Saturday, April 30, 2005

Spoof of USDA MyPyramid site gets noticed

4/30/2005-When the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture left two URL extensions of their Web site, describing the new Food Pyramid (mypyramid.gov) open, two Web developers Stephen Eisenmenger and Molly Nutting set up a spoof of the site at www.mypyramid.org and www.mypyramid.us. According to news reports, the USDA's site has gotten more than 268 million hits, and the parody has gotten more than 1 million. Eisenmenger and Nutting, self-described social activists and vegetarians, charge that the USDA pyramid represents a conflict between an agency that is responsible for promoting the interests of the U.S. agriculture industry and an attempt to promote healthy eating. The spoof calls for "...moderate or vigorous activity (such as playing video games, standing up to change the channel or walking to your car)." According to news reports, the USDA won't comment other than to acknowledge the existence of site. The sites look very similar because Eisenmenger and Nutting copied the USDA site and added their own text and messages. The USDA's graphics and other materials are part of the public domain.

Friday, April 29, 2005

EU posts soil atlas of Europe

4/29/2005-Soil performs a multitude of environmental, economic, social and cultural functions and thus plays a vital role in conserving biodiversity and supporting global environmental systems.
It is a living system and once destroyed it is lost forever. Erosion, contamination, decline of organic matter content, sealing due to factors such as housing and infrastructure, landslides and flooding all contribute to the degradation of a resource that is fundamental to our survival. The European Commission has therefore created the first Soil Atlas of Europe, designed to describe and explain the threats to our soil, and raise awareness of its diversity and its importance to our lives. The Atlas will contribute to future actions to protect Europe's soil, such as a proposal for a Thematic Strategy on soil protection, scheduled to be put forward by the Commission before the end of 2005. See the EU Soil Atlas.

Diet and exercise improve many biomarkers in children

4/29/2005-In a study presented at this week's American Heart Association's national conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, UCLA researchers reported that diet and exercise can improve not only the cholesterol levels of children but also a wide range of other biomarkers linked with heart disease. In the first ever study to show such benefits, researchers found improvements in insulin, triglycerides, blood sugar levels, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein and oxidative stress among youngsters, ages 9 to 15, participating in a two-week family program at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida.
The kids, almost all overweight, were at Pritikin with their parents to learn how to make exercise an enjoyable part of their daily lives and eat nutritiously (lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of lean protein).
At the start of the program, Dr. James Barnard and colleagues at UCLA Department of Physiological Science took baseline blood tests of the children, measuring eight different biomarkers associated with abnormalities that lead to heart disease. Two weeks later, blood tests were taken again. The scientists observed dramatic decreases in all biomarkers.
Total cholesterol fell on average 21 percent, LDL "bad" cholesterol decreased 25 percent, triglycerides (blood fats) plummeted 39 percent, and insulin levels fell 30 percent. Key markers of inflammation in the arteries, including C-reactive protein, oxidative stress, serum adhesion molecules, and gelantinase activity, fell 41 percent, 90 percent, 53 percent, and 49 percent, respectively. Inflammation can lead to the formation of plaque, hidden inside artery walls, which can rupture without warning, causing a heart attack.
"What struck me most about this study were the relatively high levels of biomarkers in people who were so young," commented Dr. Barnard. "A lot of parents think, 'Yes, my kids are fat, but their arteries must still be nice and clean, so they're a long way from serious health problems.' Well, our research shows that's just not the case. What you see on the outside very much mirrors what's going on inside."
Barnard and his team were prompted to conduct the study because of previous research - autopsy studies - showing that plaque build-up in the arteries, or atherosclerosis, begins as early as the first decade in life.
The good news, emphasizes Barnard, is that lifestyle changes can induce beneficial results, and in a very short period of time, just two weeks. What's more, the children didn't need to lose a lot of weight before reaping remarkable rewards for their hearts. "The biomarkers were dramatically reduced with just minimal weight loss," he notes.
"It's a hopeful message for both kids and adults," says Barnard. "Keep exercising and eating nutritiously. Even if weight loss happens slowly, getting healthy happens very quickly."
The Pritikin Family Program, held every summer since 2002 at the Pritikin Longevity Center, is lead by Pritikin's physicians, dietitians, and exercise physiologists. "Our goal is teaching families how fun and rewarding healthy living can be," says registered dietitian Jeffrey Novick. Activities include kid-friendly cooking workshops like "Awesome Fruit Smoothies," lively noncompetitive exercise classes such as "Cardio Blast" workouts, field trips to mall food courts to learn how to make good choices, tennis lessons, and afternoons playing at the beach.

Conference to address food nanotechnology

4/29/2005-Nano4Food (http://www.nanofood.info), taking place on 20-21 June 2005 in Wareningen, Netherlands, will provide the first opportunity for the food sectors key players, leading suppliers and research community to meet, network and discuss the entire value chain of nanotechnologys commercial development as it relates to the current and future needs and opportunities for nanotechnologies - within the food industry.
The Nano4Food conference is a cooperative effort between Cientifica and Wageningen University to address the most relevant issues that matter to the food industry regarding the application of nanotechnology.
Food manufacturers will discover the ways in which nanotechnologies can improve productivity within established processes, as well as identifying positive impacts on health and taste.
Companies and organizations working, researching and producing within the nanotechnology space will be able to find out first hand how the needs and commercial dynamics of the food industry can inform and drive the need for their products, both now and in the future.

FDA claims no safety concerns with Bt10 corn

4/29/2005-The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have coordinated efforts to determine the safety of genetically engineered Bt 10 corn in food and feed. Bt 10 is closely related to Bt 11, a genetically engineered corn line which has undergone full U.S. regulatory clearance. FDA has evaluated whether the inadvertent marketing of Bt 10 presents any food or feed safety concerns.
FDA does not believe that possible unintended changes in the composition of corn pose food or feed safety risks or regulatory issues in circumstances in which the corn makes up a small part of the total food or feed supply. In this type of situation, the relevant information for food and feed safety is the safety of the new protein(s) in the corn. Therefore, in circumstances such as those surrounding the presence of Bt 10 in food and feed, the information relevant to safety assessment is limited to the safety of the proteins evaluated by EPA.
Based on EPA's finding that the genetically engineered proteins in Bt 10 are safe, the extremely low levels of Bt 10 corn in the food and feed supply, and the fact that corn does not contain any significant natural toxins or allergens, FDA has concluded that the presence of Bt 10 corn in the food and feed supply poses no safety concerns.
Thus, under these circumstances, there are no further requirements under the U.S. regulatory process for Bt 10 to be legally present in the United States food and feed supply. However, it is not legal for Bt 10 to be planted in the United States.
For more information on the respective roles of USDA-APHIS, EPA, and FDA in the federal regulation of genetically engineered plants, see the
United States Agencies Unified Biotechnology Website.

