Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Heinz returns to profitability

2/27/2007-H. J. Heinz Company today reported strong sales, operating income and earnings growth vs. prior year. The company’s excellent results come after a difficult year of cost-cutting and profit drop in 2006.

According to the company, the results were driven by consumer-oriented innovation and increased marketing investment in support of Heinz’s top brands and products. Sales increased 5.0% driven by double-digit growth in Heinz’s top brands including its branded products, Smart Ones meals, Classico pasta sauces, Plasmon baby food and ABC branded products.

Heinz’s Chairman, President and CEO William R. Johnson said: “We are pleased to report another excellent quarter at Heinz. Our increased strategic focus on health and wellness, increased marketing support for successful innovations, and accelerating growth in fast-growing emerging economies like China, Indonesia, Poland and India is driving continued performance improvements. Based on our results to-date and on our outlook, Heinz remains on track to meet its full-year EPS projection of $2.35 to $2.39, an increase of 12 to 14% vs. last year.”

On a total company basis, including the impact of discontinued operations, the Company reported net income of $219.0 million or $0.66 per diluted share for the quarter compared to $116.6 million or $0.35 per diluted share in the prior year. On a continuing operations basis, the company reported income of $219.0 million or $0.66 per diluted share compared to $133.2 million of $0.39 per diluted share in the prior year.

In June 2006, H.J. Heinz announced that profits have dropped 18%, and said it planned to close plants and cut jobs to return to profitability. The company identified 15 plants that it intended to exit in FY2007.

In September 2005, Heinz opened its new International Center of Excellence for Ketchup, Condiments & Sauces. The center is a 100,000-square-foot facility for research, hosting more than 100 chefs, food technologists, researchers and package designers, plus experts in nutrition, cuisine and quality assurance.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Garlic does not appear to lower cholesterol levels

2/26/2007-Three forms of garlic -- including raw garlic and two types of commercial garlic supplements -- did not significantly reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol during a six-month trial, according to results published in the Feb. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
For more, see
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/167/4/346.

How clean are manually washed dishes?

2/26/2007-New research at Ohio State University answers an infectious question about eating at restaurants: How clean are manually washed dishes?
Jaesung Lee and Melvin Pascall found that even when they washed dishes in cooler-than-recommended water, numbers of bacteria on the dishware dropped to levels accepted in the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code. They also found that certain foods—especially cheese and milk—can be safe havens for bacteria when dried onto dishware. Lipstick, however, proved to be dangerous to bacteria.
Lee and Pascall discovered that washing dishes in hot dish water, followed by soaking in extra sanitizers, eliminated almost all of the bacteria on them, even when coated with dried-on cheese. But dishes washed in soapy room-temperature water, rinsed, and then weakly sanitized with ammonium-based chemicals also achieved FDA-acceptable results.
The find is important because acceptable sanitization can be achieved with cooler dish-washing water, as dishes washed in room-temperature water and then rinsed in more-concentrated sanitizers achieved results comparable to higher-temperature alternatives.
“We wanted to show that employees could use a more comfortable washing technique and still get clean dishes,” Pascall said. “We were able to do that, and we did it by using different combinations of washing, rinsing, and sanitizing.”
For more, see the Ohio State Univ. Press Release.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Tasty molecules

2/24/2007-The Wall Street Journal, has an article called The Tastiest Molecules Ever by Raymond Sokolov (subscription required) about how two Chicago restaurants, Alinea and Moto are using molecular gastronomy to create exotic but very flavorful foods. As Sokolov describes it…
”The prestidigitation begins at the door. Indeed, finding the door is a trick in itself. The building is black and has no sign. If you look hard, you can make out the street number. You check the address in your notebook. This must be the place. And, lo, the door opens, leading into a longish hallway, also unmarked and a bit like someone's back hall. You press forward and suddenly a set of electric pocket doors open onto a small vestibule with a high-tech stair ascending. A woman appears after a suspense-filled moment -- could it be calculated? -- and takes your coat. You walk up one flight into one of three smallish dining rooms. Men in black bustle about noiselessly. Your 23-course tour begins.
The portions are small but intricate, a little universe of foods in a spoon or on a fork. The menu merely lists the ingredients of each course, giving no idea of what is to come, not taking away the suspense. I don't want to do that either, so I leave it to your imagination to wonder what Alinea's gifted chef, who learned his trade at Thomas Keller's French Laundry and perfected it at the legendary Trio in Evanston, will produce with "duck, mango, yogurt, pillow of juniper air" or "venison encased in savory granola."
For more on molecular gastronomy, see Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, Volume 5, Issue 3: 48-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2006.00003.x

Friday, February 23, 2007

CDC confirms Salmonella in peanut butter

2/23/2007-Today, according to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga., product testing has confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Tennessee in opened jars of peanut butter, obtained from ill persons in a nationwide outbreak.

As of February 21, the last time when numbers were updated, 329 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Tennessee have been reported to CDC from 41 states. Among 249 patients for whom clinical information is available, 51 (21%) were hospitalized. No deaths have been attributed to this infection. Onset dates, which are known for 224 patients, ranged from August 1, 2006 to February 2, 2007, and 60% of these illnesses began after December 1, 2006.

Public health officials from several states have isolated Salmonella from open jars of peanut butter of both Peter Pan and Great Value brand. For four jars, the serotype has been confirmed as Tennessee and DNA fingerprinting has shown that the pattern is the outbreak strain.

FDA officials and the peanut butter manufacturer are working collaboratively to learn more about production of peanut butter to determine how it may have become contaminated.

For more, see the CDC press release.

Caffeine may prevent heart disease death in elderly

2/23/2007-Habitual intake of caffeinated beverages provides protection against heart disease mortality in the elderly, say researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Brooklyn College.

Using data from the first federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study, the researchers found that survey participants 65 years or older with higher caffeinated beverage intake exhibited lower relative risk of coronary vascular disease and heart mortality than did participants with lower caffeinated beverage intake.

John Kassotis, MD, associate professor of medicine at SUNY Downstate, said, "The protection against death from heart disease in the elderly afforded by caffeine is likely due to caffeine's enhancement of blood pressure."

The protective effect also was found to be dose-responsive: the higher the caffeine intake the stronger the protection. The protective effect was found only in participants who were not severely hypertensive. No significant protective effect was in patients below the age of 65.

No protective effect was found against cerebrovascular disease mortality – death from stroke – regardless of age.

This research was published by the American Journal of Nutrition in its February 2007 issue.

Pepsi-Cola introduces new diet cola with caffeine/ginseng

2/23/2007-Pepsi-Cola North America announced plans to launch Diet Pepsi MAX, a new zero-calorie cola with extra caffeine and a touch of ginseng. This formulation is especially designed for adults to get them through the day. The product, which received high scores in consumer testing, hits stores nationwide in June.

Diet Pepsi MAX is for 25-34 year-old diet drinkers, as well as transitioners -- those making the switch from regular colas to diets. According to the company, nearly 80% of adult consumers say that maintaining energy is a top priority and nearly 60% find that there's not enough time in the day to do the things they need to do.

Available in 20-ounce bottles, two-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans, Diet Pepsi MAX will be sold at retail stores nationwide. It is sweetened with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The national rollout will be supported by a full slate of advertising, marketing, and in-store activity. Diet Pepsi MAX joins Pepsi-Cola North America's portfolio of 13 colas that includes caffeine-free, diet, and flavored versions.

Cargill and J.M. Smucker to market zero-trans fat foodservice oils

2/23/2007-Cargill and The J. M. Smucker Company today announced an agreement in which Cargill will be licensed to manufacture and market a set of foodservice oils and shortenings under the Crisco Professional® line of "zero grams trans fat per serving” oils and shortenings. The agreement initially features four distinct Crisco Professional products that have been formulated to meet the differing frying needs of foodservice operators.

"We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Cargill,” said Maribeth Badertscher, spokesperson for Crisco. "This agreement enables us to partner even more closely with Cargill in developing proprietary offerings that are in growing demand in today's dynamic foodservice arena.”

Prior to commercialization, the products underwent rigorous, independent testing at the Penn State University and Medallion Labs to ensure that the proprietary formulations met the "stringent performance, taste, and nutrition parameters" set by Crisco and Cargill.

"In our testing, these Crisco Professional oils and shortenings generated outstanding taste and overall frying performance while also delivering the nutritional attributes preferred by today's foodservice operators,” said Dr. Peter Bordi, who as director of research and development at Penn State University's Center for Food Innovation oversaw the tests. "As proprietary blends of cooking oils, these four products are ideally suited to the distinct needs of foodservice operators.”

"Crisco Professional products address a specific need faced by today's foodservice operators,” said Julie Wheeler, foodservice leader and vice president for Cargill's Dressings, Sauces and Oils-North America business. "When compared against competitive products, this line of Crisco Professional products will provide our customers outstanding results in taste, nutrition and performance.”

The new line of proprietary Crisco Professional cooking oil blends licensed to Cargill includes:

• Crisco Professional® Premium Clear Frying Oil • Crisco Professional® Heavy Duty Creamy Frying Shortening • Crisco Professional® Heavy Duty Clear Frying Oil • Crisco Professional® General Purpose Creamy Frying Shortening

Kosher-certified by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregation of America, the Crisco Professional® line includes a versatile offering of products for the foodservice operator. Crisco Professional® is a trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company, used under license. For more information about these Crisco Professional® products, visit: www.cargilldso.com/criscoprofessional.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

USDA to move to more robust risk-based inspections

2/22/2007-USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond on Feb. 22 announced a timetable for introducing more robust risk-based inspection in processing plants, proposing to begin in April with 30 locations representing about 254 establishments and potentially expanding to approximately 150 locations by the end of 2007.

