Calcium citrate malate isa form of calcium used in the fortification of certainjuices and is also well absorbed. Other forms ofcalcium in supplements or fortified foods includecalcium gluconate, lactate, and phosphate.

Absorption of calcium supplements is most efficientat individual doses of 500 mg or less and whentaken between meals. Ingest ing calciumsupplements between meals supports calciumbioavailability, since food may contain certaincompounds that reduce calcium absorption (e.g.,oxalates). However, absorption of one form ofcalcium supplementation, calcium carbonate, is

impaired in fasted individuals who have an absenceof gastric acid. Absorption of calcium carbonatecan be improved in these individuals when it istaken with certain food. The potential for calciumsupplementation to interfere with iron absorptionis an important consideration when it is ingestedwith meals. Alternatively, calcium supplementationin the form of calcium citrate does not requiregastric acid for optimal absorption and thus couldbe considered in older individuals with reducedgastric acid production. In individuals withadequate gastric acid production, it is preferableto ingest calcium supplements between meals.Calcium supplements are available without aprescription in a wide range of preparations andstrengths, which can make selecting one a confusingexperience. Choose calcium supplements withfamiliar brand names. Look for labels that state“purified” or have the USP (United StatesPharmacopoeia) symbol. Avoid calcium fromunrefined oyster shell, bone meal, or dolomite withoutthe USP symbol, because it may contain high levelsof lead or other toxic metals.

Calcium interactions:Epidemiological studies suggest that higher dietarycalcium is protective against hypercholesteremia,non-insulin dependent diabetes, and colon and rectalcancer. However, extremely high levels of calciumintake have several potential adverse effects. Theefficiency of calcium absorption decreases as intakeincreases, thereby providing a protective mechanismto lessen the chances of calcium intoxication. Thisadaptive mechanism can, however, be overcome bya calcium intake of greater than approximately 4 g/day. It is well known that calcium toxicity, with highblood calcium levels, severe renal damage, andectopic calcium deposition (milk-alkali syndrome),can be produced by overuse of calcium carbonate,encountered clinically in the form of antacid abuse.Even at intake levels less than 4 g/day, certainotherwise healthy persons may be more susceptibleto developing hypocalcaemia or hypercalciuria.Likewise, subjects with mild or subclinical illnessesmarked by dysregulation of 1,25-dihydroxy vitaminD synthesis (e.g., primary hyperparathyroidism,sarcoidosis) may be at increased risk from highercalcium intakes.

A very high intake of calcium and the presence ofhigh level of vitamin D, which may occur in childrenreceiving supplements, is a potential source ofhypocalcaemia. This may lead to excessivecalcification in bone and the soft tissues. High intakesof calcium can also interfere with iron absorption.Therefore, when a person needs to consume bothas supplements, the iron supplement should be taken

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at a different time. The same may be true for zinc,because an antagonistic interaction occurs betweencalcium and zinc when these minerals are ingestedin physiologic doses. There is a concern about theuse of calcium supplements during pregnancy, whenany deficiency of zinc could have seriousconsequence for the foetus.

Calcium supplements may reduce the absorption ofthe antibiotic tetracycline. Calcium also interferes withiron absorption. So one should not take a Calciumsupplement at the same time as the iron supplement–unless it is calcium citrate. Any medication to betaken on empty stomach should not be taken withCalcium supplements.

It is very important to maintain a balance of calciumsince the low levels of calcium can also be equallyharmful to health as much as high levels are.Extremely low levels of calcium in the blood mayincrease the irritability of nerve fibers and nervecenters, resulting in muscle spasms such as leg

cramps, a condition known as tetany. It sometimesoccurs during pregnancy in women who haveconsumed too little calcium or too much phosphorus.

Inorder to achieve healthy bones and maintain overallgood health, an individual should take calcium asper the RDA and from natural dietary sources. Also,regular weight bearing exercises such as walking,running or aerobic dance is recommended to promotestrong and healthy bones.

References:1. Krause’s Food Nutrition & Diet Therapy2. Optimal Calcium Intake, NIH. Consensus

Statement Online1994, June 6-8; 12(4); 1-31

3. h t t p : / / o d s . o d . n i h . g o v / f a c t s h e e t s /vitamind.asp

4. www.mayoclinic.com/health/calcium/AN01080

5. www.bcm.edu

With functional food, beverage, and evencosmeceutical development picking up steam,flavour houses have their work cut out for them

Functional foods and beverages are exciting productsto develop and flavour, but offers challenges whilecreating a product that has true health functionalityand has great taste too. Ultimately consumeracceptability depends on look and taste of any foodand beverage when there are many choices.

Flavour trends depend on those in specific food orbeverage category as well as on types ofnutraceuticals, vitamins or minerals used in theproduct. Flavours work in concert with enrichmentsto provide the best overall product.

It is important to consider product concept andmarketing story before deciding specific flavourpossibilities. Flavour selection will vary based on theconcept and objectives, so it is important fordeveloper to work with flavour experts to achievethe best results.

Flavouring Functional Beverages

Fruit flavours are most popular for functionalbeverages in which true-to-fruit profile is essential.Consumers expect healthy products to taste naturaland fresh and flavour should complementfunctionality. Citrus and astringent berry flavours work

well with antioxidant fortification. They nicely blendwith acidity inherent in vitamin C and other antioxidantingredients. An alternative is citrus with less acidic,milder fruit to create tropical-type blend.In beverages for children, strawberry with bananaor kiwi is flavour in trend. Kids prefer sweet-sourprofile and familiarity with these fruits. Tropical fruitflavour blends are also popular.

Functional Confectionery Flavours

There is a strong trend to develop confectioneryproducts with healthy halo. Combinations of exoticfruits, vitamins, herbs and plant extracts offer addedhealth benefits due to consumer demands. In additionto usual ingredients, they may contain fruit andvegetable juice, colour, flavours, vitamins, minerals,herbs and other functional ingredients. Highlyconcentrated compounds produced specifically forconfectionery products are added after the cookingprocess.

Flavouring these products can be challenging asflavours must work synergistically with functionalcomponents. The flavour choice depends on thetype of juice used, as well as amounts of herbs,vitamins and minerals. Here one of the mostsignificant trends is to use flavours associated withhealth and function. Exotic fruits with healthbenefits are becoming mainstream due to changingdemographics like growth in ethnic population in

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Flavour Trends in Functional Foods & Beverages

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US. Hence, manufacturers are constantly tryingto infuse popular tropical and exotic flavours intotheir product lines including functional products.Many fruits themselves have functional propertiesand the flavours of these lend themselves well tocorporate with other nutraceutical ingredients.Examples are açai, acerola, mangosteen, goji,jabotacaba and passion fruit.

As baby boomers grow old, they will continue searchfor good-for-you products, contributing good healthand appearance. Familiarity with exotic fruits etc. isthe result of such quest.

Cosmeceutical Applications

Cosmeceutical foods and beverages containingredients that provide direct anti-aging and otherappearance enhancing benefits. This is a growingtrend influenced by baby boomers. These productscould accept new flavour combinations coveringtraditional fruit flavours and herbal and floralvarieties.