Glavin to head up U.S. FDA regulatory affairs branch

4/29/2005-John M. Taylor, U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, today announced his decision to leave FDA after a distinguished 14 year career at the agency. Margaret O'K. Glavin, FDA's current Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Counterterrorism Policy and Planning, has been named the new Associate Commissioner.
"As the head of our field force, John championed the public health by bringing some of the agency's largest and most significant enforcement actions," said Dr. Lester M. Crawford, Acting FDA Commissioner. "Indeed John's legacy at the agency includes significant accomplishments related to agency initiatives on blood safety, counterterrorism, food safety and pharmaceutical product quality."

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Kraft Foods may be spun off from Altria

4/28/2005-"I also want to comment on the possibility of separating Altria into two, or potentially three, strong and independent entities. While we have begun making detailed preparations for a restructuring, the precise timing and chronology are uncertain, and continuing improvement in the entire litigation environment is a prerequisite to such action by the Board of Directors," Altria Chairman and Chief Executive Louis Camilleri told shareholders at their annual meeting today. Altria owns Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International. Kraft Foods is about 85% owned by Altria.
Although the company didn't announce details of its plans today, the company has disclosed some of its recent steps in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in public comments.
For example, Kraft Foods Inc. purchased two corporate aircraft from Altria Corporate Services for about $47 million at the end of last year. Which some reports indicate that the company is planning to be split off.
Analysts who follow the company have indicated that may spin off first Kraft and then split its domestic and international tobacco businesses.
Camilleri also made comments about Kraft's recent new product innovations, "Kraft is emphasizing the important trends of health and wellness, and convenience. For example, it introduced Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs in 2004. These are portion controlled, single-serve snacks that are projected to become a $75 million business this year."

Soy oil research shaping allergen labeling

4/28/2005-Recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln research on soybean oil is helping shape food allergen labeling laws here and abroad.
An international study by UNL food scientists confirmed that highly refined soybean oil does not cause reactions in people who are allergic to soybeans, said food toxicologist Sue Hefle, who headed this research with food scientist Steve Taylor.
Soy-allergic people don't react because refined oil contains only minuscule amounts of protein, the culprit in allergic reactions, Hefle said. Findings do not apply to cold- or expeller-pressed soy oil, which contains more protein and may cause reactions.
"This tells allergic consumers that they can eat many more foods without worrying about reactions," Hefle explained. "They still need to carefully read labels, but if highly refined soy oil is the only soy ingredient, they know it's OK to eat that product."
The study, completed in 2003, has drawn interest internationally from allergic consumers, food manufacturers and farmers as well as regulators because soybeans are a common allergen and soy oil is used extensively in foods worldwide, Taylor said.
"People have been extremely eager for our results. We've shared them with policy-makers, congressional staffers, industry and the chief consumer group for allergic consumers," Taylor said. The university's Food Allergy Research and Resource Program, which he and Hefle co-direct, regularly fields inquiries on a host of food allergy issues from across the nation and abroad.
The Nebraska findings played a role in recent European Union food allergen labeling decisions as well as the U.S. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, which Congress passed to protect allergic consumers.
In March, highly refined soybean oil was among the soy components that the European Union temporarily exempted from food allergen labeling regulations slated to take effect later this year, he said.
The EU's European Food Safety Authority allowed industry groups to request exemptions if they could provide scientific evidence that a food product or ingredient doesn't cause allergic reactions. Industry included UNL's findings in a successful request for a three-year temporary exemption.
"The temporary exemption means the EU panel has some questions but feels comfortable that refined soy oil won't cause reactions," Hefle explained. During the next three years, the Europeans will further study the matter.
Last year, U.S. regulators exempted highly refined vegetable oils derived from known allergens, such as soybeans or peanuts, from the new federal food allergen labeling law that takes effect in 2006. Nebraska's soy oil research and a similar British study on refined peanut oil provided scientific evidence for that decision, Taylor said.
As a result, ingredient labels on foods containing soy oil need not explicitly list soy oil. Instead, labels can read "soybean, canola or saffllower oil." That's significant for food makers who prefer using whatever oil is plentiful and inexpensive. If soy oil had to be specifically labeled, some processors might switch to other oils, he said.
"All this also helps preserve soybean farmers' widest possible access to the world's markets," Taylor said.
Regulators, industry and consumers all are eager for the best possible scientific information because food labels need to be based on risk, he said.
"We provide those practical scientific answers," Hefle said.
Scientists long have known protein's role in allergic reactions. Taylor's early, smaller studies of soy and peanut oils in the 1980s at the University of Wisconsin indicated refined oil wasn't a problem, but scientists needed a comprehensive study of soy oils worldwide to be sure.
For this study, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers evaluated 30 highly refined soy oils from around the world. They blended four oils containing the most protein to create a representative worldwide sample. Collaborating physicians at U.S., Canadian, French and South African universities fed soy-allergic volunteers 1.5 tablespoons of soy or canola oil hidden in oatmeal. None of the 29 volunteers at the five test sites worldwide had a reaction. These 29 people represented a statistically significant sample of geographically and ethnically diverse populations.
"We fed them more oil than anyone is likely to consume in one sitting in the real world," Hefle said. "If they didn't react to this worse-case scenario, they're not going to react."
IANR scientists now are working to identify precisely how much protein from soy, peanut and shrimp triggers an allergic reaction. Knowing these reaction thresholds should help expand safe food choices for allergic consumers.
The United Soybean Board and food companies helped fund the soy oil research, which was conducted in cooperation with IANR's Agricultural Research Division.

EFSA posts statement on acrylamide

4/28/2005-The EU European Food Safety Authority has posed the statement of their expert panel to a summary report on Acrylamide in food of the 64th meeting of the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives.

Management changes at Danisco A/S

4/28/2005-Danisco announces management changes to increase focus on the upcoming integration of Genencor and to secure a smooth management succession in the Danisco Flavors, Danisco Cultures and Danisco Specialities divisions. Robert Mayer, Executive Vice President and Executive Board member at Danisco, is appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board of Genencor International Inc. with immediate effect in order to secure a smooth and effective alignment of Genencor with the Danisco organization. Tjerk de Ruiter takes over the general responsibility of Danisco Flavors, Danisco Cultures and Danisco Specialities as of 1 May 2005 and is appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) for these divisions.