For more, see the FSIS press release.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

What is Kombucha?

2/21/2007-According to its entry in Wikipedia, Kombucha is the Western name for a fermentation of sweetened tea using a “Kombucha” Colony usually consisting of Bacterium xylinum and yeast cultures.

The entry claims that the colony culture contains a variety of yeast species and acetic acid bacteria, mainly Bacterium xylinum. Species of yeast found in the tea can vary, and may include: Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Torulaspora delbrueckii and Zygosaccharomyces bailii.

The culture itself looks somewhat like a large pancake. If you are an IFT Member who is familiar with this product, please write the Daily News editor at newsletter@ift.org.

For more, see the FDA note on Kombucha and the Center for Disease Control's report on some food safety issues with the product.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Kraft announces new growth plan

2/20/2007-Kraft Foods Inc. announced a growth plan and gave 2007 earnings guidance as the company prepares to be spun off from Altria Group Inc. in March.

Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft Foods Inc. outlined a strategy to accelerate the company's growth at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Scottsdale, Arizona today.

The company also provided 2007 earnings guidance and its long-term financial outlook.

"This is a pivotal time in Kraft's history, and while there are things we have to fix, our organization is energized about pursuing a number of trajectory-changing initiatives," said Rosenfeld. "I am confident that our new strategies will return Kraft to predictable and consistent growth."

The company's four strategies are: Rewire the organization for growth; Reframe Kraft's categories to make them more relevant to consumers; Exploit Kraft's sales capabilities; and Drive down costs without compromising quality.

The company expects a return to consistent growth in three stages. In 2007, Kraft expects to:

Grow its top line 3% to 4% organically;
Invest all of its growth, as well as restructuring savings, back into the first wave of trajectory-changing growth initiatives. This represents an incremental $300 million to $400 million investment in quality, marketing, R&D and capability-building.

As a result of this investment, a higher tax rate, spin-related dilution and divestitures (included in Kraft's fourth quarter 2006 earnings release), in 2007 Kraft expects earnings per share of $1.50 to $1.55, or $1.75 to $1.80, excluding 25 cents of restructuring costs.

In 2008, the company expects its operational turnaround to gain momentum. Kraft will again grow revenue 3% to 4% organically, with operating income exceeding revenue growth. The company will invest a portion of its growth back into the business, including further marketing spending, toward a long-term target of 8% to 9% of net revenue.

"By 2009, we'll hit our stride," Rosenfeld said. "We'll fully realize the financial benefits of our investments and deliver our long-term targets of at least 4% organic net revenue growth and 7% to 9% EPS growth."

Flavanols in cocoa may offer health benefits

2/20/2007-A special cocoa made to retain naturally occurring compounds called flavanols may have the potential to help maintain healthy brain function and chart the course for future research that could lead to new solutions for preventing cognitive decline and dementia, according to a panel of scientists who presented new data at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Several studies suggest that consumption of a special cocoa made to be rich in flavanols, a naturally occurring nutrient abundant in fresh cocoa, may improve blood vessel function. Now, scientists believe the potential blood flow benefits associated with consumption of this flavanol-rich cocoa may extend to the brain -- which could have important implications for learning and memory.
"This research is impressive in that multiple laboratories are coming to the same conclusion about this flavanol-rich cocoa, and the findings give us completely new insights into how this flavanol-rich cocoa may impact health in a variety of ways not previously known," said symposium organizer Harold H. Schmitz, Ph.D., chief science officer at Mars, Incorporated, which helped sponsor today's symposium and has supported research on cocoa flavanols for more than 15 years. "The findings raise the possibility that products utilizing this cocoa could be developed to help maintain healthy brain function throughout several life stages. More research examining the potential of this cocoa in this important area of public health need is clearly warranted."
During the session entitled "The Neurobiology of Chocolate: A Mind- Altering Experience?," a panel of scientists presented evidence from several recent studies that demonstrated the enhanced brain blood flow after study participants consumed a specially formulated flavanol-rich cocoa beverage that was supplied by Mars, Incorporated. One study, conducted by Ian A. Macdonald, PhD, from the University of Nottingham Medical School in the United Kingdom, found that the consumption of this cocoa resulted in regional changes in blood flow in study participants, suggesting that cocoa flavanols may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of vascular impairments within the brain itself.
"Our study showed that acute consumption of this particular flavanol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased blood flow to grey matter for 2 to 3 hours," Macdonald said. "This raises the possibility that certain food components like cocoa flavanols may be beneficial in increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function among older adults or for others in situations where they may be cognitively impaired, such as fatigue or sleep deprivation."
Norman K. Hollenberg, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, presented new findings based on his ongoing work with the Kuna Indians of Panama, who are heavy consumers of cocoa. The indigenous population still living on the Islands near Panama consume a type of cocoa rich in flavanols on a daily basis and experience unusually low rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Hollenberg's latest findings, which are published this month in the International Journal of Medical Sciences,(1) used death certificates to compare cause-specific deaths of island-dwelling Kuna to those who live on mainland Panama -- who do not drink the flavanol-rich cocoa that is so prominent on the islands.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Cooked chicken strips recalled

2/19/2007-Carolina Culinary Foods, a West Columbia, S.C., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 52,650 pounds of fully cooked chicken breast strips that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Feb. 18.
The following product was manufactured for Oscar Mayer and is subject to recall: 6-ounce packages of "OSCAR MAYER/LOUIS RICH CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS WITH RIB MEAT, GRILLED, FULLY COOKED - READY TO EAT." The front of each package bears the establishment number "P-19676" inside the USDA mark of inspection. On the back of each package appears a "Use by" date of "19 Apr 2007." The code "19 APR 2007" appears on each case.
The chicken breast strips were produced on Jan. 9, 2007 and distributed to retail establishments nationwide.
The problem was discovered through microbiological testing completed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product.
For more, see FSIS Press Release.

Danisco to pay damages in patent case

2/19/2007-A U.S. court has ruled that Danisco is liable to pay $8.2 million in royalty damages to Denmark-based Novozymes in a enzyme patent infringement case. The parties have ten days to agree on a form of judgement reflecting this decision. Either party may appeal within 30 days after the final judgement is entered by the Court. Danisco announced that they will now assess the legal reasoning of the decisions with regard to the question of liability and damages.

Frito-Lay introduces new fruit and vegetable snacks

2/19/2007-Frito-Lay has launched a new range of fruit crisp and vegetable crisp snacks under the brand name Flat Earth.
According to the company, Flat Earth crisps contain a half-serving of fruits or vegetables and are now available nationally.

”Frito-Lay wrote the book on great tasting snacks, so we used that expertise to do what some people thought was impossible,” said Tess Zbuchalski, vice president, Health & Wellness Innovation Marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “Flat Earth is a breakthrough snack that tastes great and has positive nutritional benefits.”

Why Flat Earth? People once believed the world was flat. That is until someone set course to prove otherwise. At Frito-Lay, a group of dedicated women believed they too could change conventional thinking by creating convenient, great-tasting snack crisps made with real fruits and vegetables. This idea of making the impossible, possible led to the development of the new brand Flat Earth, and the brand’s whimsical icon – the Flying Pig. The Flat Earth Flying Pig is a fitting symbol for a snack that was once thought impossible (“When pigs fly”).

Flat Earth fruit crisps and veggie crisps are available in six flavors: Farmland Cheddar; Garlic & Herb Field; Tangy Tomato Ranch; Wild Berry Patch; Apple Cinnamon Grove; and Peach Mango Paradise and retail for $2.99 (6 oz.). The launch of Flat Earth will be supported by a fully-integrated marketing program that includes print advertising, web presence and sampling.

Electron-beam irradiation prevents ground beef contamination

2/19/2007-Electron-beam irradiation holds promise as an alternative technology for preventing ground beef from becoming contaminated with pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Agricultural Research Service scientists based at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Neb., and their industry colleagues collaborated in tests of e-beam irradiation of samples from the surface of beef carcasses—the site where pathogens are most likely to lurk. Irradiation eliminated even extremely high levels of E. coli O157:H7, the tests showed.

Experiments with e-beam-irradiated ground beef and stir-fry beef indicated that the technique doesn't alter flavor or other eating qualities. The research was documented in a 2005 article in the Journal of Food Protection (volume 68, pages 666 to 672) and highlighted in a recent, food-safety-focused issue of Agricultural Research.

"Fatty" fish consumption may forestall mental deterioration.

2/19/2007-Some 55- to 88-year-old Framingham Heart Study volunteers who ate fish regularly were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of mental deterioration than those who did not eat fish as often, results from an Agricultural Research Service-funded study suggest. The findings agree with those from earlier investigations, conducted elsewhere, which showed an association between a higher incidence of dementia among individuals who ate lesser amounts of fish.

For the new investigations, researchers analyzed 9 years' worth of data documenting the food choices of nearly 900 men and women in the Framingham Heart Study.

Volunteers who reported consuming an average of three servings a week of "fatty" fish rich in a compound known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, were about half as likely to develop dementia—over time—as the other participants. Salmon, herring, and sardines are good sources of DHA.

The researchers, based at the ARS Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., report the work in a recent issue of Archives of Neurology (volume 63, pages 1545 to 1550).

