Specialty Newsletter Volume 34 October 15, 2016

Healthy Eating Department

Why is High Fructose Corn Syrup so

scary!

Recently, a UCSF researcher stumbled upon the fact

that, back in the 1960’s, the Sugar Research Foundation

(now the Sugar Association) paid three Harvard scien-

tists to minimize the link between sugar and health sug-

gesting that saturated fat is more the problem. Now

we are learning the reverse is true. And, not all sugars

are created equal. Here’s the breakdown...

Regular cane sugar (sucrose) is made of two sugar

molecules bound tightly together—glucose and fruc-

tose in equal amounts. (50/50). Glucose is our main

fuel source for energy. Glucose is a simple sugar in

foods that are easily broken down by every cell in our

body. The enzymes in our digestive tract break down

the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then

absorbed into the body. Natural fructose, from

fruits and vegetables, has good nutrients and fiber to

slow down digestion and make us feel full. Fructose

the ingredient, is digested so quickly you don’t feel full

and you eat more. More importantly, it contains no

essential nutrients and is completely “empty” in calo-

ries.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is bad because

it consists of glucose and the ingredient fructose, not

in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio

in an unbound form. Since there is no chemical bond

between them (glucose and fructose) no digestion is

required. The glucose is rapidly absorbed into the

bloodstream and the ingredient fructose is metabo-

lized in the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production

of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol). This is be-

lieved to be the major cause of liver damage in our

country and causes a condition called “fatty liver”

which affects over 70 million Americans. Dr. Joseph

Mercola, a NY Times best selling author and personali-

ty states that HFCS is as dangerous to the liver as

alcohol. The ingredient fructose can cause visceral

fat accumulation—the worst type of body fat. It’s also

linked to health issues such as diabetes, heart disease,

body-wide inflammation and obesity.

Continued on page 3...

What makes Ravifruit’s

IQF Raw Chestnuts so

special?

First, Ravifruit only use Chestnuts from the AOC region, Ardèche (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), just above Provence. These are considered the best quality available—tastier and bigger than competing brands that are grown in Spain or China.

France sells only 1% of the world Chestnuts , while China does 69% , followed by Korea with 7%, and Italy with 5%. Because the production is more limited, it is subject to seasonal and climatic changes. The size of harvest also varies year to year…and this year the price went up. The good news is that we are now break-ing the case so you can buy 1 kg versus the whole case.

Continued on page 2...

(Re-)Introducing—A L’Olivier Walnut Oil This beautiful French walnut oil has been missing from the Bay Area foodservice market for over 10 years—and we are the ONLY foodservice company to stock it!

Less roasted than the more common LeBlanc brand from France, A L’Olivier (pronounced al-o-liv-ee-ay) has a nice perfume, a delicate and nutty flavor, and a beautiful light golden color. It’s cold pressed in their Poitou-Charentes (western France) mill using traditional artisanal methods and made from WHOLE French wal-nuts ensuring the quality and freshness of their first bottle is the same as their last.

A L'Olivier’s rich, toasted flavor is excellent in salads such as avocado and chicken, or endive and Roquefort cheese. It is also a great compliment to pasta, fish, and over vegetables—and fantastic in pastry like walnut cakes and breads.

A L'Olivier, the source of exquisite olives and oils, was found-ed in Paris in 1822. Their shop in the Marais and Huilerie in Provence continue this tradition of quality, service and spe-cialized expertise.

Enrich your fall dishes with A L’Olivier Walnut Oil!

#363057 A L’Olivier Virgin Walnut Oil 6/250 ml sold by each or case France

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New—Now in Stock Breadsticks Grissini Sea Salt United Bakery #10784 12/8 oz Case California—Local

Butter VEGAN Cultured Plant Based Miyoko’s Kitchen #93678 2/3 lb tub bulk Case California—Local—NEW SIZE!