Omega Protein reports results

4/28/2005-Omega Protein Corp., a manufacturer of heart-healthy fish oils containing long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, today reported that the first quarter of 2005 was essentially break-even with the Company recording net income for the first quarter of 2005 of $107,000, compared with net income of $646,000, or 3 cents a share, for the first quarter of the previous year.
Revenues for the first quarter of 2005, which ended March 31, were $23.8 million, versus revenues of $25.1 million for the year-earlier quarter. Omega Protein had operating income of $278,000 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with operating income of $1.2 million in the comparable quarter of the previous year. First quarter 2005 margins were reduced from the prior year's comparable quarter due to higher cost inventory being carried forward into 2005.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Keynote speaker makes Time's 100 influential people

4/27/2005-IFT's keynote speaker at this year's Annual Meeting and Food Expo, author Malcolm Gladwell has been chosen by Time magazine (subscription required) as one of the 100 most influential people in the world today. Gladwell is the author of bestsellers, "The Tipping Point" and and "Blink." For more on Gladwell see his Web site.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Cargill to increase oil production in Europe

4/26/2005-Cargill is to make significant investments at its Botlek and Izegem refineries in the Netherlands and Belgium respectively to boost the production capacity of liquid and tropical oils. An increase in production capacity in Belgium and the Netherlands will be complemented by Cargill’s large tropical oil production at the refinery in Germany.
Cargill will increase the refining capacity of coconut and palm kernel oil at the Botlek facility by over 200,000 MT/yr, so meeting customer needs for an efficient supply and strengthening its key market position. In addition, Cargill will also expand the palm refining capacity at Botlek by 300,000 MT/yr to meet an increase in customer demand for quality palm oil. The Botlek facility will as a consequence increase its overall capacity to over one million MT/yr.
The company will increase the refining capacity of sunflower and corn oil at the Izegem facility by 75,000 MT/yr to enhance the company’s ability to meet customers’ more specialised requirements. This expansion is due to be completed in the third quarter of 2006.
Jos de Loor, Head of Cargill’s refined oils business in Europe said; “It is a priority for us to continue providing our uniquely broad range of tropical and liquid oil products together with the high level of service our customers require. Our investment plans will allow us to meet our growing customer needs by further enhancing our base product portfolio which will be a platform to further develop our value added business. Customer service levels will not be affected during work at our facilities.”

Victoria, Australia invests in food technologies

4/26/2005-A grant of $3.5 million from the Victorian government in Australia will fund the "next generation of potentially revolutionary food processing technologies," according to Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The money will be used to establish the Advanced Processing and Innovative Foods Program, which will bring together food scientists from Food Science Australia, the University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology and CSIRO Plant Industry.
Dr. Krees Versteeg, Director of the Innovative Foods Centre, says, "This new program will broaden the research scope to include microwave technology, advanced separation technologies, ingredient functionality and food architecture.... These technologies will allow food manufacturers to create exciting, new foods and ingredients with qualities that have until now been difficult to achieve. Consumers can look forward to new flavours, textures and specific nutritional and health benefits across a range of food products."
Looking toward a future focused on functional foods, scientists with the program will apply themselves to creating processing technologies that are cost-effective and that do not compromise the health-promoting activies of certain ingredients.
It is also hoped the program will boost Australia's economy and help transform the country's agrifood sector.

Monday, April 25, 2005

Forum address concerns about soil salinity

4/25/2005-The International Salinity Forum that begins in Riverside, California today has drawn more than 200 scientists from 20 countries to discuss concerns about accumulating salts that threaten millions of acres of irrigated land around the globe. The three-day conference is sponsored by two USDA agencies—the Agricultural Research Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service—together with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
NRCS, the nation's private-lands conservation agency, uses ARS science and longstanding conservation expertise to help landowners control salinity and face other environmental challenges on their land.
"Enhancements to salinity resistance are very important to agricultural production and the protection of our natural resources," NRCS Chief Bruce Knight said. "Salinity is often called the 'silent killer' and with ARS science and NRCS technical expertise, landowners have the best available assessments and solutions."
Soil and water experts, many from the ARS George E. Brown Jr. Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, will present their latest research findings on how to best manage salt-stressed soils. Representatives from agricultural commodities impacted by salinity, such as cotton, wheat, rice and fresh produce, will also attend.
At the conference, Donald Suarez, director of the Riverside laboratory, will discuss how ARS-developed computer models can help water districts and irrigation consultants make informed decisions about salinity management. Other ARS researchers will discuss their technologies to effectively monitor and map soil salinity, as well as efforts to breed salt-tolerant crops that can thrive on recycled agricultural waters.
Irrigated fields, such as those in California's Central Valley, rely heavily on water that is conveyed hundreds of miles from its source. This water contains salts dissolved from the rocks and soils through which it passes before being stored in reservoirs.
When the water is used on cropland, it can leave behind salts and other potentially harmful trace elements, such as selenium and boron. Without adequate drainage, or with excessive irrigation, fields accumulate the damaging salts and can become toxic to many crop plants. In some cases, patches of white crust mark the fields that are most severely impacted.
USDA expects a result of the conference to be wider use of the best available science-based practices for salinity management.

Peppermint/Cinnamon decrease driving frustration

4/25/2005-The scent of peppermint or cinnamon in your car might make your morning commute less frustrating and you more alert when behind the wheel. That's according to the results of a recent study led by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, an associate professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. According to the study drivers demonstrated decreased levels of frustration, anxiety and fatigue when exposed to peppermint and cinnamon scents. The study also revealed that drivers were more alert.

The results of the study, Effects Of Odor Administration On Driving Performance, Safety, Alertness, And Fatigue, were presented at the recent Association for Chemical Reception Sciences Conference in Sarasota, FL.

The study builds on Raudenbush's past research, which indicated the odors of peppermint and cinnamon enhance motivation, performance, and alertness, decrease fatigue, and serve as central nervous system stimulants.

"Given these results, it is reasonable to expect that the presentation of peppermint or cinnamon odor while driving may produce a more alert and conscientious driver, and minimize the fatigue associated with prolonged driving," says Raudenbush.

In the present study, participants were monitored during stimulated driving under three odor conditions (peppermint, cinnamon, non-odor control). Odors were added to low flow oxygen (1.3L/min) via an oxygen concentrator and presented at the rate of 30 seconds every 15 minutes. Subjective measures of cognitive performance, wakefulness, mood, and workload were also assessed.