USDA scientists survey for Toxoplasma gondii

2/19/2007-A recently completed survey of meats for a common microscopic parasite found none in raw beef and poultry and a low level in pork. The study focused on the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which commonly infects animals and humans worldwide, and was conducted by scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The study was led by scientists Dolores E. Hill and Jitender P. Dubey of USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and was published in The Journal of Parasitology. Hill and Dubey are experts in parasitology research at ARS' Henry A. Wallace Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center (BARC).
The scientists analyzed samples of retail meat obtained from nearly 700 stores nationwide. More than 6,000 samples—2,000 each of pork, chicken and beef—were purchased from stores in 28 major U.S. geographic areas. Each sample weighed a minimum of 2.2 pounds, for a total of more than 14,000 pounds of meat tested.
None of the raw beef and chicken meat samples contained live T. gondii parasites, based on a controlled analysis. In raw pork from retail meat cases nationwide, the prevalence of live T. gondii parasites was estimated at a low 0.4 percent, or about four per 1,000 samples.
"The survey shows that beef and chicken have negligible amounts of the parasite, while pork has extremely low levels that are effectively eliminated by proper cooking," said microbiologist Mark Jenkins, with ARS' Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory at BARC.
Besides the consumption of undercooked meat, another route of T. gondii infection is exposure to egglike oocysts in the feces of infected cats. A rodent- or bird-eating cat that has T. gondii in its body expels millions of infectious-stage oocysts of the parasite during a week or two.
The parasite can seriously damage developing fetuses and persons with weakened immune systems, such as those infected with HIV, according to experts. Infants born to mothers who become infected for the first time just before or during pregnancy are at risk of developing severe toxoplasmosis due to T. gondii exposure.

For more, see the USDA Press Release.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Food technologists needed for volunteer work overseas

2/16/2007-CNFA is looking for food technologists to do volunteer work overseas. CNFA is a non-profit organization that sends agribusinesses professionals for 16-19 day volunteer assignments in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. The group is part of the Farmer-to-Farmer program sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development. They pay all assignment related expenses and are currently looking for specialists in pickle, fruit juice and mushroom production. For more information, contact Eric Wallace at ewallace@cnfa.org or 202-296-3920, or read more about the program in the Volunteer Now section of our web site at www.cnfa.org.

FDA to use photos in recall notices

2/16/2007-The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning to post photos of recalled food products it believes pose a significant health risk. The pilot program will be used to to see if photos would help consumers identify recalled food products. The program will last for about six months and would apply mostly to class I recalls.

For more, see the FDA press release.

Ajinomoto to acquire New Season Foods

2/16/2007-Ajinomoto Co. will acquire all shares of Oregon-based corn powder and dried vegetables maker New Season Foods Inc. on March 1. The company is seeking to secure a stable supply of ingredients for its soup business. Ajinomoto currently obtains about 2,000 tons of corn powder annually, half from the U.S. maker and the other half from its factory in Hokkaido.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

FDA: 288 cases of foodborne illness from peanut butter

2/15/2007-The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with Salmonella Tennessee (a bacterium that causes foodborne illness). The affected jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter have a product code located on the lid of the jar that begins with the number "2111." Both the Peter Pan and Great Value brands are manufactured in a single facility in Georgia by ConAgra. Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected.
If consumers have any of this Peter Pan or Great Value brand peanut butter in their home that has been purchased since May 2006, they should discard it.
Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.
FDA's warning is based on a just-completed epidemiological study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states and local health agencies, which links 288 cases of foodborne illness in 39 states to consumption of varying types of Peter Pan peanut butter. This report was provided to FDA on February 13.
The outbreak appears to be ongoing and the first consumer may have become ill in August 2006. The cause of foodborne illnesses can be difficult to identify. As a result of extensive epidemiological testing and recent case control studies, CDC was recently able to identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness. Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111 is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter and, thus, is believed to be at similar risk of contamination.
For more, see
FDA Press Release.
and
CDC Release.

Legislation to call for new single food agency

2/15/2007-Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) are renewing their effort to consolidate food safety oversight by reintroducing their Safe Food Act – legislation that calls for the development of a single food safety agency and the implementation of a food safety program to standardize American food safety activities.

The lawmakers have worked on this effort for over a decade in the Congress and have gained momentum from recent events. Two weeks ago, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) deemed federal oversight of food safety as “high risk” to the economy and public health and safety.

Under current law, food safety monitoring, inspection and labeling functions are spread across 15 agencies in the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which oversees meat, poultry and egg products; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees most other food products; and the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service, which inspects fish. The agencies collectively administer at least 30 laws.

Durbin and DeLauro said the involvement of so many agencies can result in duplication of responsibilities, service gaps, and inconsistencies and confusion about which agency oversees different types of food. They noted that while FDA, which has jurisdiction over frozen cheese pizza, inspects cheese pizza processors once every 10 years on average; USDA, with responsibility over frozen pepperoni pizza, inspects such processors daily. In another example, eggs still in the shell are under the jurisdiction of FDA, while USDA takes over once the eggs are broken.

Responsibilities of the new agency created by the lawmakers’ bill – dubbed the Food Safety Administration would include:

Regular, but random, inspection of all food processing plants.

Categorized review process for all foods to monitor and inspect them based on their risk, not their name.

Increased oversight of imported foods.

Established requirements for tracing foods to point of origin.

ConAgra Foods recalling peanut butter

2/15/2007-On Feb. 14, ConAgra Foods announced that it is voluntarily recalling all varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter beginning with product code 2111 imprinted on the lid of both brands. ConAgra Foods is working with the U.S. FDA to investigate a statistical report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that these products may be linked to the foodborne illness salmonella.

"Although none of our extensive product tests have indicated the presence of salmonella, we are taking this precautionary measure because consumer health and safety is our top priority," said Chris Kircher, spokesperson for ConAgra Foods. "We are working closely with the FDA to better understand its concerns, and we will take whatever additional measures are needed to ensure the safety, quality and wholesomeness of our products."

If consumers have this product, they should discard it, but save the product lid. For a full refund, consumers must return the Peter Pan Peanut Butter or Great Value Peanut Butter product lid along with their name and mailing address to ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 57078, Irvine, CA 92619-7078.

Hershey to cut 1,500 jobs; open facility in Mexico

2/15/2007-Hershey plans to cut 1,500 jobs, or 12% of its work force, over the next three years and open a facility in Monterrey, Mexico, as part of a supply-chain overhaul.

Hershey will increase manufacturing capacity utilization by reducing the number of production lines by more than a third; outsource production of low value-added items; and construct a production facility in Monterrey, Mexico to meet current and emerging marketplace needs.

According to the company's press release, the program will result in a total net reduction of approximately 1,500 positions across Hershey's supply chain over the next three years. When completed, manufacturing of approximately 80% of the company's production volume will take place in the U.S. and Canada.

The company estimates the program will incur pre-tax charges and non-recurring project implementation costs of $525 million to $575 million over the next three years. This estimate includes $475 million to $525 million in pre-tax business realignment charges and approximately $50 million in project implementation costs. These charges will be incurred primarily in 2007 and 2008, with approximately $300 million expected in 2007. The cash portion of the total charge is estimated to be $275 million to $300 million.

For more, see the press release.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Food science faculty productivity ranked

2/14/2007-Rankings for the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index were recently published online at www.academicanalytics.com. Data for the rankings were collected from university websites and the Scopus abstract and citation database for more than 15,000 peer-reviewed journals.

The ranking includes food science programs. The top ten food science doctoral programs in the survey were ranked as follows: Cornell, Illinois, Massachusetts, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Louisiana State, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado State, Pennsylvania State, and Michigan State.

Academic Analytics ranks 7,294 doctoral programs at 354 institutions.

The Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, partly financed by the State University of New York at Stony Brook, rates faculty members' scholarly output based on the number of book and journal articles published by each program's faculty, as well as journal citations, awards, honors, and grants received.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

MGP Ingredients moves into new technical center

2/13/2007-MGP Ingredients, Inc. (MGPI) announced that construction of its new technical innovation center in Atchison, Kan., has been completed and that work on the company’s new corporate office building will be finished next month as planned. The company also announced tha the new two-building complex will be named the Cray Business Plaza in honor of Cloud L. “Bud” and Sally Cray and other members of the Cray family. "Bud" Cray is a retired chairman of the board of directors.

With work completed on the technical innovation center, MGPI’s research and development and applications technology personnel began moving into the building earlier this week. The company expects the structure to be fully occupied by mid-February. Each level of the two-story building encompasses 9,800 square feet of space.

"The technical innovation center is symbolic of the company’s successful evolution from a one-plant alcohol distillery to an innovative multi-faceted leader in the development, production, and marketing of a wide array of specialty ingredients and alcohol products,” said Larry Seaberg, current chairman and CEO of MGP Ingredients.

By mid-March, corporate management, finance and accounting, marketing and sales management, and administrative staffs will complete their move into the new corporate office building. It and the new technical innovation center combined will house up to 60 employees.

Danisco launches a website dedicated to polydextrose

2/13/2007-In conjunction with its 25th anniversary, Danisco has posted a website based on its polydextrose food ingredient, Litesse®. The ingredient may be used in the development of reduced-calorie, sugar-free, reduced-sugar, low-glycemic, low-fat, fiber-enriched or prebiotic foods and beverages. The site offers a brief history of the product in the marketplace; provides specifics on the its health and functional benefits; and gives information on how it functions in specific food applications. For more, see www.litesse.com.

CBS News to air 3-part series on food safety

2/13/2007-CBS News with Katie Couric tonight has scheduled a 3:00 minute feature on the topic of U.S. food safety, described as “[A] hard look at the issues surrounding food safety and what is—and is not—being done to protect us from what we eat.”