Cosmeceutical ingredients include antioxidants,ones contributing to cell and tissue formation, andones that are mult i - funct ional. Importantant ioxidants playing role in appearanceenhancement include lutein, lycopene, polyphenolsand vitamins A and E.

Vitamin A protects the skin from UV radiation,reducing oxidative stress and effecting collagenproduction, thus promoting skin elasticity. Vitamin Calso helps in collagen synthesis and protects skinfrom UV radiation, preventing premature skin aging.Vitamin E encourages skin cell growth improvingcirculation and promoting healing. Polyphenolsprotect skin from UV damage and prevent oxidativestress and tissue damage.

Working with cosmeceutical ingredients andfunctional products, it is important to choose flavoursthat fit the marketing story and benefits of theingredients and product, and also work well with theentire ingredient system. Vitamins A and E may posechallenges due to solubility, so manufacturer mustbe able to handle properly emulsions andnanoemulsions. Also, other ingredients and flavoursmust work synergistically to achieve a stable, quality,efficacious product.

Functional ingredients promoting cell and tissueformation are in trend. Skin loses about 1% collagenand elastic tissue per year after age 25, also

becoming thinner due to aging. Ingredients like biotin,aloe vera and collagen help form new cells andtissues and fight signs of aging.

Coenzyme Q10 is multifunctional. It scavenges freeradicals and is essential for body cells, tissues andorgans. It is shown to decrease activity of someenzymes degrading collagen and elastin. Althoughuseful and efficacious in many health concerns, it isvery sensitive to heat and light and needs properpackaging and processing.

Most of these ingredients work well with light, fruityflavours blended with herbal/floral notes. Familiartropical fruits like mango, pomegranate, passion fruitwork well blended with ginger, aloe vera and otherextracts. Delicate female-skewed flavours like vanilla-lavender and berry rose add fantasy appeal and tasteto the product. Teens prefer lavender-lemonade andother citrus blends.

Keep in Mind…

Flavour developers can incorporate nutraceuticalingredients within the context of flavour or flavoursystem itself, adding interest and point of difference.For example, aloe vera, ginger and green tea maybe included in a herbal tea flavour.

As markets demand new formats and concepts, newflavour varieties in functional foods and beverageswill emerge. Flavour trends are very much evolving.Producing an overall concept acceptable toconsumers is the real innovation in productdevelopment and marketing. Incorporating functionalingredients around specific health platform willcontinue to drive market. Consumers will get enoughinformation about ingredients without gettingconfused so they can consume products giving healthand appearance benefits.

Future will see health platforms emerge focusing onspecific organs and functions. Brain health,circulatory health, immunity, eye health and digestivewell-being will become important concepts in newfunctional products as demography changes. Flavourtrends also reflect these changes. Although productsbecome customised to specific health goals andmarket niches, present popular flavours will notcompletely change but will need adjustment to suitmore specific target markets.

Condensed from article by Jessica Jones-Dille inNutraceuticals World April 2006

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Functional Foods: Beyond Healthy Ingredients

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is no such competition in Europe for these products.Very few countries have permitted cholesterol-lowering claims for oats or soy, thus giving the benefitto products containing cholesterol-lowering plantsterols.

2. A hard-to-accept ingredient:

Plant sterols as a term is not very familiar toAmericans whereas cholesterol lowering foods suchas oats, nuts and soy are quite familiar ones. Peoplelike to get their health benefits from foods they canunderstand and accept. Although Europeans are alsonot familiar with sterols, brand owners there havedone a better job of making the cholesterol-loweringconcept acceptable and they had no other optionany ways.

3. Education:

In Europe, companies promoting these productsinvested massive sums in consumer education, withfree cholesterol-tests conducted by healthprofessionals in supermarkets, shopping malls,country fairs and community groups. This madeconsumers aware about cholesterol. There was noeducation efforts by any US brand owner.

4. Packaging innovation:

In addition to education, packaging played animportant role in Europe, where “daily dose” probioticdairy drinks (typically around 100 ml) is worth around$3.5 billion and rapidly increasing. So it was easyfor Benecol, Unilever, Danone etc. to use daily dosedairy drink as the vehicle for beginning. US marketwas stuck with table spreads. Thus a convenient dailydose pack has enabled successful market that grewby over 50% in 2 ½ years. This daily dose packaginghas become the format of choice in Europe as inAsia and South America for health products. Unileverhas chosen 100 ml drink format for all functional foodslaunched in Europe recently such as omega 3 drink,blood pressure lowering drink and a drink deliveringfruit and vegetable intake. In contrast, in the USmarket no additional convenience benefit wasoffered.

Healthy Ingredients Can No Longer bethe Sole Point of DifferenceFunctional food and beverage markets are no longervirgin territory. Market is flooded with many me-toohealth products and ingredients offering me-too

Functional foods are still considered ‘niche’ marketin the US, while Europe is growing quite sizeably.Cholesterol-lowering phytosterol products in Europehave the largest market in the world, being 10 timesas big as in the US. There have been manypredictions about lutein, lactoferrin, lycopene, beta-glucans, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), omega 3s,plant sterols and other health ingredients. All thesehave not proved true showing the reality being morecomplex. Such ingredients like 3 DHA/EPA and CLAare showing rapid growth but they are still remainingniche. However, many others like lutein andlactoferrin showed poor performance in spite of thefact that they found their way into foods andbeverages.

The Sterols/Stanols Saga

This story clearly gives lessons for everyone infunctional food business. The year indicated troublefor US market for cholesterol-lowering plant sterolsand stanols and the boom of European market forthe same. The US market is around $80 million andthe withdrawal of cholesterol-lowering yogurt byYoplait is a great setback to sterol producers.

Coca Cola’s Minute Maid Heart Wise was expectedto be a mass-market success, but 3 years after thelaunch, the market is still at around $30 million,roughly the peak market achieved by Benecol(Raisio) cholesterol-lowering spread. Both TakeControl (Unilever) and Benecol have been steadilydeclining for past few years. By contrast, Europe hasbecome world’s biggest market for sterol-basedcholesterol-lowering products, worth about $650million. Eight years ago when such products werelaunched in the US, forecast was a market explosion,based on the fact that 52% of Americans haveelevated cholesterol. When they failed to makeheadway, high price premium (400% over “regular”)and the fact that sterols were launched in tablespreads were blamed. However, such products haveperformed very well in Europe. Some of the mainreasons might be as follows.

1. A me-too benefit or a new benefit:

“Cholesterol-lowering” are “me-too” products inAmerica, where a range of products like whole grains,soy, nuts and oats etc. with FDA-approved claimsare already in the supermarkets. Thus cholesterol-lowering was a common phrase in that respect. There

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benefits. Lactoferrin offers benefits of immunity, thesame benefit offered by many probiotics (Danone’Actimel) as well as colostrums, zinc, vitamin C,cranberried, Echinacea and many others. Newingredients claiming immunity benefits appear all thetime like Coenzyme Q10, goji juice, beta-glucan etc.In such situation, your ingredients’ health benefit mayno longer by itself be adequate to interest either foodformulators or consumers. Formulators would liketo see cost advantage that increases their marginsor be price-competitive as well as the ease offormulating ingredient into foods & beverages(without flavour problems), processing advantagesand others. Difference can also be created by helpingbrand owners identify new market segments to whomthe benefit can be relevant. It is more important forcompanies to understand consumer motivations andhow they can create new segments and newpropositions.