"In general, prolonged driving led to increased anger, fatigue, and physical demand, and decreased vigor. However, fatigue ratings were decreased in the cinnamon condition. Both cinnamon and peppermint administration led to increased ratings of alertness in comparison to the no-odor control condition over the course of the driving scenario. Periodic administration of these odors over long term driving may prove beneficial in maintaining alertness and decreasing highway accidents and fatalities," says Raudenbush.

Biomass could replace up to 30% of oil needs

4/25/2005-Relief from soaring prices at the gas pump could come in the form of corncobs, cornstalks, switchgrass and other types of biomass, according to a joint feasibility study for the departments of Agriculture and Energy.
The recently completed Oak Ridge National Laboratory report outlines a national strategy in which 1 billion dry tons of biomass – any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis – would displace 30 percent of the nation’s petroleum consumption for transportation. Supplying more than 3 percent of the nation’s energy, biomass already has surpassed hydropower as the largest domestic source of renewable energy, and researchers believe much potential remains.
“Our report answers several key questions,” said Bob Perlack, a member of ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division and a co-author of the report. “We wanted to know how large a role biomass could play, whether the United States has the land resources and whether such a plan would be economically viable.”
Looking at just forestland and agricultural land, the two largest potential biomass sources, the study found potential exceeding 1.3 billion dry tons per year. That amount is enough to produce biofuels to meet more than one-third of the current demand for transportation fuels, according to the report.
Such an amount, which would represent a six-fold increase in production from the amount of biomass produced today, could be achieved with only relatively modest changes in land use and agricultural and forestry practices.
“One of the main points of the report is that the United States can produce nearly 1 billion dry tons of biomass annually from agricultural lands and still continue to meet food, feed and export demands,” said Robin Graham, leader for Ecosystem and Plant Sciences in ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division.
The benefits of an increased focus on biomass include increased energy security as the U.S. would become less dependent on foreign oil, a potential 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an improved rural economic picture.
Current production of ethanol is about 3.4 billion gallons per year, but that total could reach 80 billion gallons or more under the scenario outlined in this report. Such an increase in ethanol production would see transportation fuels from biomass increase from 0.5 percent of U.S. consumption in 2001 to 4 percent in 2010, 10 percent in 2020 and 20 percent in 2030. In fact, depending on several factors, biomass could supply 15 percent of the nation’s energy by 2030.
Meanwhile, biomass consumption in the industrial sector would increase at an annual rate of 2 percent through 2030, while biomass consumption by electric utilities would double every 10 years through 2030. During the same time, production of chemicals and materials from bio-based products would increase from about 12.5 billion pounds, or 5 percent of the current production of target U.S. chemical commodities in 2001, to 12 percent in 2010, 18 percent in 2020 and 25 percent in 2030.
Nearly half of the 2,263 million acres that comprise the land base of the U.S. has potential for growing biomass. About 33 percent of the land area is classified as forest, 26 percent as grassland, 20 percent as cropland, 13 percent as urban areas, swamps and deserts, and 8 percent as special uses such as public facilities.
The report, titled “Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply,” was sponsored by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renwable Energy, Office of Biomass Program. Lynn Wright and Anthony Turhollow of ORNL, Bryce Stokes of the USDA Forest Service and Don Erbach of the USDA Agriculture Research Service are co-authors of the report. The complete report is available at: http://feedstockreview.ornl.gov/pdf/billion_ton_vision.pdf.

Friday, April 22, 2005

FDA posts guide to food additive petitions

4/22/2005-The U.S. FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition has posted guidance on Pre-petition Consultations for Food Additives and Color Additives.

Food demands threaten to outstrip world water supply

4/22/2005-A new report posted today by scientists at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development warns that unless steps are taken to improve the way water is managed, twice the world's current water consumption may be needed by 2050 to feed a global population of some 9 billion.
The scientists from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), World Conservation Union (IUCN) and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said that the ambitious international commitment to halve the number of people facing hunger have missed a fundamental question: where is the water needed to grow the food to feed future generations properly? The report, “Let It Reign: The New Water Paradigm for Global Food Security” points out that feeding the world is in many ways a daunting water challenge.
The world needs more food and consumption is moving towards more water-intensive items and less healthy diets. Irrigation can only partly satisfy the thirst for expanded future food production, and agricultural land is shrinking,” says Prof. Jan Lundqvist of Linköping University (Sweden), one of the report's authors. “Global food security in the future requires a new water management approach today.” The report provides policy recommendations intended to facilitate such a new approach.
Today, 840 million people remain undernourished across the world. In 2025, the world will have 8 billion inhabitants, and 9 billion in 2050. The demand for food will increase with 50% every generation. How big the increase ultimately will be depends in large part on the purchasing power of consumers. According to prognoses of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, average demand will be 3000 kcal per person per day. Even considering wastage, the new report says that if a high calorie intake becomes the social norm for all of humanity, the increased pressure on natural resources - above all, water, will be dramatic. An additional volume of water equal in size to all of the water used in households, industry and agriculture today (5600 km3) would be required by 2025.
This is because production of food is a highly water-consuming activity. In developing countries, the report says, agriculture accounts for 70-90% of available freshwater supplies. It takes 550 litres of water to produce enough flour for one loaf of bread - a fraction of the roughly 1500 litres used to produce 100 grams of grain-fed beef. Already in large parts of the world, water is the most limited and most uncertain resource, both in food production and for different ecosystems. A fundamental consequence for crops grown in the open landscape is that large quantities of water evaporate back to the atmosphere from vegetation and soil, particularly in hot climate regions.
Although the world produces more food than ever, it has come at a cost: the drastic reduction of water in a number of rivers and sinking groundwater levels around the world. There is no water flowing in the Yellow, Colorado and Indus rivers in large parts of the year. Previously large lakes, like the Aral Sea and the Chad Sea, are now mere shadows of their former selves. Around 1.4 billion people, nearly a quarter of the world's population, live near rivers where all of the available water is committed. Other uncertainties exist: some predict that the 40 poorest countries, with a total population of some 1-3 billion, will lose on average up to a fifth of their cereal production potential in the 2080s because of climate change.
For more information, see http://www.siwi.org/.