This is expected to be the first segment of a three-part series running tonight, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Public meeting on agenda items for CCMAS

2/12/2007-The USDA and FDA have announced a public meeting to discuss agenda items for the upcoming meeting of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS). The USDA/FDA public meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 22, at 10:30 a.m. at the Harvey Wiley Federal Building in College Park, Md. The Codex Committee meeting will be held March 5-9 in Budapest, Hungary.

For more information, see the FSIS website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_020907_01/index.asp.

Honeybees in colony crisis

2/12/2007-An alarming die-off of honey bees has beekeepers fighting for commercial survival and crop growers wondering whether bees will be available to pollinate their crops this spring and summer.

Researchers are scrambling to find answers to what's causing an affliction recently named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which has decimated commercial beekeeping operations across the country.

"During the last three months of 2006, we began to receive reports from commercial beekeepers of an alarming number of honey bee colonies dying in the eastern United States," says Maryann Frazier, apiculture extension associate in Penn State University's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Since the beginning of the year, beekeepers from all over the country have been reporting unprecedented losses.

"This has become a highly significant yet poorly understood problem that threatens the pollination industry and the production of commercial honey in the United States," she says. "Because the number of managed honey bee colonies is less than half of what it was 25 years ago, states such as Pennsylvania can ill afford these heavy losses."

Researchers have previously identified the non-native Varrao mite as one of the reasons for colony collapse, but other factors or diseases are now also suspected. Scientists from Pennyslvania State University, the USDA, agriculture departments in Pennsylvania and Florida, and Bee Alert Technology Inc., a technology transfer company affiliated with the University of Montana, have joined a working group to identify the cause or causes of Colony Collapse Disorder.

"Preliminary work has identified several likely factors that could be causing or contributing to CCD," says Dennis vanEngelsdorp, acting state apiarist with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. "Among them are mites and associated diseases, some unknown pathogenic disease and pesticide contamination or poisoning."

Ongoing case studies and surveys of beekeepers experiencing CCD have found a few common management factors, but no common environmental agents or chemicals have been identified.

This latest loss of colonies could seriously affect the production of several important crops that rely on pollination services provided by commercial beekeepers.

A detailed, up-to-date report on Colony Collapse Disorder can be found on the Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium website: http://maarec.org.

Blackstone acquires Pinnacle Foods

2/12/2007-The Blackstone Group has acquired Pinnacle Foods for $2.15 billion. Roger Deromedi, the former CEO of Kraft Foods Inc., will assume the role of chairman upon the closing of the transaction, which is expected in the first half of this year.

Pinnacle Foods produces a number of leading consumer brands, including Duncan Hines baking mixes, Vlasic pickles, Hungry Man and Swanson frozen dinners, Log Cabin and Mrs. Buttersworth’s syrups, Armour canned meat, Lender’s bagels, Aunt Jemima breakfast foods, Celeste pizza, and Van de Kamp’s and Mrs. Paul’s seafood.

Last March, Pinnacle Foods acquired the Dial Corporation's Armour food products business for $183 million.

In addition to Mr. Deromedi and Mr. Ansell (current CEO of Pinnacle Foods), Joe Jimenez – former Executive Vice President of H.J. Heinz Company – will join Pinnacle Foods’ board as a director. Mr. Jimenez has more than twenty years of experience in the food industry at Heinz, ConAgra, and The Clorox Company.

Pinnacle Foods employs more than 3,000 people, owns seven manufacturing facilities in the United States, and generates approximately $2.1 billion in annual gross sales.

Low trans-fat emulsifier from Cognis

2/12/2007-Chemical company Cognis has released Nutrisoft(R) 55, a new emulsifier with low trans-fat content. The emulsifier is designed to not only replace the standard saturated emulsifier, but also to increase the stability and quality of prepared foods.

Nutrisoft 55 is a distilled monoglyceride based on partly unsaturated vegetable fat, and contains less than one percent trans-fats. As such, it supports the development of prepared foods requirng very low trans-fatty acid content. More and more low trans-fat foods are being developed to meet demands of health-conscious consumers who want to remove trans fatty acids from their diets.

Cognis says the new emulsifier also enhances the quality and appearance of food. When used in bread or yeast-raised products, the company says, Nutrisoft 55 interacts with the starch to improve crumb softness and increase bread volume. Nutrisoft 55 also stabilizes the helical structure of starch: this slows down the staling process and greatly increases the shelf-life of bread. In ready-to-eat (RTE) mousse desserts, the emulsifier makes for a more stable texture and structure, and increases the product’s volume. Cognis notes that to achieve optimum results, Nutrisoft 55 should be used in conjunction with an aerating emulsifier, such as LACTEM (lactic ester of mono- and diglycerides, E472b).

The company also notes that the new emulsifier would work well for ice cream manufacturing because it has a low iodine point of about 25. Highly unsaturated emulsifiers give the best results for extrusion and heat-shock stability, but most unsaturated emulsifiers have an iodine value of 40 or higher, making them viscous, sticy, and difficult to incorporate in an ice cream mix. Nutrisoft 55 is also available in a free-flowing powder, which the company hopes will make it an attractive choice for ice cream manufacturers.

Andreas Funke, product group manager Food Technology, Cognis Deutschland, says, “In addition to the health benefits, [Nutrisoft 55] is also a very easy and cost-effective way of improving the quality and appearance of prepared food products. As such, it provides multiple benefits for our customers.”

Acrylamide increases during storage, study says

2/12/2007-A study published in this month's Journal of Food Protection found a high level of acrylamide in packaged, precooked, battered chicken. Researchers from the University of Ioannina in Greece say the compound's concentration incresased when air was present with the packaged product.

The scientists studied the effect of refrigeration storage on acrylamide levels over 23 days in 28 commercial precooked samples. Acrylamide concentrations increased during storage in all the product samples, with the highest levels arriving between day 15 and day 19. The maximum values were observed in samples packaged under air, while the minimum values were found in a modified atmosphere of 60% carbon dioxide and 40% nitrogen gas.

Effect of Processing and Storage Conditions on the Generation of Acrylamide in Precooked Breaded Chicken Products
Paleologos, E.K.; Kontominas, M.G.
Journal of Food Protection. Volume 70:2:466-470.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Barry Callebaut adds processing capacity

2/09/2007-Barry Callebaut has opened a second cocoa bean processing line in its factory in the Free Zone Enclave in Tema, Ghana. The line will double the annual bean processing capacity in the facility from 30,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Swiss Ambassador, and representatives of Ghana's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and PSI, the Ghana Cocoaboard, the Ghana Free Zones Board, and other stakeholders.

In his address, Patrick De Maeseneire, CEO of Barry Callebaut, confirmed the importance of Ghana as a key supplier of cocoa. He also said: “The second bean processing line as well as the investment in Barry Village, a village we have built for our employees a year ago, are evidence of our long-term commitment to this country of origin, which is the number two cocoa producer in the world. Through our activities and investments in origin countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, or Brazil we strive to improve the quality of our cocoa beans and at the same time we are making a contribution to the economic development of this country."

Gotzon de Aguirre, managing director of Barry Callebaut Ghana, expressed the hope that the government would soon manage to resolve the very difficult energy situation in the country. Benoit Villers, president, Global Sourcing and Cocoa, explained that one of the main reasons behind the decision to invest in Ghana is the commitment from the government to increase cocoa production to over 1 million tonnes.

The expansion project also included enlarging the finished products warehouse and the administrative building, as well as the addition of an extra social block for the subcontractors so that more space is available for additional staff. The total investment is worth more than 10 million USD.

Kellogg makes donation to support food banks

2/09/2007-Today, the employees of Kellogg made a contribution of $250,000 for the support of food banking development projects in Mexico, Guatemala, and South Africa in order to expand hunger relief efforts in those countries.

The $105,500 dedicated for Mexico will be administered directly by the Mexican Association of Food Banks (AMBA) to create a National Plan for the collection and redistribution of donated foods. According to Luciano Aimar Reyes, president of AMBA, these funds will be used to:

• expand AMBA's professional team of food sourcing staff
  
• install two cold storage units for acquiring increased amounts of refrigerated foods for the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas
  
• purchase two refrigerated trucks for distributing perishable foods among the states
  
• identify and promote best practices for local food collection and distribution of food and grocery products among the 53 member food banks of AMBA.

Every year Kellogg Company donates more than 20 million dollars in products to organizations around the world that feed children and families who suffer from hunger or natural disasters. This donation to AMBA and food banking organizations in Guatemala and South Africa is made possible through the initiative of the employees of the Kellogg Company worldwide.

"Kellogg's corporate policy is to support communities where our company is present. We work through organizations focused on nutrition, especially those that help children," commented Heidi Becerra, director of the Division of Cereals in Mexico. "Kellogg Company is concerned about the health and nutrition of all people. For 100 years we have focused on providing a rich variety of healthy and nutritious foods and we are very happy to be here today supporting AMBA in their valuable work," she commented.

Soy and whey both promote muscle protein

2/09/2007-According to a study in the February issue of the Journal of Nutrition, soy protein and whey protein may be equally beneficial in promoting muscle protein synthesis.

Researchers at Indiana University’s School of Medicine – Evansville compared the early response of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and translation initiation following the ingestion of different protein sources after endurance exercise in rats. The animals were subjected to 120 minutes of treadmill exercise and then fed a carbohydrate-only, carbohydrate and whey protein, or carbohydrate and soy protein meal. One hour later, researchers measured the degree of muscle protein synthesis in each rat and compared their findings to a control group.