Life-Stage Marketing

Life-stage marketing targets very precisely at a nicheassociated with a particular stage of life. This wasmost used in kids’ nutrition, particularly as omega3s continue to carve a position in kids’ market.Omega 3 DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), from fish oilor algae, has proven benefits for both heart and brainhealth. Since heart health market has becomecrowded, brand owners are increasingly turning tothe brain health benefit to create a new segment inthe market. Some examples are:

= Mueller Dairy (Germany’s biggest dairy company)has added omega 3 (from Ocean Nutrition) to itsprobiotic drink Mueller Vitality. The package refersto both heart and brain development benefits,marketing the latter to mothers. Vitality includes a100 ml daily dose drink in its line-up.

= Nestlé has added omega 3s to its probiotic kidsdairy drink (also in a daily dose format)—MunchBunch Drinky+ is marketed on a brain health platform.

= The U.K.’s Dairy Crest last year launched St. IvelAdvance omega 3 milk, with a platform of improvingchildren’s learning and concentration, using omega3s from DSM Nutritional Products, Inc. In its firstyear it achieved sales of $30 million—not a bad startin a country with a population only slightly biggerthan California.

= In Canada, Danone launched Danino, which is akid-specific yogurt that carries the CanadianGovernment’s approved health claim that: “DHA, anomega 3 fatty acid, supports the normal developmentof the brain, the eyes and the nerves.” Danino, says

Danone, has taken a 17% share of the kid-specificdairy market in Canada.

Even in the US, Coca Cola owned Odwalla madedebut with soy milk containing DHA (from Martek)and a clear brain health benefit claim making itdifferent from other soy milks with heart health benefitmessage.

CLA may not look a functional food winner, but hasbecome for Norwegian company Natural ASA andlicensing partner Cognis (Germany), which marketsTonalin brand CLA. Leading Spanish dairy groupCAPSA was the first company in the west to launchproducts with added CLA. As per consumer researchcompany Health Focus International, Spanish arethe most health-active consumers in Europe fromobserving the success of omega 3 milk and country’shigh consumption of sterol-based cholesterollowering drinks. CAPSA’s NaturLinea brand ofyogurt, milk, juice and a dairy drink marketed withweight loss message, has grown to over $60 millionin two years since launch in a population of just 40million. Same penetration in the US would haveachieved retail sales of over $400 million. Thesuccess of NaturLinea shows the value in identifyinga benefit that is compelling to the target market;Spanish women care about weight and their figurevery much. The benefit is delivered in reliable andconvenient format under trusted brand so it worked.When these factors come together consumers donot mind having an ingredient they never heard of.

In contrast, lutein performed only in ultra-nichemarket of older consumers, although Kemin Foodsand others explained its naturalness (being found inspinach) and improved eye health and combatedage-related macular degeneration (AMD). Majorityof consumers did not find it relevant and aged werebetter reached through supplements not food.

Market Domination

It is a basic rule that most markets allow only twoand sometimes three leading players to dominate acategory controlling 80% of market leaving only 20%to niche players. It is also common for companieswho are first to market to dominate. Europe’s marketfor plant sterols/stanols estimated at $150 to 180million, 3 companies entering first namely RaisioBenecol, Cognis and ADM, hold 80% share betweenthem. There are 20 other suppliers competing forthe rest including new entrants (like P&G withNutraphyl brand of sterols) who are wondering howthey can differentiate and build business.

It is a similar story for omega 3s, where there are atleast 17 suppliers. Leaders like Ocean Nutrition (40%

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share) have firmly established and new entrants mayneed exceptional technology or aggressive pricingor active marketing to make any headway.

Company hoping to enter crowded market with suchingredient needs extraordinary point of difference interms of benefits or technical performance, which isvery rarely achieved. It reality, the only tool availableis lower price, which hastens the commoditisationprocess as they fight for crumbs.

One tactic that has begun and will happen more infuture is that of Canada’s Forbes Medi-Tech, a me-too sterol player. In partnership with a dairy company,it is positioning itself as the supplier to supermarkets,with opportunity to sell private labels versions ofbranded products. It has started off very well withUK’s Tesco, Netherlands’ Albert Heijn and Finland’sKeskko, all offering range of cholesterol-loweringproducts 30-40% cheaper than those of Benecol andUnilever.

Markets will expand as more food types may befortified with sterols. However, the same hope washeld out for probiotics. However, in Europe, Asia andSouth America dairy applications dominate consumerproduct market. Consumers only think dairyregarding probiotics and no other probiotic consumerproducts (bread, cereals, sausages, cookies) couldchange that. Similarly, dairy is taking control ofcholesterol-lowering market in Europe with productsfrom Benecol, Danone and Unilever, so dairy will also

become synonymous with it this application and noother food category will be able to come close tochallenge it.

For every ingredient, one consumer product type willdominate with only a few suppliers enjoying realsuccess. Ingredient companies therefore need to beearly and focus on supporting formats that work.

Europe’s dairy industry is again cornering newfunctional food market, with new productsinnovations, packaging and with omega 3, a newingredient as with probiotics and plant sterols. Noother food or beverage category has played a strongrole in driving functional food revolution in Europe.With dairy capturing the platform of added healthbenefits, it might be too late for functional bread orjuice. Dairy’s track record sets it apart: to take anexample from the U.K. market—sales of probioticdaily dose drinks exceed $450 million; cholesterol-lowering daily-dose drinks bring in $100 million andomega 3 milk brings over $100 million.

It’s no exaggeration to say that in terms of futuredevelopments in functional foods, what happened inthe dairy sector—be it in Europe or America—maymatter more than any other category.

Condensed from: an article by Julian Mellentin inNutraceutical World December 2006

In The News

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Nutri-Cosmetics: Eat, Drink and Be SkepticalBy Natasha Singer

Published: New York Times, December 14, 2006

SCOTT-VINCENT BORBA, an entrepreneur inWoodland Hills, Calif., makes elixirs called BorbaSkin Balance Water that hold all the allure of thefountain of youth. Shelved in refrigerators at Sephorastores under signs marked “Drinkable Skincare,” theplastic bottles contain mixtures of vitamins and plantextracts that promise to enhance the skin. The labelon the “replenishing” water, for example, says it hasbeen “scientifically proven to improve moisture levelsby an average of 66 percent,” while the “firming” wateradvertises itself as “scientifically proven to improveelasticity by an average of 24 percent.”

Last year, Americans bought about one million bottlesof Borba water, which cost $2.50 each, Mr. Borbasaid. They also bought the brand’s “skin treatmentinfused” gummi bears ($25) and powders ($28) thatpromise to help improve cellulite and stretch-mark-prone areas in seven days.

“If you put good things into your body, your skinshould reap the benefits,” Mr. Borba said. “Youalready drink water and you already eat candy andchocolate, so I am putting skin care into your waterand your candy and your chocolate.”