Reseachers provide "final" proof of prion hypothesis

4/22/2005-Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have produced the strongest proof yet that the mysterious and devastating brain diseases known as “transmissible spongiform encephalopathies” (TSEs) are transmitted by an infectious agent composed only of a malformed protein, and not a virus. TSEs, which can afflict both human beings and animals, include mad cow disease, new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome, scrapie, kuru and chronic wasting disease.
This controversial “prion hypothesis” was proposed by Stanley Prusiner in 1982, and led to Prusiner receiving the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1997. Until now, however, scientists have been unable to confirm its validity by causing a TSE in normal lab animals by infecting them with malformed proteins (dubbed “prions” by Prusiner) created entirely in a test tube. Such an approach eliminates the possibility that some other agent might be causing the disease.
In a paper scheduled to appear in the journal Cell on April 21, the UTMB researchers describe the use of a method they developed called “protein misfolding cyclic amplification” (PMCA) to vastly accelerate the activity of a small number of prions taken from infected hamsters and placed in test tubes containing healthy brain proteins. When the healthy proteins had been largely transformed into prions, the samples were diluted over and over again and the process repeated, until the only remaining prions were those that had been generated in the test tubes. These were then injected into the brains of healthy hamsters, which began showing TSE symptoms within four months and, on average, died less than six months after inoculation.
“For many years, people have tried to make these infectious prions in test tubes, because what is needed to prove the prion hypothesis completely is to be able to produce this process in vitro in the absence of living cells and thus rule out the presence of a virus,” said Claudio Soto, professor of neurology at UTMB and senior author of the paper. “The evidence in favor of the prion hypothesis was strong, but the final proof was still missing. Now we have supplied this proof.”

FDA to hold meeting on sprout safety

4/22/2005-The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public meeting to elicit information on the current science related to foodborne illness associated with the consumption of sprouts. In October 2004, FDA released a produce safety action plan entitled
``Produce Safety from Production to Consumption: 2004 Action Plan to Minimize Foodborne Illness Associated with Fresh Produce Consumption'' (Produce Action Plan). One item in the Produce Action Plan is to
initiate rulemaking to minimize foodborne illness associated with the consumption of sprouted seeds. However, because of the complexities of the issues and the uncertainty about what the current science could
support, FDA believes that it would be of value to hold a public meeting to gather information relevant to a possible regulation. For more information, see the Federal Register.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Syngenta posts soybean rust tracking site

4/21/2005-Syngenta Crop Protection today launched its Syntinel RustTracker system, an early-warning Web-based system that provides growers with tools to obtain information regarding outbreaks of Asian soybean rust and assess their potential for risk associated with the disease.
The tool uses Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping technology in combination with information from Syngenta's Syntinel spore traps, data collected from weather forecasts, and USDA's sentinel plots, when they become available. RustTracker, available on http://www.soybeanrust.com/, will help growers assess their potential for risk associated with rust.

Pernod, Fortune to buy, split up Allied Domecq

4/21/2005-French food group Pernod Ricard and U.S. firm Fortune Brands have agreed to spend about $14 billion for U.K.-based Allied Domecq. Allied Domecq owns a variety of well-known beverages brands such as Kahlua, Mumm Champagnes, and Beefeater. The company also owns fast-food groups Dunkin' Donuts, Togo’s, and Baskin-Robbins ice cream franchises. The two companies are expect to divide up the beverage brands between them, but sell off the restaurant chains to help finance the purchase.

GTC responds to prebiotic/Salmonella study

4/21/2005-GTC Nutrition, a business unit of Corn Products International, Inc., responded today to a recent study that reported an increased risk of Salmonella infections in rats with large doses of chicory oligofructose, a prebiotic fiber.
“This recent study was conducted with chicory oligofructose,” said Linda Douglas, scientific affairs manager for GTC Nutrition. “To attribute the results of this study to prebiotic ingredients in general is inappropriate given the significant differences among prebiotic products.
According to the press release, a body of scientific evidence demonstrates that the company's short-chain fructooligosaccharides helps to prevent Salmonella infections.
According to the company, their short-chain fructooligosaccharides are sourced from sugar, rather than the chicory-based product used in the study and has a different chemical structure than oligofructose; and scientific research has indicated numerous differences in the nutritional and functional profiles of these two products.
“It is a misconception by some in the industry that all prebiotics are the same, and this is simply not the case,” said Jim Low, general manager of GTC Nutrition.
According to Low, the company currently holds two U.S. patents for the use of their short-chain fructooligosaccharides to inhibit Salmonella infections.

Dairy Co-Ops call off merger

4/21/2005-Co-operative dairy companies Campina and Arla Foods announced today that they have called off their merger talks.
"Although we regret the fact that the merger had to be called off, we are convinced that Campina has enough opportunities and strength to continue its successful course of international growth, innovation and efficiency," J.J. Sanders, CEO of Campina, said.
Campina and Arla Foods announced plans to negotiate a merger on 8 December 2004.

Calcium supplements help reduce colon cancer polyps

4/21/2005-Long-term use of calcium supplements provides a protective effect that lasts for years against development of potentially precancerous colon polyps, researchers at Dartmouth Medical School say. Their study, presented at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that patients in the treatment group of a randomized trial of calcium supplements had a 36 percent reduction in polyp formation in the five years after the end of the trial, compared to patients in the placebo group. Although the researchers believe it is premature to recommend widespread use of calcium supplements for chemoprevention, they say their research is the second major study that shows the value of calcium in protecting people at risk of developing worrisome polyps.

Heavy processed meat linked to risk for pancreatic cancer

4/21/2005-Heavy consumption of hot dogs, sausages and luncheon meats, along with other forms of processed meat, were associated with the greatest risk of pancreatic cancer in a large multiethnic study reported today at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. For the study, researchers from the Cancer Research Center and USC examined the relationship of diet to pancreatic cancer among 190,545 men and women of African-American, Japanese-American, Caucasian, Latino and Native Hawaiian origin who were part of the Multiethnic Cohort Study in Hawaii and Los Angeles. An average follow-up of seven years yielded 482 incident cases of pancreatic cancer. The researchers found that the heavy consumption of processed meats resulted in the highest risk for pancreatic cancer, after adjusting for age, smoking status, history of diabetes, familial history of pancreatic cancer and ethnicity. For more information, see the American Association for Cancer Research Press Release.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

CDC re-ranks deaths from obesity

4/19/2005-Obesity is the seventh leading cause of preventable death, not the second, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.
A new study by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in JAMA concludes that obesity kills 112,000 Americans each year -- a dramatic decrease from an admittedly flawed study published last year by the CDC. That study suggested obesity killed 400,000 Americans a year.
For more information, see the CDC Press Release.

