Traceability report; Confectionery companies seek clean labels

Hibiscus leaf may help treat melanoma
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Food Science, Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf polyphenolic extract (HLP) may induce melanoma cell death in humans and could act as a chemotherapeutic agent to eliminate cancer cells without significant harmful effects to normal cells.

According to the authors, previous studies have indicated that an aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa leaves possesses hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effects. In this study, they examined HLP, which is rich in epicatechin gallate (ECG) and other polyphenols. Using DAPI stain, cell-cycle analysis, and acidic vascular organelle (AVO) stain to evaluate the apoptotic and autophagic activities of HLP and ECG, the researchers confirmed an anticancer effect of HLP, partly contributed by ECG, in melanoma cells. The study “demonstrated that HLP may be a good agent for antimelanoma, and developed a novel strategy on human skin cancer treatment in the future,” the authors say.

Report highlights need for seafood traceability
As global demand for seafood grows, so does the need for traceability from sea to store. A new report issued by IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center highlights how traceability can improve seafood industry performance, reduce waste, and enhance consumer trust levels.

To create the report, the researchers interviewed more than 80 individuals in 48 companies within nine international seafood supply chains. They found that the more that companies emphasize traceability practices and systems, the more benefits they achieve, including being able to recall products efficiently, access new markets, and lower costs. Additionally, the report introduced software called the Seafood Financial Traceability Tool that assists companies in calculating the return on investment and creating business cases for investing in traceability; it is available online.

The report also looked at how traceability may influence customers’ seafood purchasing decisions. Surveying customers in Canada, China, Germany, The Netherlands, and the United States, the researchers found that while consumers in all countries exhibited similar attitudes toward seafood species, their preference for packaging forms and purchasing channels varied widely.

Confectionery companies opt for clean labels
Confectionery giants Hershey and Nestlé recently announced formulation changes to eliminate controversial ingredients from their products. According to confectionery expert Joan Steuer, these changes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cleaning up confectionery labels.

“We will absolutely see more of it,” says Steuer, president of Los Angeles–based consulting firm Chocolate Marketing, noting that a consumer desire for traceability and transparency has driven conversations on social media, and “big business is listening.” According to her, consumers want natural products, and for many, this means avoiding certain ingredients, such as artificial colors and flavorings, milk treated with growth hormones, and high fructose corn sugar; even emulsifiers have become a target. Steuer says these “don’ts” are being replaced with ingredients such as nongenetically modified sugar, sunflower lecithin, and natural colors like annatto.

She believes that more and more companies will continue to make these kinds of changes, but they can pose a challenge. Reformulating is expensive, but companies want to ensure they aren’t passing those costs on to the consumer. Additionally, manufacturers must make sure consumers can’t detect any flavor changes in iconic products while meeting their expectations for more natural products.

“Consumers are very, very diligent in reading labels and in ensuring that any claims made are accurate, and I think they’re holding the companies accountable for whatever statements that they make,” says Steuer. “I think [companies are] being very mindful of their words, their statements, their claims, and the ingredients used to make sure that this isn’t just for now but for many years into the future.”

Cooking method cuts calories in rice
A new method for cooking rice could reduce the calories in it by as much as 60%, according to research presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. Because rice is a staple in developing countries, the researchers suggest that reducing its calories may help fight obesity.

Researchers proposed that by converting some of rice’s digestible starch into indigestible resistant starch (RS), more would pass out of the body without being converted into glucose and turned into usable calories. To increase RS levels, researchers added coconut oil to the cooking water and then refrigerated the rice for 12 hours; this procedure increased the RS in the rice tenfold because the oil prevents digestive enzymes from breaking down the starch, and the cooling period pulls amylose—the soluble part of the starch—from the rice during gelatinization.

Thyme effective against Campylobacter jejuni
An experimental thyme-based marinade was shown to be more effective against Campylobacter jejuni on contaminated fresh broiler wings than commercial marinades, according to a study published in the Journal of Food Science.

In the study, researchers looked at one strain of C. jejuni and six marinades: four were created for the experiment and contained spices such as thyme, basil, rosemary, and marjoram, as well as bioreactive compounds; two were commercial marinades that contained spices and chemical additives such as monosodium glutamate and calcium lactate. One commercial marinade was also enriched with bioreactive compounds. The researchers found that the marinades made with thyme and rosemary were most effective against C. jejuni on broiler wings. The researchers suggest that using these herbs in marinades may increase the safety of marinated broiler meat by reducing C. jejuni counts and help prevent campylobacteriosis.

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 What’s new with food companies
• Archer Daniel Midlands Co. announced that Josh McGowan has been appointed president, North American Oilseeds, and that Ray Bradbury has been named president, North American Oils. It also reached an agreement to purchase AOR N.V., a privately held oil bottling company based in Antwerp, Belgium.

• Bay State Milling added seed development to its capabilities through the creation of 5th Generation Seed.