The researchers found soy and whey proteins were both effective at promoting general protein synthesis in the rats’ skeletal muscle.

“Taken in total, our study suggests both soy and whey proteins are useful sources of protein for muscle support following aerobic exercise,” the researchers wrote.

“Soy and whey proteins actually complement each other well when used in an exercise regimen,” said Greg Paul, a nutritionist and global director of nutrition strategy at The Solae Company. “Whey protein is high in branched chain amino acids, while soy protein has high amounts of the amino acids arginine and glutamine.”

Feeding Meals Containing Soy or Whey Protein after Exercise Stimulates Protein Synthesis and Translation Initiation in the Skeletal Muscle of Male Rats.
Tracy G. Anthony, Brent J. McDaniel, Peter Knoll, Piyawan Bunpo, Greg L. Paul, and Margaret A. McNurlan.
J. Nutr. 2007 137: 357-362.

John Morrell reduces hog processing operations

2/09/2007-John Morrell & Co. will temporarily discontinue second shift hog processing operations at its Sioux City, Iowa, facility, effective February 19. This action will result in the temporary layoff of approximately 485 workers who work on the second shift at the plant. The company attributed its decision to unfavorable market conditions.

"This is a difficult but necessary decision to discontinue the second shift," said Joseph B. Sebring, president of John Morrell. "We hope to resume second shift operations when market conditions become more favorable," he said.

"We know that this is challenging for the employees affected. We will be working diligently to return them back to work as soon as possible," Mr. Sebring said. He said that the company would notify state dislocated worker units so that they can promptly offer dislocated worker assistance and coordinate with the local unemployment office to assist employees with claims or job applications.

As a result of the shutdown of the plant's second shift, the Sioux City facility will process approximately 7,000 hogs per day. About 900 employees will remain at work.

Anheuser-Busch returns to roots with teardrop bottles

2/09/2007-Anheuser-Busch is introducing Michelob Lager and Michelob Light in elegantly re-designed embossed teardrop bottles based on the original package launched in 1961. Known as “a beer for connoisseurs,” Michelob was first brewed in 1896.

“The teardrop bottle was originally created to make the beer immediately identifiable in even a darkened bar or restaurant, and we’re going back to those roots,” said Eduardo Pereda, director of marketing, Michelob Family, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “We think the tradition of the new bottles and the all-malt recipes will give adult beer drinkers two great reasons to rediscover Michelob.”

Michelob was originally an all-malt beer when it was first brewed in 1896. Drawing on that tradition, Michelob will again be brewed using 100 percent malt. For the first time, Michelob Light will also be brewed with 100 percent malt for a full and complex flavor, creating a distinctive profile, and Michelob AmberBock will move to all-malt as well.

Michelob and Michelob Light will not be the only brands undergoing a packaging change. Michelob AmberBock and all of Anheuser-Busch’s specialty beers under the Michelob family brand name will now be packaged in a new embossed bottle with a raised ridge around the neck.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

UK investigating avain influenza outbreak

2/08/2007-The UK Government is developing its investigation into what might have caused the outbreak of avian influenza in a Suffolk poultry farm. Preliminary scientific tests show the viruses in Suffolk and recent outbreaks in Hungary may well be identical.

Along with a number of other hypotheses, Defra, the Food Standards Agency, and the Health Protection Agency are investigating the possibility of a link between the Hungarian outbreaks, poultry meat from Hungary, and the introduction of the disease to the farm in Suffolk.

The investigation will include arrangements at the company's adjacent plant for food processing.

Scientific advice remains that the risk to human health is negligible, and Food Standards Agency advice remains the same, that properly cooked poultry is safe to eat.

Deputy Chief Vet Fred Landeg said, "Our investigations have shown that one possible route of infection is poultry product imported from Hungary. It is important that this is investigated thoroughly, along with all the other possible routes. We are working in partnership with the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency to carry out a thorough investigation. We are also working in close contact with the Hungarian authorities and the European Commission.

"The company involved have voluntarily agreed to temporarily suspend the movement of poultry products between their outlets in the UK and Hungary until the investigation is complete."

Kellogg introduces new products for 2007

2/08/2007-Kellogg Company has introduced its new products for 2007, focusing on snacks and items in the health and wellness arena.

"We're delighted to introduce a broad range of new product initiatives that deliver on a variety of consumer needs," said Graham Petersen, senior vice president, innovation, Kellogg North America. "We have a proven track record of innovation with more than 15 percent of our sales coming from new product innovations this year."

Kellogg's new products include:

Adult Cereals, Bars and Waters. New cereals and cereal bars provide nutrition, while consumers have even more options from Special K to help with weight management.

Smart Start is claimed by the company to be the first nationally available cold cereal to contain ingredients that may help lower both blood pressure and cholesterol.

New Smart Start Cinnamon Raisin cereal features crunchy, cinnamon toasted oat bran flakes, tossed with raisins.

Special K Chocolatey Delight features "chocolatey" pieces that can help satisfy the desire for something sweet -- especially in the evening -- without derailing weight management goals.

Special K Protein Meal and Snack Bars are geared to offer consumers delicious, convenient products that help them stay on track with their weight management goals.

Special K2O Protein Waters -- the first broadly available brand of protein waters -- contain five grams of protein and are available in three flavors: Strawberry Kiwi, Lemon Twist and Tropical Blend.

Special K Honey Nut Cereal Bars blend the taste of nuts and honey in 90 calories per bar.

Nutri-Grain Fruit and Nut Bars are available in two flavors: Berry & Almond and Cranberry, Raisin & Peanut. They are made with premium Virginia peanuts or California almonds along with whole oats and fruit pieces to provide a energy boost.

All-Bran crackers, available in both Multi-Grain and Garlic Herb, are bite-sized and have a light, crispy texture with grains and five grams of fiber per serving.

Right Bites, in two great new flavors, Keebler Right Bites Fudge Shoppe Grasshopper cookies and Grahams Cinna Bites crackers, offer consumers snack options with 100 calories per pack.

Breakfast Alternatives: These new products offer appealing vegetarian options for a hot, convenient breakfast.

Morningstar Farms Breakfast Starters Classic Scramble is a mixture of crumbled veggie sausage, red potatoes, diced peppers and chopped onions. Consumers just add eggs to complete the breakfast.

Morningstar Farms Veggie Bites are available in two flavors -– Country Scramble and Eggs Florentine -- and offer a combination of eggs, melted cheese, and veggies wrapped in a crispy multi-grain breading.

Kid Favorites. Innovative offerings provide kids with great-tasting variations on some favorite Kellogg foods.

Rice Krispies with Real Strawberries cereal contains all the sounds of original Rice Krispies cereal, now with strawberry pieces.

Cocoa Krispies ChocoNilla cereal fuses chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Eggo Stuffed French Toaster Sticks boast favorite toppings in two flavors -- Maple Syrup and Strawberry.

Eggo Buttery Maple Syrup Minis combine two flavors in a mini Eggo waffle.

Great-Tasting Snack Ideas. Unique Cheez-It Stix, exciting new Pop-Tarts flavors and the rich tastes of chocolate, cheesecake, and peanut butter will provide ultimate enjoyment for adults and kids alike.

Cheez-It Stix - available in Cheddar and White Cheddar flavors.

Keebler Dunking Delights Sandwich Cookies are available in two flavors -- Chocolate and Cheesecake -- and have a unique narrow shape to make dunking in milk easier.

Pop-Tarts Hot Chocolate offer the flavors of hot chocolate and marshmallows in every toasted bite, while Pop-Tarts Strawberry Cheese Danish incorporates the flavors of strawberries and cream cheese.

Rice Krispies Treats Chocolatey Peanut Butter, made with toasted rice cereal and real peanut butter, dipped in chocolatey fudge.

Kellogg Company has 2006 sales of almost $11 billion.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Embargo against caviar trade ends

2/07/2007-"There is more simplicity in the man who eats caviar on impulse than in the man who eats Grape-Nuts on principle," said G.K. Chesterton.

The simple impulse can be acted on more readily now that the U.N.-sponsored conservation body Cites has lifted a ban on beluga, ending a year-long embargo. Cites says that since the countries bordering the Caspian Sea have improved their monitoring of caviar trading and will release millions of young fish into their waters, trade bans on beluga and other caviar have been lifted. The group is granting Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Russia permission to export 3,761 kilograms of beluga caviar.

For more, see the Cites press release.

Metabolism regulator with links to obesity, malnutrition found

2/07/2007-Two biologists at Penn State have discovered a master regulator that controls metabolic responses to a deficiency of essential amino acids in the diet. They also discovered that this regulatory substance, an enzyme named GCN2 eIF2alpha kinase, has an unexpectedly profound impact on fat metabolism.

"Some results of our experiments suggest interventions that might help treat obesity, prevent Type II diabetes and heart attacks or ameliorate protein malnutrition," said Douglas Cavener, professor and head of the Department of Biology, who led the research along with Feifan Guo, a research assistant professor. Their research will appear in the Feb. 7 issue of the scientific journal Cell Metabolism.

Organisms adapt metabolically to episodes of malnutrition and starvation by shutting down the synthesis of new proteins and fats and by using stores of these nutrients from muscle, fat, and the liver in order to continue vital functions. Cavener and Guo found that the removal of a single amino acid, leucine, from the diet is sufficient to provoke a starvation response that affects fat metabolism.

"These findings are important for treating two major problems in the world," Cavener said. "The starvation response we discovered can repress fat synthesis and induce the body to consume virtually all of its stored fat within a few weeks of leucine deprivation. Because this response causes a striking loss of fatty tissue, we may be able to formulate a powerful new treatment for obesity."