Cheese Feta Greek Sheep/Goat PDO Dodoni #92422 4/2 kg tub Each Greece

Cheese Fontina Red Wax Swedish Frederika #93954 9 lb avg wheel Each Domestic

Cheese Goat Cheese Fresh El Pastor #93917 2/1 kg log Each Spain (eta 10/17)

Cheese Goat Cheese Fresh Cypress Grove #94415 8/11 oz log Each California (replaces 3/2.2 lb size)

Cheese Mozzarella Fresh Ovoline 4 oz Di Stefano #93809 2/3 lb tub Each California

Cheese Ricotta Salata Pinna #93423 2/7 lb avg wheel Each Sardinia, Italy

Cheese VEGAN Sundried Tom Garlic Miyoko’s Kitchen #93677 6/6.5 oz Case California—Local

Choc Dark 66% VEGAN Org Wafer Guittard #21080 25 lb box bulk Case California—Local

Olive Oil EV Tuscany “Primolio” Giachi #368160 12/500 ml Each Tuscany, Italy

Tomatoes Whole Peeled w/Basil Ciao #547043 6/10 cans Case Italy

Water Mineral Spark Natural Twist Ferrarelle #339530 12/750 ml Case Campania, Italy

Water Mineral Spark Natural Twist Ferrarelle #339532 24/330 ml Case Campania, Italy

Yogurt Greek 2% Plain Fage #171756 6/35 oz tub Case Domestic

CHESTNUTS—continued from page 1 According to the Ardèche tourist office, Ardèche is the largest chestnut-producing department in France, with nearly 5,000 tons a year. Awarded AOC status in 2006, the Ardèche chestnut is used in many specialties especially can-died chestnuts, chestnut purée and spread, and chestnut flour.

Roadtrip? Going to Ardeche and want to know more about chestnuts? Then visit the House of the Chest-nut (Maison du Châtaignier) at Saint-Pierreville, in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, where three floors of exhibits will reveal the world of chest-nuts. There is also a museum dedicated to the histo-ry of the chestnut, from the Middle Ages to today, in the center of the medieval town of Joyeuse. And, there are festivals all over the region honoring this emblematic nut from mid-October to mid-November.

Ravifruit Chestnuts are perfect for stuffing and delicious sautéed with brussel sprouts.

#234661 Ravifruit IQF Chestnuts Whole RAW Peeled 5/1 kg bags, sold by each or case—France

Halloween Candy Trivia (from the Huffington Post, NPR and Wikipedia)

1. 600 million pounds of candy per year for Halloween in the US.

2. 90 million pounds are sold during Halloween week (about 10% of all an-

nual candy sales).

3. Chocolate wins! Over 60% of sales are for chocolate over sugar candy.

4. Candy Corn clocks in at over 20% of Halloween sales in pounds or

enough to circle the world, end-to-end, over 4 times. Invented in the

1880’s and originally called “butter cream candies” and “chicken feed”, it

was sold seasonally from March to November. After WWII, advertisers

began marketing it as Halloween candy because of its coloring.

5. Gluten-Free is now more popular than Sugar-Free candy.

6. Average US household spends $44 year on Halloween Candy.

7. Least favorite Halloween candy...NECCO wafers (acronym for New Eng-

land Confectionary Company)! Which by the way is the oldest candy

company in the US (founded 1847) and produces over 630 million wafers

per year, enough to circle the globe twice!

8. The Tootsie roll was the first American penny-candy. In 1896, Austrian-

born Leo Hirshfield named the candy after his 5 year old daughter,

Clara, whose nickname was Tootsie.

9. Circus Peanuts (and Cheerios) were the inspiration for Lucky Charms

cereal.

10. NPR reported in 2007 that the Candy Industry lobbied to extend Daylight

Savings into November so that trick-or-treaters would have an hour

more of daylight to collect more candy.

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Scary...HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP from page 1

Dr. Mark Hyman, MD—best selling author on nutrition and wellness, and a regular on PBS—states that HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body. HFCS is an industrial food product. The sugars are extract-ed through a chemical enzymatic process resulting in a chemically and biologically novel compound called HFCS. HFCS contains con-taminants including mercury because of chlor-alkali products used in

its manufacturing and are not regulated or measured by the FDA.