• Beyond Meat entered into an agreement to incorporate NutriFusion’s organic, non-GMO GrandFusion vegetable blend ingredient into its Beast Burgers and Beastly Sliders plant-based products.

• Blue Diamond Growers broke ground on a new almond receiving warehouse at its Salida, Calif., facility.

• The Chefs’ Warehouse, a specialty food distributor, acquired Del Monte Meat Co.

• Cal-Maine Foods and Rose Acre Farms entered into a joint venture to build and operate a shell egg production complex in Texas.

• Cargill’s Hazleton, Pa., meat processing facility achieved landfill-free status from NSF International.

• CHS sold its Solgen isoflavone brand and related business to Madrid-based Tradichem S.L.

• D.D. Williamson opened a new production site in Cork, Ireland.

• Del Monte Foods acquired Sager Creek Vegetable Co., which produces specialty vegetables for the foodservice and retail markets.

• DuPont Nutrition & Health opened an Innovation Application Center in Gurgaon, India, and it also launched a new marketing campaign called “It’s What’s Inside.”

• Fabri-Kal Corp. announced the development of a new manufacturing facility in Burley, Idaho.

• Ferrara Candy Co. will increase the manufacturing capacity and capabilities of its Bellwood, Ill., manufacturing facility and open a new packaging center in Bolingbrook, Ill.

• Frutarom Industries acquired Belgian flavors company Taiga International.

• Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, acquired Gehl Foods, which manufactures shelf-stable, dairy-based products and is headquartered in Germantown, Wis.

• Healthy Food Ingredients, the parent company of SK Food International, has merged SK Food with Hesco/Dakota Organic Products.

• The Hershey Co. formed a partnership with IOI Loders Croklaan, a global shea butter supplier, to construct three warehouses in Northern Ghana to help improve incomes for women shea farmers there.

• H.J. Heinz Co. and Kraft Foods Group entered into a definitive merger agreement to form The Kraft Heinz Co., creating the third-largest food and beverage company in North America. It will be coheadquartered in Pittsburgh and Northfield, Ill.

• Kansas State University and General Mills formed a research agreement to develop wheat varieties with improved nutritional, milling, and baking qualities.

• Koch Foods plans to invest $7.5 million to expand its chicken processing plant in East Gadsden, Ala.

• International Flavors & Fragrances will acquire privately held flavor firm Henry H. Ottens Manufacturing Co.

• IOI Loders Croklaan and Kerry Group reached an agreement to form a joint venture company to manufacture and promote the nutrition lipid Betapol business.

• Dried fruit producer Mariani Packing Co. partnered with Ganeden Biotech to develop a portfolio of dried fruit snacks and ingredient products using GanedenBC30.

• Mars announced plans to construct its first confectionery factory in India. It also announced that 51% of the peanuts used for its U.S. products in 2014 were high oleic acid peanuts, marking the halfway point of its goal to use 100% sustainable peanuts in its products.

• The Martin-Brower Co. announced it will make a $16 million capital investment to build a food distribution facility in Walker, La.

• McCormick acquired Brand Aromatics, a supplier of natural savory flavors, marinades, and broth and stock concentrates.

• Mérieux NutriSciences opened its new state-of-the-art facilities in Beijing, China, and it acquired ABC Research Holding in Gainesville, Fla.

• Mondelēz International has begun to make and sell Oreo cookies in Morocco after investing almost $11 million in a local production facility to create the company’s largest Oreo production line in Africa.

• Naturex announced that seven of its extracts were granted Non-GMO Project Verified status.

• Nestlé opened a production plant for decaffeinated coffee beans in the Dong Nai province of Vietnam, its first in Asia. It also plans to expand its child health and nutrition research to 10 countries by the end of 2016.

• Pinnacle Foods opened manufacturing for its recently acquired Wish-Bone salad dressings business in St. Elmo, Ill.

• Sanderson Farms will invest $139 million in a new poultry processing plant and wastewater treatment facility in North Carolina.

• Smithfield Foods broke ground on a $12 million bacon slicing plant at its Cudahy, Wis., facility, and it also plans to invest $9 million to expand its Curly’s Foods precooked barbecue meat plant in Sioux City, Iowa.

• Southeastern Mills acquired The Original Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce and all related assets from New Iberia, La.–based Bruce Foods.

• Tate & Lyle announced plans to invest $65 million to further expand its operations in Lafayette, Ind.

• Tyson Foods announced it will invest $47 million on a new, expanded boxed-beef warehouse at its processing facility in Lexington, Neb.

• Wacker Chemie AG inaugurated its new production plant for food-grade polyvinyl acetate solid resins at its Nanjing site in China’s Jiangsu province.

• Watson introduced Nutri-Knowledge, a database for researching vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and other macro- and micronutrients.

Melanie Zanoza Bartelme,
Associate Editor
[email protected]