For more, see http://live.psu.edu/story/22133.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Best of times for independent food technologists?

2/06/2007-There has recently been much discussion over “open innovation” in new products. Open innovation is the concept that with new worldwide information avenues, companies cannot afford to rely entirely on their own research, but should instead seek out new processes or inventions from other companies or individuals.

Several food companies have recently opened up their new product development process.

Kraft Foods has begun accepting unsolicited ideas from its customers as it searches for its next new blockbuster food product. Ideas will be accepted through the company's website and a toll-free number. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Mary Kay Haben, a senior vice president at the company, said it is especially interested in products that are already patented and can be brought to market quickly. Budding food technologists or seasoned pros can take a shot at food product development at www.kraftfoods.com/innovatewithkraft.

General Mills is slated to officially launch its new Worldwide Innovation Network (WIN), designed to expand and accelerate the innovation advances already underway inside the company. Through WIN, General Mills is seeking external partners with new products and technologies that will be complementary to the company’s brands and businesses.

Innovation has long been cited by the company as critical to the success of General Mills and is one of the company’s key growth drivers. Through General Mills WIN, the company is seeking patented or patent-pending ideas from inventors and small companies. Potential partners can contact General Mills online through at http://www.generalmills.com/win.

Submissions are evaluated according to several criteria: fit for a particular brand or product line; uniqueness; and expansion or growth potential.

Another company connecting innovators with companies that offer prizes is InnoCentive. InnoCentive was spun off six years ago by drugmaker Eli Lilly. It charges clients ("seekers") to broadcast scientific problems on its website where scientists ("solvers") are offered cash -- usually less than $100,000 -- for solutions.
For more information, see www.innocentive.com.

FDA submits 2008 budget requests

2/06/2007-The U.S. FDA is requesting $2.1 billion as part of the president's fiscal year 2008 budget, an increase of more than 5 percent over last year's budget request. Included in the budget are funding increases for key FDA programs such as food, drug, and medical device safety and review of generic drugs.

The budget request includes $10.6 million for programs that strengthen food safety.

According to the FDA press release, the additional funding will allow the agency to develop better methods to rapidly detect foodborne illness, track contamination to its source and help states, local jurisdictions and industry mitigate the risks of new outbreaks.

Page elected new Cargill CEO

2/06/2007-Cargill's board of directors has elected Gregory Page, 55, chief executive officer and president, effective June 1, 2007. Page will succeed Warren Staley, Cargill's chairman and chief executive officer, when he retires as CEO on June 1, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 for Cargill executives. Staley will continue to serve as chairman of the Cargill Board of Directors until its annual meeting on Sept. 11, 2007.

Page was named to his current position as Cargill president and chief operating officer in June 2000. He was elected to the Cargill Board of Directors in August 2000.

Nunhems BV and Unilever to codevelop new tomato varieties

2/06/2007-Nunhems BV, Bayer CropScience’s vegetable seed business, has signed an agreement with Unilever to co-develop new tomato varieties with added benefits in taste, nutrition, and health. The agreement includes the formation of a shared research, development, and business platform for innovative tomato varieties as well as the acquisition of Unilever´s tomato seed business by Nunhems. Financial terms of this agreement were not disclosed.

Prof. Dr. Berschauer, chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience commented: "The agreement with Unilever is a further consistent step in our strategy to find new product solutions for the food value-added chain. By cooperating with Unilever, we can thus contribute to improve nutrition and health of the consumers."

"With Unilever’s R&D and consumer insights, and Nunhems expertise in vegetable seed genetics, this partnership is a win-win for both parties", Dr. Orlando de Ponti, Nunhems’ director of research and development commented. "We look forward to the growth that this agreement will offer to our global tomato portfolio."

Emmo Meijer, senior vice president, Unilever Foods R&D, commented: "This agreement is a demonstration of Unilever's open innovation strategy. By joining forces with expert companies like Nunhems, Unilever secures world-class technology and increases its innovation rate in line with our Vitality Strategy. The tomato development technologies that we will co-develop with Nunhems will allow us to provide tasty and healthy products for consumers around the world."

General Mills launches external innovation program

2/06/2007-General Mills is slated to officially launch in early 2007 its new Worldwide Innovation Network (WIN), designed to expand and accelerate the innovation advances already underway inside the company. Through WIN, General Mills is seeking external partners with new products and technologies that will be complementary
to the company’s brands and businesses.
“We have formalized our external innovation initiative to ensure potential partners recognize that we are not only open to new ideas, we are actively seeking them,” said Peter Erickson, General Mills’ senior vice president of innovation, technology and quality. “A focus on external innovation has been a critical competitive advantage for General Mills. We believe the next big advance, which may reshape the food industry, has already been invented by someone outside the company, and our goal is to be the first to find it.”
Innovation has long been cited by company leaders as critical to the success of General Mills and is one of the company’s key growth drivers. Through General Mills WIN, the company is seeking patented or patent-pending ideas from inventors and small companies. Potential partners can contact General Mills online through a web portal at http://www.generalmills.com/win. Submissions are evaluated according to several criteria with focus on the fit for a particular brand or product line; uniqueness; and expansion or growth potential. Business categories of interest include:
Baking products
Cereal
Frozen vegetables, pastries, pizza and snacks
Refrigerated and frozen dough
Shelf-stable meals, meal kits, soups and side dishes
Snacks bars, fruit snacks, popcorn, salty snacks
Organics (soups, cereal, snack bars)
Yogurt and yogurt beverages
Soy beverages
“At General Mills, we’re constantly on a quest to enhance the quality of people’s lives by delivering on the health, taste, convenience, and value of our products,” said Jeff Bellairs, General Mills’ director of external innovation. “Partners who help us achieve our innovation goals will benefit from General Mills’ resources, scale and credibility in the marketplace to advance their own technologies and ideas. We believe that innovation, whether it is in our products, packaging or processes, should deliver mutual benefit to the company, our partners and the consumer.”
External resources and ideas can radically improve how General Mills makes, markets, and sells its products. To jump-start its external innovation efforts, the company recently partnered with Nine Sigma’s solution provider network to use the expertise of scientists and engineers around the world to help solve some of the most challenging technical issues. General Mills also recently joined YourEncore, a network of retirees with vast scientific and engineering expertise, to accelerate new product development.
General Mills is expanding on a history of innovation success through collaboration with external partners. For example, General Mills licensed the Yoplait brand name in 1978 from Sodima, a French dairy cooperative. Today, Yoplait is a $1 billion dollar business and the yogurt category leader. Joint ventures have also built strong businesses for General Mills and its partner. In 1990, General Mills and Nestle created a joint venture called Cereal Partners Worldwide, which is now the global No. 2 player in cereal. More recently, General Mills introduced Nature Valley Apple Crisps – a product the company discovered at a European food show and quickly brought to market. Through WIN, General Mills will continue to seek external partners who can deliver new products and technologies to grow its business.

Review of food rheology posted

2/06/2007-The Journal of Food Science has published a Concise Review in Food Science entitled,
“The Rheology of Colloidal and Noncolloidal Food Dispersions” by D. B. Genovese, J. E. Lozano, and M. A. Rao. The article reviews some of the recent studies on colloidal and noncolloidal food dispersions in which theoretical models as well as structural analysis were employed. The full text of the article is open to all.

Several countries ban imports of UK poultry

2/06/2007-According to news reports, the governments of Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Ukraine have announced bans on the imports of U.K. poultry after an outbreak of avian flu was discovered there over the weekend. The British poultry industry currently exports more than 240 million pounds of products annually.

Meanwhile, the EU’s European Commission said any move to ban British poultry exports would be unjustified.
For more, see http://ec.europa.eu/health/dyna/press_rel/ph_press_en.cfm.

Monday, February 05, 2007

IFST posts statement on salt, dietary fiber, and trans fat

2/05/2007-The UK Institute of Food Science and Technology has posted information statements on Salt, Dietary Fiber, and Trans Fatty Acids. For more, see www.ifst.org.

Survey examines public responses to spinach recall

2/05/2007-Every year, the Food and Drug Administration issues dozens of food-related recalls, withdrawals and advisories. Few get the attention that the advisory regarding E.coli-contaminated spinach received in September 2006. The broad scale of the resulting recall and related media attention provided a unique opportunity for researchers at the Rutgers Food Policy Institute (FPI) to study the U.S. food recall system. The results of this study were published today on FPI’s website, http://foodpolicyinstitute.org.

To investigate the public’s reactions to this incident, a nationally representative sample of 1,200 Americans were interviewed by telephone from November 8 to 29, 2006. The results of the nationwide telephone survey describe the level of consumer awareness and knowledge of the recall and foodborne illness. The results also provide insight into consumer behavior during the recall and likely future behavior in response to the recall.

“We examined both the successes and of the failures of this particular recall,” said William Hallman, director of the Food Policy Institute. “Our survey not only provides data to improve communications about future food recalls, but also enables us to explore how our systems might work in the case of intentional food contamination.”

The results of the survey show that the FDA’s main message to consumers warning that bagged fresh spinach had been contaminated and should not be eaten was heard by 87% of Americans. More than eight in ten (84%) of those who had heard about the recall said that they had also talked about it with others. In addition, the data clearly indicate that the majority of consumers did stop eating spinach because of the recall.

“As a result, the main public health goal of the recall was met,” said Hallman, “However, fewer Americans were aware of important details related to the recall. Many were confused about the types of spinach affected, where it was grown, the organism that caused the contamination, the symptoms of the resulting illness, and perhaps most significantly, whether or not the recall had ended.”