For decades, cosmetic companies havemanufactured face creams that offer hope in a jar.But now a growing number of beauty brands areintroducing hope in a pill, a water bottle or even acandy bar. Marketers refer to this new skin-carecategory as “internal beauty” or “nutri-cosmetics.” Itincludes pills, liquids and snacks formulated with

15

substances like biotin, niacin, omega-3 fatty acids,pomegranate and green tea that promise to improvethe look of skin, hair and nails. But critics said thereis little scientific proof behind the premise that theseitems will improve the look of the skin.

“We would all love to get smoother, younger, moreelastic skin in seven days just by chugging drinks,eating candy bars or chewing gummi bear vitamins,”said Wahida Karmally, the director of nutrition at theIrving Center for Clinical Research at ColumbiaUniversity Medical Center. “But skin doesn’t workthat way. There is no magic bullet.” Dr. Karmally,who has a Ph.D. in public health, added that a dietof whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and“plain old water” helps skin stay healthy. She advisedconsulting with a nutritionist or a doctor before takingany kind of dietary supplement because mega-dosesof certain vitamins can be unhealthy, she said.

Since food helps maintain skin health, one mightassume that supplements improve skin. But Dr.James M. Spencer, a dermatologist in St. Petersburg,Fla., who has studied the use of ingestiblesubstances to inhibit skin cancer, said that there islittle scientific validation for the idea that dietarysupplements can beautify well-nourished people. “Ifyou are already a healthy 55-year-old woman in NewYork, or if you just had pizza for lunch, I doubt youwill look prettier if you take beauty vitamins,” saidDr. Spencer, a clinical professor of dermatology atMount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan. Headded that scientists know little about how beautysupplements affect the skin because they areconsidered dietary supplements, products that arenot vetted by the Food and Drug Administrationbefore they arrive in stores.

The manufacturers are responsible for the contentand safety of these products and for the validity ofmarketing claims. But if a dietary supplement claimsbeneficial effects, it must bear a disclaimer that theF.D.A. has not evaluated the claims and that theproduct is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure orprevent any disease.”

Five years ago, very few Americans boughtnutri-cosmetics. But last year Americans spentabout $50 million on them, according to Kline &Company, a market research firm that trackscosmetics sales. Carrie Mellage, an industrymanager for consumer products at Kline, saidthat worldwide sales of nutri-cosmetics reached$1 billion last year, largely because of sales inEurope and Asia. In Japan, for example, EiwaConfectionery makes “collagen marshmallows”that claim to plump skin, and in France, Noreva

sells “gourmet anti-aging jam” in flavors likemelon-mango or tomato-green tea. Ms. Mellagesaid that increased interest in holistic medicineand organic food is driving sales.

Mr. Borba, who has developed product ideas forbeauty companies, started his business afterdeciding that he spent too much time drinking mineralwater, applying grooming products and taking 15different supplements a day. His idea: Combine thethree in one product. In 2005, he introduced Borbawaters at Fred Segal Beauty in Santa Monica, Calif.This year sales will reach 2.5 million bottles, he said.The products are based on the idea of skinbioavailability — that if nutrients are made available,skin cells will absorb them and thus improve the skin’sappearance, he said. “Consumers understand thatyou and your skin are what you eat,” he said. “Elixirs,droplets and effervescent tablets that fortify your skinfrom the inside out will become the skin care of choicein the next five years.”

Dr. Howard Murad, a dermatologist in El Segundo,Calif., who founded his own cosmetic line in 1989,is one of a number of doctors selling nutri-cosmetics. The label on Murad Optimal Health andBeauty dietary supplement says the pills are“scientifically proven to improve skin hydration by40 percent” and “increase skin firmness by 58percent.” Dr. Murad said he developed hissupplements out of his own research, based onthe idea that humans have been using nutrients toimprove health for thousands of years. “The ideaof food as medicine has been around forever, butwe are only just rediscovering it,” said Dr. Murad, anassociate clinical professor of medicine indermatology at the Geffen School of Medicine at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles. He said ancientEgyptians used pomegranate to treat intestinaldisorders. Now, he said, “U.C.L.A. has startedstudying the effects of pomegranate juice on prostatecancer.”

BUT critics said that just because certain nutrientscan help cure diseases does not automatically meanthat their use in dietary supplements beautifies theskin. “There isn’t yet evidence to support the use ofthese for enhanced skin in healthy people,” said PaulM. Coates, the director of the Office of DietarySupplements of the National Institutes of Health. “Itdoesn’t mean that they don’t work, but we can’t saywith any certainty that they do work.” Dr. Coates,who has a Ph.D. in genetics, said that nutri-cosmeticscould be validated only by clinical trials published inpeer-reviewed scientific journals. But very few suchrigorous tests are done on beauty supplements, hesaid.

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Mr. Borba said that the claims on his waters arebased on independent studies that he paid for. Thecompany’s Web site, www.borba.net, says that atechnician visually evaluated volunteers’ skin forwrinkles, dryness, elasticity and clarity over 28 days.Dr. Murad said the claims on his supplements arebased on studies by an independent laboratory thatused devices like a corneometer to measurehydration and a ballistometer to measure elasticity.He published a study in 2001 in the Journal ofCosmetic Dermatology showing that eight peoplewho ate pomegranate supplements and used apomegranate lotion slightly increased protection fromsun damage.

“I am not claiming that this is scientific study onthe level of what we expect from Harvardresearch , ” Dr . Murad sa id . Bu t a recentanectdole study of 70 of his patients foundsupplements improved their skin. “Ideally, thebest thing you could do for your skin is to eat alot better,” he said. “But it’s difficult to eat a hugeamount of fresh food, so you can supplement.”Dr. Spencer said nutri-cosmetics are mostlymarketing. “They are unlikely to hurt you,” hesaid. “But they may hurt your pocketbook.”

(http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/fashion/14skin.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fHeal th%2f

Diseases%2c%20Condi t ions%2c%20and%20Heal th%20Topics%2fDiet&_r=1

&oref=s login&pagewanted=al l )

2007 Dieting Trends: A Survey

Shedding excess pounds is a top priority for manyAmericans as the media continues to proclaim thedangers of obesity. A recent Calorie ControlCouncil survey found that the highest number ofAmericans in the past 15 years, 71 million, or 33%of the population, are currently on a diet.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statisticsclaims that 30% of U.S. adults 20 years of age andolder—over 60 million people—are obese, with a BMIof 30 or higher . This can lead to a host of healthproblems, from heart disease to diabetes. The U.S.government has made the reduction of obesityamong adults to less than 15% as one of its nationalhealth objectives for 2010.

To achieve this, “Consumers must be aware of thecalories they are consuming and the calories they

are expending,” says Robin Steagall, R.D.,nutrition communications manager of the Council.“By choosing lower-calorie foods and beveragesand incorporating exercise into the daily lifestyle,weight loss and improved health can be maintainedfor life.”

Because the diet is critical to losing weight andkeeping it off, the Calorie Control Council ispredicting the following top 5 dieting trends in 2007:

1) Restaurants will serve more low-calorie andreduced-fat foods. A recent FDA reportencouraged restaurants to sell lower-calorie foodsand increase customer’s calorie awareness. Thiswill lead to an increase in lower-calorie andreduced-fat options for patrons trying to managetheir weight.