USDA unveils new food pyramid

4/19/2005-U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol and interactive food guidance system. "Steps to a Healthier You," MyPyramid's central message, supports President Bush's HealthierUS initiative which is designed to help Americans live longer, better and healthier lives. MyPyramid, which replaces the Food Guide Pyramid introduced in 1992, is part of an overall food guidance system that emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle.
MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January. For more information, see the USDA site.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Why does popcorn "pop"?

4/18/2005-“We think the secret to maximizing ‘pop-ability’ is found in the special chemistry of the corn kernel,” says food chemist Bruce Hamaker, Ph.D., of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Hamaker is part of a team of scientists at the school who have identified a key crystalline structure in popcorn that appears to determine its popping quality. The finding could lead to a better microwave popcorn variety with fewer or no unpopped kernels, they say.
The study is scheduled to appear in the July 11 print version of the American Chemical Society’s BioMacromolecules, a peer-reviewed journal, and was published in the online version of the journal April 7.
Besides being a nuisance, unpopped kernels, also called “old maids,” can break teeth, destroy fillings and cause choking. Manufacturers have tried to reduce the number of unpopped kernels through trial and error breeding of the better performing corn kernels, but the problem persists, especially in microwave popcorn. Now, science has come to the rescue.
“Through this study, we now have a better understanding of the science behind why unpopped kernels occur and how we can use this knowledge to go about reducing their number,” says Hamaker, who is director of Purdue’s Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research.
Hamaker and his associates analyzed 14 different genetic varieties of yellow popcorn and compared their microwave popping performance. Using the same experimental conditions, they determined that the number of unpopped kernels ranged from 4 percent (best) to 47 percent (worst), depending on the variety. The researchers then analyzed the properties of the better performing kernels to determine which factors contributed to their outcome.
They found that the key factor that appears to influence popping quality is the chemical structure of the pericarp, or outer hull, which is composed partly of cellulose (a polymer of glucose). During heating, the corn pericarp acts like a pressure cooker that locks moisture inside the corn kernel. The heated moisture leads to a pressure buildup until the kernel eventually ruptures and pops, essentially turning the kernel inside out and producing the fluffy white product that we eat.
In the best popping kernels, the pericarp is composed of a stronger, more highly ordered crystalline arrangement of the cellulose molecules than the pericarp of the poorer performing varieties, according to Hamaker and crystallographer Rengaswami Chandrasekaran, one of the team members. In laboratory studies, the researchers demonstrated that these stronger crystalline structures tend to maximize moisture retention, leading to a more complete rupture and fewer unpopped kernels.
“We believe that the amount and location of the cellulose component of the kernel are critical for crystallinity and think that this property can be transferred to corn kernels to improve their popping performance,” Hamaker says. “We’re not sure yet exactly how this will be achieved, but we’re optimistic that enterprising researchers will be able to do this in the near future.”
Possible techniques include selective breeding of those kernel varieties that best exhibit this optimal crystalline structure, chemical modification of corn kernels to produce the desired structure and even genetic engineering of the corn plant. If researchers are successful, the new microwave popcorn could be available to consumers in 3 to 5 years, Hamaker predicts.
Although the new popcorn will be slightly different chemically than conventional microwave popcorn, mainly from the presence of more cellulose, it will look and taste just like any other popcorn, he says. Although this study focused on microwave popcorn, the modified kernels will likely show improvements in popping quality using hot oil and hot air popping techniques, he says.
Popcorn manufacturers have already expressed strong interest in this research, which was funded by Purdue’s Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research.

Group develops fish freshness tables

4/18/2005-The Spanish non-profit research group, AZTI has drawn up some 40 tables for measuring freshness for the most important commercial species in southern Europe, including fish and shellfish. The sensorial method, known as QIM (Quality Index Method) was applied to a greater number of species, including some in the frozen state.
Evaluating the freshness of fish is a common and essential practice for the industry: Freshness is an attribute that is considered objective as defined by a combination of sensorial, physical, biochemical and microbiological parameters. The human senses play a fundamental role in this assessment, which we call sensorial evaluation.
The most important sensorial characteristics for raw fish are its aspect, including its color, smell, and its texture. Besides, other characteristics related to the species, the origin, handling and intrinsic defects or produced during processing may be evaluated by sensorial means.
The Quality Index Method (QIM) used by AZTI, is based on the objective evaluation of certain attributes of fresh fish (skin, eyes, gills, etc.) using a points system (from 0 to 3). No sample can be rejected based on just one criterion, given that several attributes are taken into account simultaneously. The total QIM points score is not influenced by small differences in the points for any one attribute. The lower the points score, the fresher the fish.

Friday, April 15, 2005

McDonald's turns 50 with a new restaurant in Chicago

4/15/2005-McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner led the company's 50th Anniversary celebration today at the unveiling of a 24,000 square foot restaurant in Chicago north of the loop that features 60-foot Golden Arches, seating for 300, a double-lane drive-thru, and historic memorabilia.

Cargill to purchase Better Beef Ltd operations

4/15/2005-Cargill Limited and Better Beef Limited announced today that the two companies have reached an agreement for Cargill to purchase beef processing and related assets operated by Better Beef Limited, headquartered in Guelph, Ontario.
"This combination has broad benefits and is a natural fit," said Bennie deJonge, founder and president of Better Beef Limited. "We see this as an opportunity to further strengthen the Ontario and Canadian beef supply chain in these challenging times."
Established in 1972, Better Beef Limited is one of the leading beef processing companies in Canada. The company provides superior quality beef products to consumers throughout the world. For more information visit www.betterbeef.ca.
Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Cargill Limited employs 6,000 people across the country and has business interests in meat, egg and oilseed processing, animal nutrition, malt, salt, chocolate, natural gas, crop inputs, as well as grain handling and merchandising. The business is a subsidiary of Cargill, an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 105,000 employees in 59 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.ca and http://www.cargill.com.

USDA posts model food security plans

4/15/2005-On April 14, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the availability of model food security plans and training that meat, poultry and egg processing plants can utilize to strengthen security measures and prevent potential acts of intentional contamination.
"Food security is a shared responsibility of USDA and our many partners to prevent or respond to the contamination of food products and we continue to make these efforts a priority," said Johanns. "By applying the principles contained in these plans, federal and state inspected plants can increase their own preparedness planning while doing their part to protect America's food supply."
The model food security plans are being issued in the form of guidance documents and are voluntary. The model plans are designed for meat and poultry slaughter facilities, meat and poultry processing plants, egg processing plants and import facilities, which are available on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) web site.