While nearly all (95%) of those who had heard about the recall knew that bagged fresh spinach had been recalled, only about two-thirds (68%) knew that loose fresh spinach was also part of the recall. However, they were confused about the safety of frozen and canned spinach during the recall, as only 57% and 71%, respectively, knew they were not affected by the recall.

Only half (52%) knew that the contaminated spinach had been grown in California, and only half (52%) could identify E. coli as the contaminant that made people ill. In addition, while 87% of Americans correctly recognized that abdominal cramps are a common symptom of E. coli infection, only about two-thirds (64%) of Americans correctly recognized the key symptom, bloody diarrhea. Instead, Americans are more likely to incorrectly associate the symptoms of nausea (88%) and vomiting (87%) with an E. coli infection. Moreover, though not generally associated with E. coli infections, more than three-quarters (77%) of Americans identified fever as a symptom, and nearly one-quarter (22%) reported that rashes were a symptom despite the fact that they are not commonly associated with any foodborne illness.

“Most Americans know little about the symptoms of foodborne illnesses,” said Hallman, “E. coli infections are no exception.” Although the recall caught the attention of the American public, not everyone followed the advice of the FDA. More than one-in-ten (13%) of those who ate spinach before the recall reported that they ate fresh spinach during the recall, and nearly three-quarters (74%) of them knew about the recall at the time.

Some Americans went to the other extreme, generalizing the warnings about spinach to other similar foods. Nearly one-fifth (18%) of those aware of the recall said they stopped buying other bagged produce because of the spinach recall. In addition, nearly half (48%) reported that the spinach recall caused them to wash their food more thoroughly.

“Clearly, the recall had a bigger effect on the public than just throwing away a few bags of spinach,” Hallman notes, “Consumer confidence in the safety of other produce seems to have been affected.”

Health Canada posts new Food Guide

2/05/2007-Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement today launched the new 2007 version of Canada's Food Guide -- "Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide" -- at the Real Canadian Superstore in Orleans, Ontario. Christian Paradis, MP for Mégantic-L'Erable and Secretary of State (Agriculture), made a similar announcement at the IGA Extra in Gatineau, Quebec.

"Canada's Food Guide has been providing Canadians with straightforward tips and messages on healthy eating for 65 years," said Minister Clement. "One important new feature of this Food Guide is that it now offers Canadians information on the amount and types of food recommended for their age and gender."

For more information on Canada's Food Guide, see Health Canada's website.

Enviga goes nationwide

2/05/2007-Beginning this week, Enviga, the sparkling green tea, that according to Coca-Cola has been proven to burn calories, will start appearing on store shelves across the U.S. The national rollout follows a regional launch in New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia in November 2006. The green tea beverage was conceived by Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW), a joint venture of Nestle S.A. and The Coca-Cola Company.

"Enviga represents the perfect partnership of science and nature, providing an optimum blend of green tea extracts (EGCG) and caffeine," said Dr. Rhona Applebaum, chief scientist, The Coca-Cola Company. "Enviga is designed to work with your body to increase calorie burning. It creates a negative calorie effect -- in other words, you burn more calories than you get from drinking it. We believe consumers are smart and understand that Enviga is designed to complement, not replace, regular exercise, a sensible diet and other healthy choices they make throughout the day."

UK confirms outbreak of H5N1 Asian strain

2/05/2007-The UK’s Dept. for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has announced that on Feb. 1, the State Veterinary Service was contacted by a private vet who suspected an avian notifiable disease at a poultry farm in Suffolk, UK. The farm near Upper Holton held 159,000 turkeys housed in 22 sheds. The vet raised concerns because deaths were taking place in one shed, containing 7,000 birds, beyond the normal frequency and rate.

The British agencies promptly enforced legal restrictions on the farm so that no birds, people, or equipment could move off those premises, preventing any possible spread of the disease. Arrangements were quickly made for a veterinary officer from the local animal health office to inspect the premises and take samples for testing by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, Surrey.

Preliminary results received late Friday evening indicated the presence of avian influenza of the H5 strain. Further tests were carried out over Friday night, and on Saturday morning Fred Landeg, the Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, confirmed H5N1 avian influenza.

The UK agencies then imposed a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone around the infected premises to restrict movements of poultry and require their isolation from wild birds in those areas. In addition, they banned all bird gatherings, including fairs, markets, shows and races, across England, Scotland, and Wales. The Great Britain Poultry Register was used to issue text alerts to all those registered.

By Saturday afternoon, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency had completed further tests and were able to confirm that this was the highly pathogenic H5N1 Asian strain which has spread widely in recent years.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Kerry presents new ice cream texture research

2/02/2007-Kerry Bio-Science, a supplier of frozen dessert functional ingredients systems, will be unveiling texture research at the 2007 International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Ice Cream Technology Conference in March. Global Dairy Application Manager, Michel Lipsch will be presenting the research on March 1, from 8:00 – 8:45 a.m.

The session, entitled, “Correlations between texture ingredients and sensory and physical measurements in ice cream”, will showcase a systematic approach covering sensory panel measurements to help define mouthfeel characteristics such as eating temperature, iciness, and gumminess, as well as physical measurements to quantify texture characteristics such as firmness, melting speed and ice crystal growth.

In particular, results of a statistical design of experiments demonstrating correlations between texture ingredients, sensory and physical measurements will be shared.

The IDFA Ice Cream Technology Conference 2007 will be held at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort in Chandler, Arizona, Feb. 28 – March 2. Ice Cream Tech encourages an open exchange among participants on the technical issues pertinent to the frozen dessert industry, such as production and ingredient technologies, product safety and labeling. For more information, visit www.idfa.org.

U.S. seafood consumption declines in 2005

2/02/2007-Americans ate 16.2 pounds of fish and shellfish per person in 2005, a two percent decrease from the 2004 consumption figure of 16.6 pounds. Despite the decline in consumption, consumer expenditures for seafood products increased by $3.3 billion, representing a five percent increase for a total of $65.2 billion.

The commercial marine fishing industry contributed $32.9 billion to the U.S. Gross National Product in 2005, up from $31.6 billion in 2004.

In 2005, Americans spent $44.5 billion in seafood restaurants, a $1.7 billion increase over 2004. Americans purchased $20.5 billion worth of seafood for home consumption, an increase of $1.6 billion over 2004.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the statistics today in the 2005 edition of its annual publication, "Fisheries of the United States."

Despite the slight decrease in 2005, overall seafood consumption in the United States has trended upwards in the past five years: In 2001 the consumption rate was 14.8 pounds, in 2002 it was 15.6 pounds, and in 2003 it was 16.3 pounds.

Americans consumed a total of 4.8 billion pounds of seafood in 2005. The nation still imports roughly 80 percent of its seafood, and remains the third largest global consumer of fish and shellfish, behind Japan and China.

"The seafood industry continues to be big business in the United States," said Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries Service. "Seafood remains a favorite food choice among Americans due to its high value for nutrition and health."

Of the total 16.2 pounds consumed per person, 11.6 pounds were fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish, down 0.2 pounds from last year. Canned seafood consumption dropped 0.2 pounds to 4.3 pounds per capita. A record figure was consumption of fillets and steaks, up 0.4 pounds to 5.0 pounds per person. Canned tuna consumption fell 0.2 pounds to 3.1 pounds per person.

Shrimp continues to be the top consumed seafood in the United States at 4.1 pounds of shrimp consumed in 2005, down 0.1 pounds from 2004. In 2005, shrimp exports increased by 27 million pounds to a 10-year record high of 95.5 million pounds, while shrimp imports decreased by 53 million pounds. Both statistics are calculated based on a heads-off basis.

NOAA Fisheries Service's calculation of per capita consumption is based on a "disappearance" model. The total U.S. supply is calculated as the sum of imports and landings minus exports, converted to edible weight. This total is divided by the total U.S. population to estimate per capita consumption.

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA Fisheries Service: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov
NOAA Fisheries Service Statistics: http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/index.html

UN panel posts climate change report

2/02/2007-The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released a 21-page report on global warming. Among other things, the report highlighted “increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and (a) rising global mean sea level.” Those in the food industry and agriculture should follow the report because of the effect of climate change on food production. For more, see http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf.

Avebe creates new subsidiary, Solanic

2/02/2007-The Dutch potato starch group Avebe is investing millions of euros in its new subsidiary, Solanic. This company will use breakthrough technology to extract high-performance proteins for the food and drug industries. Avebe announced that this is one of the ways through which it intends to achieve new profit growth in the coming years.

With the divestment of all non-strategic activities and the completion of the restructuring in 2006, the company's re-engineering is now complete. The year 2007 marks the beginning of a phase of renewed profit growth, based on innovation.

An initiative is already on track with Eliane™, a high-performance potato starch, which was introduced last year. An additional key initiative is the creation of the Solanic subsidiary, which is tasked with creating new value from potatoes; refining, developing and marketing non-starch based ingredients from the potato with a high added value; opening up new applications and/or markets; and creating new sources of profit for Avebe.

Solanic says it has a very promising breakthrough innovation in the pipeline: high-performance proteins that possess unique properties for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company says the proteins offer food manufacturers advantages over animal proteins, although the specific advantages are not named.

The new company has patented its products and entered exclusive cooperation agreements with partners such as the Danish technology company Upfront, and Skintec, which is affiliated with the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.