2) Consumers will create personalized eating plans.Americans are discovering it is not practical toeliminate an entire food group or endure a liquid dietfor long periods. People will begin to ignore fad dietsand focus on sensible nutrition and controllingcalories with customized meal plans, often foundthrough dieting websites.

3) Exercise will become part of the “everyday.”Busy Americans find that fitting exercise into ademanding schedule can be difficult. However,many will make small changes to incorporatefitness into their daily lifestyle and burn extracalories, such as taking the stairs and parking faraway in parking lots.

4) Functional light foods will gain popularity. Low-calorie options that also provide health benefitsbeyond basic nutrition will increase. For example,foods and beverages that combine fewer calorieswith eliciting a low glycemic response providesbeneficial to everyone, not necessarily just peoplewith diabetes.

5) Healthy living will become a family matter. Familieswill take major steps to slow the growing rate ofchildhood obesity. Many will make proper nutritionand exercise a priority for the entire family.Overall, the Council calls 2007 a year of positivechange for weight loss and weight maintenance. “Byfocusing on calories in and calories out and not beingmisled by the latest weight loss fad and insteadadopting healthy long-term habits, the New Year canbe happy and healthy,” says Steagall.

From: Food Product Design 12/19/2006

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Anti-cancer Properties of BerriesStudied

Recent research performed at the Center for HumanNutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine, Universityof California, Los Angeles (UCLA), investigated theanticancer properties of various berry extracts. Theresults of this research were published in the Dec.13 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and FoodChemistry Researchers studied the ability of extractsfrom blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries,cranberries, red raspberries and strawberries to inhibitthe growth of oral, breast, colon and prostate tumorcell lines, as well as their effect on apoptosis. Theyalso evaluated the phenolic constituents—includinganthocyanins,flavonols,flavanols,ellagitannins,gallotannins, proanthocyanidins and phenolic acids—of each extract.

At increasing concentrations, all extracts showedinhibition of cell proliferation. However, theresearchers noted different degrees of potencybetween cell lines, noting that extracts of blackraspberries and strawberries showed the most-significant pro-apoptotic effects.

In their report, the researchers note that berriescontain a diverse range of phytochemicals withbiological properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer,anti-neurodegerative, and anti-inflammatoryactivities. They note that the results of this research,along with other related research, warrant furtherinvestigation into the chemopreventive andchemotherapeutic effects of berries.

Funding for this project was provided by the CaliforniaStrawberry Commission, Watsonville, and the UCLACenter for Human Nutrition.

(http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2006/54/i25/abs/jf061750g.html).

Budget food ranges �less healthy�

Supermarkets may be contributing to the UK’shealth inequalities by selling “economy” rangesthat are less healthy than standard ranges, areport warns.

Most low-cost food products are “significantly”higher in salt than standard own-brand products,the National Consumer Council (NCC) found. Theranges concerned included Morrisons Bettabuy,

Asda’s Smartprice and Somerfield’s Makes Sense.But the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said thereport was “out of date”. It said the survey wascarried out six months ago and stores had madeimprovements since then. The NCC’s researchfound that while 44% of supermarkets’ standardproducts met the Food Standards Agency’ssodium target levels, only 35% of economyproducts did.

NCC’s ‘HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY INDEX’

“Healthiest” supermarket first1 - Sainsbury’s2 - Tesco3 - Waitrose4 - Marks & Spencer5 - Asda6 - Co-op7 - Somerfield8 - Morrisons

The survey compared products like baked beans,sliced white bread and pork sausages in bothstandard and cheap ranges. In many cases theyfound that economy sausages, for example, werehigher in salt than their standard equivalents.“Consumers who rely heavily on economy rangesare clearly being short-changed on health,” said NCCchairman Lord Whitty.

The NCC said Morrisons came bottom of eightsupermarkets surveyed for their approach to health,for the third year running. Somerfield was second-worst, while Sainsbury’s was considered the best,even though some of the products in its Basicsrange were found to be high in salt too. The NCCcalled for more price promotions on fresh fruit andvegetables, to encourage the less well off to eatmore healthily.

Salt ‘adds flavour’

But Richard Dodd, a spokesman for the BRC, said itwas not true that consumers were being priced outof eating healthily. Stores were “discounting heavily”on fruit and vegetables, he said. He added thatreducing salt levels was not always popular. “Thepurpose of salt in food is to add flavour and topreserve,” he told BBC News. “We have to work outways of keeping it tasty - in some products salt hasbeen reduced and consumers didn’t like the taste.“It is not always easy to reduce salt levels.”

From BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/6160783.stm

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Dieters do calories, not exercise

Twice as many dieters count calories to loseweight rather than exercise, a poll has found.

Calorie counting is most popular with women - halfopt to count their food intake, compared with a thirdof men. Yet 59% of the 2,000 people surveyed byGlaxoSmithKline Nutritional Healthcare realisedexercise makes the greater contribution to personalhealth. More choice in low-calorie foods meanspeople are giving up exercise in favour of consumingless, nutritionists say.

John Brewer, GSK Sports Scientist, said: “The trendof people swapping the gym for a low calorie meal isvery worrying. “Consuming fewer calories is nosubstitute for exercise. We cannot afford to becomea nation of calorie-counting couch potatoes - thebenefits of leading active lives are enormous.”Graham Neale of GSK Nutritional Healthcare saiddiet food manufacturers had a responsibility toconsumers. He said: “With food and drinkmanufacturers broadening their ‘diet’ ranges, weneed a concerted effort to encourage consumers tofocus as much on ‘energy out’ as ‘energy in’.”

Little and oftenCharlene Shoneye, research dietician at WeightConcern, said: “I’m not surprised by the results. “Alot of people find the idea of going to the gym quitedaunting and so reducing calorie intake seems to bean easier option. “A recent survey found only 12%of the population are gym members. “We promotephysical activity as opposed to going to the gym perse. Things like taking the stairs instead of using thelift and walking when ever possible to increase yourenergy expenditure throughout the day.

“The recommendation is 60 minutes of activity a day.That can be done in smaller slots. There are so manylow calorie, low fat products out there...and caloriecounting is important, but so is exercising. Physicalactivity has health benefits other than weight loss.”

From BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/6183799.stm

High-protein diet good for heart

Break out the nutcracker this Christmas, or try fishfor that holiday meal. According to a report from theHarvard Medical School, there is such a thing asheart-healthy, high-protein diet. Unsurprisingly, it

doesn’t focus on prime rib or eggs over-easy.

The diet described in Healthy Eating: A Guide to theNew Nutrition, which Harvard is selling, offers whatthe publishers say is a healthful alternative to theold-fashioned Atkins style diets that “ooze artery-clogging saturated fat with every bite.” Instead, thiseating plan, one of several studied in the OmniHearttrial, includes high-protein foods from both animaland plant sources that are lower in saturated fat.Along with chicken and fish, dietary sources of proteininclude nuts, beans, whole-grain cereals, and fat-free dairy products.

From: IFT Weekly Newsletter December 20, 2006

New crops needed to avoid famines

By Richard Black , Environment correspondent

The global network of agricultural researchcentres warns that famines lie ahead unless newcrop strains adapted to a warmer future aredeveloped.