USDA sets new inspection limits

4/15/2005-The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced new dollar limitations on the amount of meat and meat food products and poultry products that a retail store can sell to hotels, restaurants, and similar institutions without disqualifying itself for exemption from Federal inspection requirements. By reason of FSIS' regulations, for calendar year 2005 the dollar limitation for meat and meat food products has been increased from $53,600 to $54,500 and for poultry products from $43,600 to $45,800. FSIS is increasing the dollar limitations from calendar year 2004 based on price changes for these products evidenced by the Consumer Price Index.

Pepperidge Farms introduces new cookie

4/15/2005-Pepperidge Farm, Inc. announced the launch of Whims(TM) cookies. The cookies, which come in two varieties, clusters and waves, provide consumers with a new munching experience, according to the company.
"Whims cookies have been a labor of love getting the product exactly right," said Jay Gould, Pepperidge Farm President. "At a time when the industry's overall sales have been flat, we've continued to maintain our growth by providing the very best in product quality combined with unique product innovations."
The cookies, packaged in a canister made to sit well in the kitchen cabinet or a car's cupholder, come in six flavors; three Crispy Waves: Chocolate Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip and Toffee Chip; and three Crunchy Clusters: Chocolate Chocolate, Chocolate Cashew and White Chocolate Pecan.
The cookies are Pepperidge Farm's answer to the increasingly popular poppable snack trend that is driving sales across the snack food and candy categories.
The cookies will be in stores this June at the suggested retail price of $3.49. The products will be available in grocery stores, mass merchandisers and drug retailers nationwide.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

IFT holds Research Summit on food defense

4/14/2005-On April 3-5, IFT's fourth Research Summit brought together world-renowned scientists to identify the means by which to address the issue of food defense. Summit participants addressed actions needed to advance the understanding of how to determine what has happened and what agent was involved in the event, the appropriate course of action to protect the public and food workers, and the optimum approach to managing the recovery process. Some of the presentations have been loaded to IFT Research Summit page.

Tate & Lyle partners with Soreen

4/14/2005-Tate&Lyle's Lyle’s Golden Syrup (LGS) is combining its forces with malt and fruit loaf manufacturers Soreen to target the morning goods sector with the launch of a Lyle’s Golden Syrup Fruit Loaf. The new product contains over 14% Lyle’s Golden Syrup and is rich in fiber-filled fruits.
Soreen has a value share of 12% in fruit loaves (volume share 15%), which is currently worth £25.1 million. Soreen is confident that the innovation of a Lyle’s Golden Syrup Fruit Loaf will help to re-energise the category, attracting new shoppers and increasing the brand’s market share.

Danisco continues share buyback program

4/14/2005-On 27 January 2005 the Board of Directors of Danisco decided to launch a share buyback program under which Danisco will buy back own shares for an amount of up to DKK 300,000,000 in the period from 27 January 2005 to 30 April 2005.
A maximum of 57,008 shares may be bought daily, and information about transactions under the program will be published no later than at the end of the 7th daily trading period after the day on which transactions have been made.
Since April 1 2005, accumulated total volume of shares purchased are 615,550. An amount of DKK 67,028,794 remains to be used under the program.

ADM closes Brazilian soy crushing plant

4/14/2005-On April 13, Archer Daniels Midland announced that it will discontinue operations indefinitely at its soybean crushing and refining operation in Tres Passos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, effective immediately. The plant closure is due to poor crushing margins.

Top 10 food trends -- going global

4/14/2005-Food trends once primed to focus on families are reshaping as Baby-boomers become empty-nesters, and health-related products are booming worldwide. This is according to this month’s issue of Food Technology magazine and its cover story, Top 10 Global Food Trends. Food Technology is published monthly by the scientific society Institute of Food Technologists.
Health became a key driver to the world’s food marketplace in 2004 and do-if-yourself doctoring is one of ten major trends shaping today’s consumer choices, according to the article. The Top 10 Food Trends are:
1. Quick Fix – Time to prepare food is still at a minimum, so a limited number of side dishes are prepared with entrees and ease of preparation is a major factor in eating at home.
2. Drive-and-Go – Takeout service at full service restaurants is growing, and the combination of stress with a sense of entitlement is leading consumers’ drive for more upscale foods.
3. Inherently Healthy – More people are eating more fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and yogurts.
4. Fancy – The premium foods market is projected to grow to nearly $100 billion before 2010. Wine and liqueurs are finding their way into crackers and drinks, and products for cocktails are hot.
5. Farm-Friendly – Foods deemed to be closer to the farm are capturing consumers’ dollars.
6. Layered Flavors – Layering flavors is sending sales of food such as cheeses, condiments and ethnic foods soaring. Exotic fruit flavors such as starfruit, dragonfruit and Kaffir lime continue to grow.
7. Grazing – Seven million vending machines are in the U.S. with 100 million daily customers and more healthy fare to choose from. The low-carb snack category is falling, but smaller portion sizes are gaining and gourmet snack selections are strong. Health-oriented fun kid snacks will be well received.
8. Low-, No- and Reduced – With low-carb interest waning, consumers are returning to watching their fat and calorie intake. Low-fat tops the many health claims consumers now seek out.
9. Do-It-Yourself Doctoring – Shoppers are trying to manage or treat conditions through diet. Whey peptides are playing a role in Europe in beverages formulated to reduce blood pressure. IFT’s new Functional Foods Expert Report details the promise bioactive components in new products can have on health. (See www.ift.org/ExpertReport.)
10. Global Gangbusters – Convenience and ready-meals are accelerating worldwide. Fresh, chilled, ready-to-eat products are emerging domestically and dominate the United Kingdom, commanding 25% of the food market, excluding beverages. More flexible packaging (e.g. pouches) is appearing. A majority of Southeast Asians eat take-out at least once a week, even more than Americans.
Food Technology provides news and analysis of the development, use, quality, safety, and regulation of food sources, products, and processes. It is accessible online at http://www.ift.org/foodtechnology.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Australia/New Zealand issue trans fat labeling FAQ

4/12/2005-The Food Standard Australia New Zealand, which helps ensure safe food by developing effective food standards for Australia and New Zealand, has issued a trans fatty acid fact- sheet. Although the mandatory labeling of trans fatty acids was considered during the review of the Code. The decision not to mandate the labeling of trans fat content of foods was made based on the relatively low intakes of trans fatty acid consumption and most importantly that a similarly sized reduction in saturated fatty acid intake was more likely to have a larger impact on health outcome compared with reductions in trans fats.
The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code does not require manufacturers to label the trans fatty acid content of foods unless they make a nutrition claim about cholesterol, saturated, unsaturated or trans fatty acids. However, voluntary labeling is permitted and many edible oil spread manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand have chosen to voluntarily label their products.
For more information, see the press release.