This autumn, Solanic will start commercial production of these products. Okke Koo, chairman of the AVEBE board, said, "In the next few years, AVEBE intends to grow its profit considerably, and making investments in innovation is crucial to that goal. In addition to starch, potatoes contain other high-quality components, which can deliver value to the food and drug industries. This provides AVEBE with very attractive prospects for the future. The first responses from the market have been very enthusiastic."

Wrigley acquires Russian chocolate company

2/02/2007-The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company has signed a purchase agreement to acquire an 80 percent initial interest in A. Korkunov, a privately held premium chocolate company in Russia, with the remaining 20 percent to be acquired over time. The $300 million being paid by Wrigley for the 80 percent stake will be offset in part by approximately $55 million in cash tax benefits. The net cost of the transaction represents approximately 3 times 2006 sales, which are estimated at $100 million for the total company. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including certain regulatory clearances.
Founded in 1999 by two Russian entrepreneurs, Andrey Korkunov and Sergey Lyapuntsov, A. Korkunov has become the seventh largest player in the overall Russian chocolate category, which has an estimated value of $3.7 billion. It is also the No. 2 player in the overall premium-boxed chocolate segment, with its namesake brand -- A. Korkunov -- the top-seller in that highly competitive segment.
The Company markets its premium products across Russia through a well- established distributor network, and its high-quality production facility, just outside of Moscow, manufactures a wide range of product offerings, including boxed, tablet (bars) and loose chocolates. Additionally, A. Korkunov has been named a "top ten" brand in Russia by both Young & Rubicam and the Rus Brand Independent Organization. It is also the only native Russian brand with an awareness level on par with those of leading global consumer goods brands -- such as Sony, Gillette and BMW -- according to the Young & Rubicam "Power Brand" ranking.
"We have always said we would enter the chocolate segment of the total confectionery business if the right opportunity to create value for the Wrigley Company became available -- and this acquisition presents such an opportunity," said Bill Wrigley, Jr., Executive Chairman of the Company and Chairman of the Board.

Tate & Lyle set to end Yorkshire citric acid production

2/02/2007-Tate & Lyle has started a consultation process with employees today with a view to ceasing production of citric acid in Selby, Yorkshire. The announcement follows intense competition from Chinese imports and oversupply in the world market. Closure would affect approximately 100 jobs at the Selby site. The consultation process will last 90 days.
Stanley Musesengwa, Chief Operating Officer, Tate & Lyle said, “The decision to begin this consultation process was a difficult one to take and we are grateful for the commitment and dedication of our colleagues at the Selby plant over the years.
This consultation follows a thorough review of the long term prospects of our UK citric acid business. Despite the best efforts of the team at Tate & Lyle to reduce costs, continuing pricing pressures mean that our UK citric acid business can no longer compete viably in an increasingly difficult market.”
In addition to pricing pressures, production of citric acid at Selby has been adversely affected by changes to the EU sugar regime (which became effective from 1 July 2006) which increased substrate costs.
Tate & Lyle will make every effort to help those colleagues potentially affected find suitable alternative employment. This will include the provision of on-site job shop facilities staffed by independent professional counsellors.
In the year to 31 March 2006, Tate & Lyle’s UK citric acid business at Selby (i.e. excluding astaxanthin) returned sales of £26m and an operating loss of £2m. Tate & Lyle will continue to serve customers from existing inventory and operations in the US, Brazil and Colombia.

IFF reports strong 2006 results

2/02/2007-International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. reported results for the fourth quarter and full year 2006.
The strong fourth quarter performance tops off a very good 2006 for IFF,” said Robert M. Amen, IFF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “It is very encouraging to see the fourth quarter growth in both flavors and fragrances, all driven by the excellent contribution of the people of IFF. Our strategy is working and we have good momentum going into 2007.”
Earnings per share were $.49 in the 2006 fourth quarter, versus $.16 in the prior year quarter, an increase of 206%. The 2006 results include restructuring charges of $.02 and a non-recurring gain on disposition of land, included in Other income, of $.06. The 2005 fourth quarter earnings results included a restructuring charge of $.17 per share. On a comparable basis, excluding the restructuring charges from both periods and the 2006 land sale gain, fourth quarter 2006 earnings per share of $.45 represent a 36% gain over the 2005 quarter.
For the full year 2006, earnings per share were $2.44, compared to $2.04 in 2005, an increase of 20%. The 2006 results include restructuring charges of $.02 and non-recurring gains on disposition of assets, included in Other income, of $.14; the 2005 results included restructuring charges of $.16 per share, offset by a $.26 benefit relating to the Company's repatriation of funds from overseas affiliates.

ADM reports higher profits on starch, sweetener, corn

2/02/2007-Archer Daniels Midland reported that net earnings for the quarter ended December 31, 2006 were $ 441 million, or $ .67 per share, compared to $ 368 million, or $ .56 per share, last year.
Corn Processing operating profits increased $ 99 million to $ 335 million for the quarter and increased
$ 253 million to $ 626 million for the six months. Increased starch, sweetener and ethanol selling
prices contributed to the earnings improvement and were partially offset by increasing net corn costs.
Results for the quarter and six months ended December 31, 2005 included $ 15 million of employee
severance costs associated with the closure of a citric acid plant.
Oilseeds Processing operating profits increased $ 64 million to $ 192 million for the quarter and
increased $ 134 million to $ 362 million for the six months due principally to improved gross margins
in all geographic regions.

ADM to build European research center

2/02/2007-Archer Daniels Midland Co. will build a European research and development center in Hamburg, Germany. The facility will explore new food and oleochemical technologies, as well as drive improvement and process efficiencies for existing technologies. With this new R&D facility, ADM will be well positioned to effectively serve its European food and BioEnergy customers.
“Through a combination of both existing process improvements and the development of new products and technologies, this facility will further enhance our global strategy of being a leader in the field of BioEnergy and expanding our premier position in the agricultural processing value chain,” said Mark Zenuk, Vice President and Managing Director-European and Asian Operations.
This European research and development center will be an important addition to ADM’s existing global research and development capabilities, including the James R. Randall Research Center located in Decatur, Illinois.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

GAO calls federal oversight of food safety high risk

2/01/2007-The U.S. Government Accountability Office periodically reports on government operations it has designated as high risk.
This year, the GAO designated as high risk federal oversight of food safety. The GAO claims the area is high risk because of risks to the economy and to public health and safety.
Agriculture, as the largest industry and employer in the United States, generates more than $1 trillion in economic activity annually. Any food contamination could undermine consumer confidence in the government’s ability to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply, as well as cause severe economic consequences. The current fragmented federal system has caused inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources. GAO has recommended that Congress consider a fundamental re-examination of the system and other improvements to help ensure the rapid detection of and response to any accidental or deliberate contamination of food before public health and safety is compromised.
For more, see
High Risk Series: An Update GAO-07-310, January 31, 2007.

Coca-Cola to acquire Fuze Beverage LLC.

2/01/2007-The Coca-Cola Company today announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase Fuze Beverage, LLC, maker of Fuze juices and teas.
The acquisition includes all FUZE Beverage, LLC brands, including the Vitalize, Refresh, Tea, and Slenderize lines under the FUZE trademark, WaterPlus enhanced water products, and license rights to the NOS® Energy Drink brands.
If approved, the transfer of ownership is expected to occur within the first quarter of 2007, and FUZE will operate as a stand-alone entity of The Coca-Cola Company.
FUZE beverages are among the fastest-growing brands in the categories in which they compete. Since the launch of the first FUZE products in 2001, the company has grown rapidly and established itself as an innovative force, launching more than forty new products and line extensions. This spirit of innovation is captured in the FUZE brand's colorful and artistic packaging, which has quickly become the brand's signature, and in their unique and complex flavor blends which feature real juice, vitamins, and antioxidants without artificial preservatives or colors.
"Expanding our beverage portfolio is an important strategic priority for Coca-Cola Enterprises, and we believe FUZE's innovative lineup of distinctive non-carbonated brands will significantly enhance our product portfolio," said John F. Brock, president and chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Twenty Coca-Cola bottlers currently distribute FUZE beverages and will continue to do so after the proposed purchase by The Coca-Cola Company. "We have distributed FUZE beverages in our territory for several years and they have been very popular with both our customers and consumers," said Claude Nielsen, chief executive officer, Coca-Cola United. "We look forward to working with CCNA to achieve even greater success together." CCNA anticipates distribution of FUZE beverages will expand significantly as a result of the proposed purchase.
"We are very excited to join The Coca-Cola Company and we see this as a great opportunity to further accelerate the growth of our brand portfolio and take the business to the next level," said Lance Collins, founder and chief executive officer, FUZE Beverage, LLC.
The acquisition of FUZE Beverage, LLC is the latest in a series of recent actions by CCNA to expand its beverage portfolio. In November 2006, CCNA and Caribou Coffee announced plans to launch a new line of premium ready-to-drink iced coffees this summer. In August, CCNA launched a new line of premium indulgent beverages, Godiva Belgian Blends, in partnership with Godiva Chocolatier. Godiva initially launched in the Northeast U.S. and has now expanded into the Midwest and Southeast U.S., with volume double original expectations. Last summer's reformulation and restaging of Nestea ready-to-drink (RTD) teas was followed by the launch of the new Gold Peak RTD tea by Beverage Partners Worldwide (North America) (BPW), the Company's 50/50 joint venture with Nestle, SA. Far Coast, a collection of premium brewed beverages, was launched in a special "concept store" in Toronto, ON, Canada in September and is currently being rolled out to other retail customers in the Greater Toronto Area. The category-creating calorie burner, Enviga™, was launched regionally in November by BPW, and will roll out nationally this month.