The Consultative Group on International AgriculturalResearch (CGIAR) says yields of existing varietieswill fall. New forecasts say warming will shrink SouthAsia’s wheat area by half. CGIAR is announcingplans to accelerate efforts aimed at developing newstrains of staple crops including maize, wheat, riceand sorghum. At the network’s annual meeting inWashington, scientists will also report on measuresto reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farmland.CGIAR links 15 non-profit research institutes aroundthe world working mainly on agriculture in developingcountries and the tropics.

“We’re talking about a major challenge here,” saidLouis Verchot of the World Agroforestry Centre (Icraf)in Kenya, a member institute of CGIAR. “We’retalking about challenges that have to be dealt withat every level, from ideas about social justice to thetechnology of food production,” he told the BBC Newswebsite. “We’re talking about large scale humanmigration and the return to large-scale famines indeveloping countries, something which we decided40 or 50 years ago was unacceptable and didsomething about.”

Raining problemsThe most significant impact of climate change onagriculture is probably changes in rainfall. Someregions are forecast to receive more rain, others toreceive less; above all, it will become more variable.But increasing temperatures can also affect crops.

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Photosynthesis slows down as the thermometerrises, which also slows the plants’ growth andcapacity to reproduce. Research published twoyears ago shows rice yields are declining by 10%for every degree Celsius increase in night-timetemperature.

A study from the International Maize and WheatImprovement Center (Cimmyt) in Mexico, yet tobe published, projects a major decline in SouthAsia’s wheat yield. The vast Indo-Gangetic plainproduces about 15% of the world’s wheat - but thearea suitable for growing is forecast to shrink byabout half over the next 50 years, even as thenumber of mouths to feed increases. “Thelivelihoods of billions of people in developingcountries, particularly those in the tropics, will beseverely challenged as crop yields decline due toshorter growing seasons,” said Robert Zeigler,Director General of the International Rice ResearchInstitute (Irri), a CGIAR affiliate.

Conversely, rising temperatures will open up areasof the world which are currently too cold for cropcultivation, in regions such as Siberia and northernNorth America. And the same Cimmyt studyforecasts that wheat will become viable in parts ofAlaska.

But the CGIAR figures suggest that extra yield fromthese regions will not fill the shortfall in the tropics- added to which there are questions of how poorertropical countries will afford to buy food from richertemperate states. All this means, CGIAR says, thatresearch into the technological, social andeconomic dimensions of future farming needs toaccelerate.

Climate-proof cropsWithin the CGIAR network, various researchinitiatives are already under way to develop“climate-proof” varieties. Scientists at Irri in thePhilippines have developed strains which cansurvive floods of several weeks. Serious floodingis forecast to worsen in some Asian countries,notably Bangladesh. Conversely, some alreadyarid regions of Africa are forecast to become evendrier. With sorghum, the line of research beingpursued at the International Crops ResearchInstitute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) is todevelop strains which can survive drought.

One of the most exciting initiatives aims to makea fundamental modification to rice so it becomesmore efficient at using the Sun’s energy. Rice is aso-called C3 plant. Other crops, including maize,

use a better photosynthesis mechanism called C4,and Irri Scientists aim to develop rice strains whichalso use the C4 mechanism. “Boosting thephotosynthetic efficiency of rice by changing it fromC3 to C4 photosynthesis will be like supercharginga car’s engine by fitting a new fuel injectionsystem,” said Irri’s John Sheehy.

Despite reservations in other parts of the world,notably western Europe, genetic modification isbecoming one of the staple tools of researchersaiming to enhance developing world agriculture.“I can understand the opposition to GM, andI sympathise to a certain extent with it,” saidDr Verchot. “But in developing countries we’redealing with a crisis situation; and whatever toolis available, we need to apply it to that situation.”

Fertile groundAway from the field of crop improvements, CGIARscientists will also be detailing approaches toreducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming.One simple method which is proven, but which byno means all farmers are aware of, is no-till orminimum-till agriculture, where fields are ploughedand disturbed as little as possible. This keeps carbonin the soil rather than sending it into the air as carbondioxide. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a more potentgreenhouse gas than CO2, and is released whenfertiliser breaks down.

Scientists with Cimmyt and the International Centerfor Tropical Agriculture (Ciat) have developed a hand-held sensor using light and infra-red radiation whichcan tell farmers whether plants need more fertiliseror not; less fertiliser use means less N2O produced.All this and more will be discussed at the Washingtonmeeting, along with a key question - is enough moneygoing in to fund the acceleration which the CGIARbelieves is needed?

Louis Verchot answers with a simple statistic -CGIAR centres, with a mandate to find solutions forthe whole of the developing world, have less to spendon research each year than France, for example,spends on research for its own farms. “We’re seeingawareness coming, we’re seeing a shifting ofresources, but we’re clearly well below where weneed to be,” he said. “It’s much easier to solve aproblem before we get to a crisis. With climatechange we’re definitely talking about a crisis, andit’s coming within our lifetimes.”

From BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/6200114.stm

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New wheats produce moremagnesium

Newly developed low-phytate breeding lines of wheathave been found to produce flour with 25 percentmore magnesium than commercial varieties,according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS)Scientists. Varying amounts of magnesium,phosphorus, zinc and other minerals occur naturallyin wheat kernels.

Not only do the flours made from these new wheatlines have more magnesium in them, but lower levelsof phytic acid may increase the magnesium’sbioavailablity, or capacity for uptake and use bypeople and animals. Magnesium deficiency has beenlinked to development of osteoporosis and Type 2diabetes, both of which are on the rise in the UnitedStates.

ARS plant geneticist Edward J. Souza andcolleagues at the University of Idaho Research andExtension Center in Aberdeen—Mary J. Guitteri andKaren M. Peterson—selected the low-phytate linesfrom greenhouse tests.

The researchers evaluated the low-phytate plants infield trials for two years. Since the new wheat lineshave a different distribution of essential minerals,with more in the inner germ than in the outer bran,the flour made from them tends to be more nutritional,whether it is refined or whole-wheat.

Four papers by the scientists addressing variousaspects of low-phytate grains appear in theNovember-December 2006 issue of Crop Science,(online at: http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/46/6/2403).

From: IFT Weekly NewsletterDecember 20, 2006

Teens Who Take Multivitamins HaveHealthier Lifestyles

A study in the December Journal of the AmericanDietetic Association reports teenagers who take adaily multivitamin supplement have a healthier dietand lifestyle than those who don’t take vitamins. Aspart of the Child and Adolescent Trial forCardiovascular Health (CATCH), the researchersanalyzed data on height, weight, diet and healthbehaviors for more than 2500 U.S. high schoolseniors. Their goal was to discover whether teenswho took vitamin supplements differed in terms ofdiet, exercise and other health habits.

Twenty-five percent of the teens reported taking adaily multivitamin supplement. Females were morelikely to take vitamins than males, and whites morelikely than minority members. Vitamin use wasrelated to some important differences in lifestylebehaviors, with vitamin users having healthierlifestyles. Adolescents who took vitamins had a lowerrate of smoking, 29% versus 33%; and were lesslikely to be overweight, 31% versus 37%. Teens whotook vitamins were also more physically active,including higher rates of participation in team sportsand other organized sports. Vitamin use was alsolinked to a lower rate of television watching—lessthan 60% of vitamin users watched an hour of TVper day, compared with 70% of nonusers. Thedifferences remained significant after statisticaladjustment for other factors.