The USDA reported the ANNUAL average for sugar consumption in the US in 2013 was 128.4 lbs per per-son and that corn sweeteners made up over 55% of that (58.6 lbs per person). That is a staggering num-ber. The USDA recommends a 2,000 calorie diet include no more than 40 grams (1.5 oz) of added sugar per day (that’s about 10 teaspoons a day, or 32 lbs a year!). That’s a long way from caveman days

when our hunter gatherer ancestors consumed the equivalent of 20 teaspoons per year.

Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. To be fair, HFCS is not the same as pure corn syrup; but corn syrup is GMO, which is another issue altogether. Interestingly, Karo Corn Syrup in retail is pure corn syrup while the foodservice product is HFCS. What can you do? You could use cane, agave, maple syrup and raw honey if you want a better liquid sugar. These products might cost you more, but they are healthier. Our health matters!

Lyle’s Golden Cane Syrup England

#527855

2/16 lb jug BULK, Each

Agave Nectar Organic Syrup Naturel by SF

#292108

8/24 oz, Case Only

Agave Nectar Blue Organic

Syrup Wholesome Sweeteners

#292100

6/44 oz, Each

Honey Raw OJ Blossom

California, Z Specialty

#292044 6/6 lb jug, Each

Suggested replacements for

High Fructose Corn Syrup

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Suggestions & Comments? Cecily Costa, Gourmet Brand Specialist at ccosta@birite.com or (415) 656-0187 x428

NOTE: Any prices quoted in this newsletter are for NEW purchases (outside of 90 days) and not available to contract customers, which may or may not have a lower price. Ask your rep for details.

Thanks to my Editors this month—Jennifer Wilder-Smith, Director of Marketing & Julianna Roth, Marketing Coordinator

TABLE MANNERS—With the Holidays just around the corner, here are some quick sug-

gestions from Emily Post and Miss Manners regarding table settings and etiquette.

How to set the table—from Emily Post: Setting a table is not as difficult

as it seems. The basic rule is: Utensils are placed in the order of use; that

is, from the outside in. A second rule, with only a few exceptions, is:

Forks go to the left of the plate, and knives and spoons go to the right.

And finally, only set the table with utensils you will use. No soup; no

soup spoon.

By Miss Manners, November 20, 2011—DEAR MISS MANNERS: In set-

ting the table for the Thanksgiving repast, there is some debate about which way the knife should face.

One of the family recalled that in time of war, the blade faces outward; in time of peace, it faces inward.

Another opinion suggested that it always is toward the plate. Your guidance please, sage lady?

GENTLE READER: It is always good to be prepared, and in case of attack you wouldn’t want to have

to take the time to turn your knife around. However, at the Thanksgiving table, any attack is likely to

come from one of your relatives. And we want to discourage patricide (even of fathers whose carving de-stroys the turkey and who keep the drumsticks for themselves), infanticide (even of babies who have been

crying steadily for half an hour), and aunticide (even for those whose idea of conversation is, “Isn’t it about

time you got married?” and, “I see you’ve put on some weight”). Mealtime stabbings are considered bad

form, even at Thanksgiving. In 1669, Louis XIV of France decreed that knives must be rounded

at top, not threateningly pointed. (Oh, wait, that was to stop people from using their knives to pick

their teeth.) The rule is that regardless of what else is going on in the world, the table is set with knife

blades facing in.

Sunday, October 30th

(The date changes as it falls on a “no-moon” or “new

moon” night every year…also symbolizing victory of light

over darkness or good over evil.)

or is one of the most prominent and fa-

mous Hindu festivals of India, celebrated with great gus-

to and fervor. In Sanskrit, word ‘Deepavali’ means “rows

of lights” so this festival is also known as “Festival of

Lights”. The Hindu holiday of Diwali

is India's biggest and brightest national holiday. Indians around the world come

together to celebrate. The five-day celebration of good over evil is as important to Hindus as Christmas is to Christians, and it marks the start of a new financial

year for Indian businesses worldwide. These five days mark the highest purchase

of gold in the masses. People of all religion enjoy this festival by making vibrant

rangolis (floor art made with vibrant colors or flowers), lighting lamps 'diyas', dis-

tributing sweets, exchanging gifts between friends and relatives and burning crack-

ers. This festival of lights transcends religion and is unanimously celebrated by

Indians worldwide.—Simran Kaur.

Images from Space on a regular day and Diwali Day