Taking vitamins was also associated with a healthierdiet, as reflected by an overall “food index score.”Adolescents who took vitamins actually consumedmore calories, but got more of their calories fromcarbohydrates and protein and less from fats. Vitaminusers ate more fiber; had more daily servings ofwhole grains, fruits and juices and vegetables; andate more fish. Although teens who took vitamins hadmore desserts, they ate fewer fried foods and drankfewer soft drinks. The new study is one of the first tolook at the relationship between vitamin supplementuse among teens and diet and lifestyle factors suchas physical activity and overweight.

From: Nutraceuticals World December 2006

Transformed potato produces Frenchfries with less acrylamide

Scientists have genetically modified the RangerRusset potato to counter storage problems that limitthe tuber’s use in French fry production. RangerRussets boast higher yields and are more uniform,but have had trouble penetrating the market becauseof two storage problems: black spot bruise sensitivityand high levels of cold-induced sweeting.

Caius M. Rommens, Jingsong Ye, Craig Richael, andKathy Swords genetically modified the RangerRusset without inserting any foreign DNA into theplant genome, and transformed the potato’sweaknesses into strengths. French fries from theintragenic potatoes also contained reduced amountsacrylamide while, unexpectedly, displaying enhancedsensory characteristics.

Improving Potato Storage and ProcessingCharacteristics through All-Native DNATransformation

J. Agric. Food Chem. 54 (26), 9882 -9887, 2006(From: IFT Weekly Newsletter December 20, 2006)

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WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS-Dec 2006Ø Convenience Products: A totally new

area for the European and US marketshas been that of the active health drinksmarket.

Ø Sustaining Organic: Today’s typicalorganic products aren’t just the fruits,vegetables, meats, and dairy goods thatfit the fresh-from-the-farm image.

Ø Design Trends-Confectionery:Manufacturers are allowing consumersto truly spoil themselves with pureindulgence.

Ø Design Trends-Beverages: Juices aregreat carriers for functional ingredientsbut some are also acquiring the imageof being highly healthy.

Ø Design Trends-Ready Meals: The readymeal sector is increasingly offering farmore than a convenient fit

Ø Design Trends-Soups and Sauces:‘Premium’ and ‘authentic’ and notionssuch as ‘gourmet convenience’ are cleartrends.

Ø Design Trends-Savoury Snacks:Alternative snacks are capitalizing onthe health trend, but traditional optionsare also being given a makeover.

Ø Design Trends-Dairy: Traditional dairyproducts from other corners of the worldare making their way onto the EuropeanMarket.

Ø Functional Starch: Maize is the majorraw material that is processed into starchwith approximately 80% of totalproduction.

Ø Sweetening Beverages: An analysis ofapplications in recent product launches.

Ø Novel Application: HiE (HealthIngredients-Europe) saw the launch ofseveral new ingredients andapplications

Ø Enzyme Innovation: Selecting enzymesfor an application not only depends onthe reaction required but must also takeinto consideration processing factors.

Ø Cereals and Flavours: Adding colourfulparticulates to cereals will increase thevisual appeal while creating a texturaldifferentiation and adding nutritional

value.Ø Soy Crossroads: The key to unlocking

soy’s health benefits has changed in thelast few months.

Ø Legislative concerns: Although fewindustry issues have been fully resolved,the basic framework by which healthclaims will be gained , maintained andpotentially even lost has beenestablished.

Ø Innovation Triumphs: The ten mostcreative healthy product launches of2006 and how they are inspiring newproduct development trends.

Ø Phenolic Carriers: Many berries,especially the ones with blue and redcolours, contain important phenolicphytochemicals.

Ø Industry Innovation: Replacing salt-Jungbunzlauer’s sub4salt helpsmanufacturers to meet reduction targetsand to come up with tasty products withsodium content reduced by up to 50%.

Functional foods and nutraceuticals-Nov 2006Ø News: Analysis and perspectiveso Battles over GM rice continueso European USL debate heats upo ‘Cocaine’ fuels controversyo Natural preservatives boomingo Cosmeceutical ingredients business

soarso EU delays health claims legislation

Ø Cover storyo Flavours: The history of citrus and why

it is one of the world’s oldest and mostwidespread flavourings.

o Global dispatches: European organics:Europe’s organic market is experiencingthe same supply shortages as the USmarket, presenting numerousopportunities and challenges for outsidesuppliers

o Organic outlook: Growing worldwidedemand is changing the face of theorganics business. Shane starlingexamines the factors that have led tothis change, and what they mean for thefuture of the business.

PFNDAI Library

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o Formulations: Confectionery: Some areconsidering confections as a newplatform delivering functionalingredients.

o Mushroom magic: Researchers arebeginning to uncover the vast healthpotential of Edible Fungus and whatthese findings could mean forconsumers and the market place.

o Inflammation: Natural alternatives toCOX-2 inhibitors

Food and Nutrition Bulletin-Supplement-Dec 2006

ØDevelopment of an International growthstandard for Preadolescent and Adolescentchildren.

Ø The 1998-2001 PeruMultimicronutrient SupplementationStudy (PISA)

Food and Nutrition Bulletin-Dec 2006Ø Carotenoid content of Banana cultivars

in AustraliaØ Iodine deficiency in Zanzibar Islands of

TanzaniaØ Stunning and Overweight in Latin

America and Caribbean childrenØ Cooked vegetables as a Vitamin source

in IndiaØ Anaemia among Pregnant Women and

Adolescent Girls in IndiaØ Characteristics attributed to

Complimentary Foods in Latin Americaand the Caribbean

Ø Weaning foods and Child-feedingpractices in Nigeria

Ø Millennium Villages Project in AfricaØ Good governance for Nutrition in the

PhilippinesØ Nutritional status of Santal men in India

Nutrition Bulletin-Dec 2006Ø Editorial: Supporting sensible choices

across EuropeØ Health benefits of fish oils under

questionØ Trans fats – Should We Be Worried?Ø Coffee- The Truth About The BeanØ Alcohol consumption in the New

Millennium- Weighing up the risks andbenefits for our health

Ø Labelling in Restaurants: Will it make adifference?

Ø Claims and Fortification- NewRegulations on the way

Ø Oligofructose – Enriched inulinstimulates Calcium absorption and Bonemineralisation

Ø Peer review: What is it and Why does itmatter?

Ø The importance of harmonizing andsustaining food composition data acrossEurope

Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals- Dec 2006Ø Kids nutrition takes center stage- The

declining Health of American childrendue to poor nutrition, obesity, lack ofexercise and toxic environmentalchemicals was the major theme of theThird Healthy Foods Conference.

Ø Allergies power new products- Foodintolerance and Allergies are creatinggrowing demand for allergen freeproducts, the factors behind the boom,and the widespread opportunitiesemerging.

Ø Young market for kid’s nutrition-Manufacturers of Niche products takechildren’s nutrition beyond the realmof dairy. Unlocking the enzymemarket- Enzymes used for foodprocessing aids are buoyant butenzymes that confer health benefitshave been slow to win over bothscientists and consumers.

Ø Fortifying beverages with fiber Who’smaking your product-Increasing,dietary supplements are distributed bymarketing companies that don’tmanufacture the products themselves.

Ø Developing food strategies for theprevention of diabetes-Crafting foodswith a healthier balance ofcarbohydrates, fats and proteins, aswell as fortifying them with fibre andother micronutrient can help preventthe progression of this disease.

Ø Suppliers turn to Rosemary andPomegranate.

Ø Assaying fracture risk with whey

Food technology- Nov 2006Ø Heyday in Grain Land- Regular

consumption of whole grains is part of ahealthy lifestyle.

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Ø Food Nanotechnology-The Institute ofFood Technologists has issued ascientific status summary on potentialapplications of nanotechology in thefood industry.

Ø A holistic approach to ProductDevelopment – Emotive researchrefocuses the development processfrom product features to consumer-product experiences, leading tosuccessful trial and repeat purchases.

Ø Pampering your Pet- Pet Foods arebecoming more sophisticated, withgourmet flavors and formulas thataddress specific nutritional needs.

Ø Un-junking Snack foods – Manyconsumers are more likely to grab thatbag of chips not because the product ismade with healthful sunflower oil, butrather because it is flavoured with aunique spice combination.

Ø Nutraceuticals Functional sweets-Ingredients like botanicals, vitamins,minerals, and cocoa flavanols aremaking candy, one of our guiltypleasures, a bit more justifiable.

Ø Laboratory- Water activity and FoodQuality.

Ø Processing- Everything flows.Ø Packaging- Sustainability and

alternatives to today’s food packagingØ A pinch of (iodized) salts.

Journal of Food Science-Nov/ Dec 2006

Ø Concise review or hypotheses in Foodscience

- Functional Materials in FoodNanotechnology

- Organic Foods- Eukaryotic Antimicrobial Peptides:

Promises an Premises in Food Safety- NMR State Diagram ConceptØ Food Chemistry and Toxicology- Characterisation of Aroma-Active

Compounds in Microwave BlanchedPeanuts

- Processing of Sugar-Coated RedKidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris):Fate of Oligosaccharides andPhytohemagglutinin (PHA) andEvaluation of Sensory Quality

- Methionine is the Methyl Group Donorfor Sulphite-Associated MethanethiolFormation in Isolated Soy Proteins.

- Quality of Alaskan Maricultured Oysters- Influence of Lees Contact on Evolution

of Amines in Chardonnay Wine- Carbon Monoxide as a colorant in

Cooked or Fermented Sausages.- Effects of Dietary Functional Ingredients

and Irradiation on the Quality of CookedTurkey Breast Meat during Storage

Ø Food Engineering and PhysicalProperties

- Catalytic Infrared Dehydration of Onions- Study on Stabilizing Mechanising of

Konjac Glucomannan in Tea Infusions- Kinetics of Potato colour and Texture

Development during Baking, Frying ,and micro waving with the Addition ofLiquid Smoke

- The effect of Brine Ingredients on CarrotTexture during Thermal Processing inRelation to Pectin Depolymerisation dueto the B-Elimination Reaction

- Influence of transglutaminase-InducedCross-Linking on Properties of FishGelatine Films

- Effect of Soybean-to-Water Ratio andpH on Pasteurised Soymilk Properties

- Crack Development in Individually QuickFroze Cut and Peel Carrots

- Protein Associated with ThermallyInduced Gelation of Turkey Breast Meat

Ø Sensory and Nutritive Quality of Food- Mouthfeel Detection Threshold and

Instrumental Viscosity of Sucrose andHigh Corn Syrup Solutions

- The effect of Lactates on the quality ofmicrowave-Cooked Chicken Patticeduring storage

- Characteristic Property of low Bitternessin Protein Hydrolysates by a novelSoybean protease D3

- Cell wall stability of Fresh Cut FujiApples Treated with Calcium Lactate

- Effect of Enzyme Treatments and DryingTemperatures on MethylpyrazineContent in Cocoa Powder Extract

- Curcuma Aromatica Inhibits DiabeticNephropathy in the Rat

- Lipid-Lowering Effect of Eriocitrin,the main Flavonoid in Lemon Fruit,in Rats on H igh- fa t and HighCholesterol Diet

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Ø 15-17 Feb 2007HSC North American ExecutiveConference, at Cancun, Mexico;Organisers: Health StrategyConsulting (HSC)Contact: Bill McGowanTel: 617-775-0759,Email: bmcgowan@hscadvice.comWeb: www.health-strategy.com/news/conferences.php

Ø 8-9 Mar 2007Nutracon, at Anaheim, CA,Organisers: New Hope Natural Media,Tel: 866-458-4935,Email: tradeshows@newhope.comWeb: www.newhope.com

Ø 8-11 Mar 2007Natural Products Expo West/SupplyExpo, Anaheim, CA,Organisers: New Hope Natural Media,Tel: 866-458-4935,Email: tradeshows@newhope.comWeb: www.newhope.com

Ø 19-22 Mar 2007DCAT Week, at New York, WaldorfAstoria, Organisers: Drug, Chemical &Associated Technologies Association,Tel: 800-640-DCAT,Email: dcat@dcat.orgWeb: www.dcat.org

Ø 28-30 Mar 2007Food Ingredients China 2007, atShanghai New International ExpoCentre Co., Ltd, Pudong New Area.Contact: Ms. Stella ZhongTel: +86 2164371178Fax: +86 2164370982Email:Stellazhong@cmpsinoexpo.comWebsite: www.asiachina2007.fi-events.com

Coming Events

Ø 13-16 Apr 2007Quality Italian Food Show in Rome, atRome New Exhibition Centre, Contact:Information SecretariatTel: +390521996206/233Fax: +390521996270Email: cibus@fiereparma.it

Ø 24-26 Apr 2007DCAT’s Nutrition & Health Forum, atNapa Valley, CA, Organisers: Drug,Chemical & Associated TechnologiesAssociation (DCAT),Tel: 800-640-DCAT,Email: lkuna@dcat.orgWeb: www.dcat.org

Ø 27-29 Apr 2007Food Tech Kerala, at GokulamConvention Centre, Cochin, India,Organisers: Lanka Exhibitions (LECS),Contact: Automobile Association Bldg,4th floor Sir Mohamed Macan MarkerMawatha, Colombo 03 Sri Lanka

Ø 10-12 May 2007SIAL China, at Shanghai NewInternational Expo Centre, China,Organisers: Beatrix EDER, Contact:Communications ManagerTel: (86) 21 6249 2028 / 603Fax: (86) 21 6249 3414Email: beatrix_eder@exposium-shanghai.comWebsite: www.sialchina.com

Ø 15-17 July 2007Africa’s Big Seven (AB7), atJohannesburg, South Africa,Organisers: Cruz ConsultantsTel: 0484-2320290/09846121242Email: cruz@eth.net,

cruzconsultants@rediffmail.comWebsite: www.intexexpo.com