Photographs capture culture of coffee

4/12/2005-Italian coffee company, illy, has posted a series of evocative photographs by Sebastião Salgado. The series started with the idea of narrating, in black and white, the customs and ritual gestures, plantations, history and culture of coffee from countries that give origins to this daily drink. For the photographs, see...www.illy.com/Salgado/default.htm.

Aerotech opens new laboratories

4/12/2005-Aerotech P&K has opened its seventh and eighth laboratories in Los Angeles, California and Pensacola, Florida. This marks the second laboratory to open in California and the third laboratory to open in Florida. These new locations will be able to handle all local client requests for products and services.
These new laboratories, like the others, are being opened in areas where weather conditions have created an increased demand for indoor air quality analytical services. Both will be available for in-house training, technical assistance, and equipment demonstrations.
Founded in 1993, Aerotech Laboratories, Inc. provides multiple analytical services including indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, consumer products, food safety, and environmental testing.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Barry Callebaut opens new chocolate factory

4/11/2005-Barry Callebaut, a leading manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products, today announced the opening of a chocolate factory in American Canyon, Napa County, California, to better meet the needs of its rapidly growing customer base on the West Coast.
According to Barry Callebaut officials, the facility is creating 65 jobs, all of which have already been filled. The factory, which will initially have two production lines for the manufacturing of chocolate products designed for industrial and artisanal customers, covers a surface of 150,000 square feet that have been leased for 10 years in an existing building in the Green Island Industrial Park. It will be fully operational on August 1, 2005 and offer a maximum capacity of approx. 25,000 metric tonnes. Warehousing, distribution and customer service for all finished goods of the Barry Callebaut Group on the West Coast will be integrated in the American Canyon facility.
California is the biggest U.S. chocolate market. Barry Callebaut has grown its sales on the U.S. West Coast by 8-10% over the last two of years.

Diversa and Cargill to work on enzyme development

4/11/2005-Diversa Corp. announced that it has signed an agreement with Cargill Health and Food Technologies to discover and develop novel enzymes for the cost- effective production of a proprietary product. Under the terms of the agreement, Diversa will receive upfront payments and research funding and is entitled to receive milestone payments, license fees, and royalties on products that may be developed.
"Oil processing and nutrition products represent one of Diversa's strategic focus areas, and we are pleased to be partnering with Cargill on this opportunity," stated Jay M. Short, Ph.D., Diversa's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are targeting the development of a novel, differentiated product through the combination of our industry-leading enzyme product-development platforms with Cargill's bioprocessing and commercial expertise. We look forward to working with Cargill on this program and other areas of mutual interest."
Diversa is a leader in applying proprietary genomic technologies for the rapid discovery and optimization of novel protein-based products.

Anheuser-Busch increases share of Tsingtao

4/11/2005-Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. and Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. today jointly announced that Anheuser-Busch has increased its economic interest in Tsingtao to 27% upon its conversion of all the remaining convertible bonds in Tsingtao. The Qingdao State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) remains the largest shareholder in Tsingtao, holding a 30.6% share. Anheuser-Busch is the largest non-government shareholder.
As a result of the increase in shareholding of Tsingtao, Anheuser-Busch will nominate one additional director to the Tsingtao Brewery board of directors, giving Anheuser-Busch two seats on Tsingtao's board.
"We have built a strong partnership with Tsingtao as a result of our strategic alliance and the ongoing exchange of best practices being implemented by our on-site team and key management in Tsingtao," said Patrick T. Stokes, president and chief executive officer, Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. "This transaction increases our equity stake and reflects our continued confidence in Tsingtao's position in the China beer industry and our strong relationships with the Tsingtao Brewery management and the City of Qingdao."
Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. is the largest brewer in China with headquarters in Qingdao city, Shandong Province, China. It has 50 breweries in 18 provinces and cities in China, with a majority share in key markets in the most economically developed areas, such as Shandong, Shanghai, Guangdong, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Beijing and Fujian. The capacity of the breweries is more than 5 million kilolitres per year. In 2004, Tsingtao sold 3.71 million kilolitres, first in volume and production, market share, sale income, gross profit and foreign exchange income in China.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is one of the world's largest brewers, and is the top brewer in the United States, with a 50% market share.

Twinkies turn 75

4/11/2005-Twinkies, the ubiquitous snack cake, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this month and, according to maker Interstate Bakeries Corp., will come in a new, limited-edition box designed by an 11-year-old Michigan boy.
Donovin Cox, a fifth grade student from Tecumseh, Michigan, has been announced the winner of Twinkies' 75th anniversary box design contest -- beating more than 1,300 youngsters from around the country. In addition to having his design in stores for the month of April, Cox received a $40,000 college scholarship.
Calling Twinkies the "best darn tootin" idea he ever had, James A. Dewar created the beloved treat in 1930, while working as a Hostess bakery manager in Chicago. Looking to make better use of shortcake pans that sat idle except for a short strawberry season, Dewar decided to inject the little golden cakes with a smooth creme filling (first banana and later vanilla following a banana shortage during World War II). A St. Louis billboard advertising "Twinkle Toe" shoes inspired the name for the two-for-a-nickel treat and an American icon was born.
James Dewar, who died at 88, is said to have consumed more than 40,000 Twinkies in his lifetime. Chicago consumes more Twinkies per capita than any other city in the United States.

Taiwan lifts U.S. beef ban

4/11/2005-The USDA announced on April 7 that Taiwan is lifting its ban on U.S. boneless beef from animals under 30 months of age effective April 16, 2005.
In 2003, the United States exported more than $76 million worth of beef to Taiwan, with boneless beef products accounting for $56 million. As a result of this action, Taiwan's market is now open to more than 90 percent of total U.S. ruminant and ruminant products whose value had reached $325 million in 2003.

Friday, April 08, 2005

Givaudan sales off compared to last year

4/08/2005-Flavor and fragrance manufacturer, Givaudan, Geneva, Switzerland, announced on April 8, that in the first quarter 2005, it recorded sales of CHF 668.7 million resulting in a decline of 1.6% in local currencies and 4.7% in Swiss francs, compared to the same period in 2004, mainly due to strong comparables with last year's first quarter, lower prices for some natural raw materials and the streamlining of non-core ingredients.
In the Flavour division recorded first quarter sales of CHF 395.6 million which represents a decline of 3.2% in local currencies and 6.5% in CHF, reflecting the strong comparables from 2004. In addition, sales were affected by lower prices for naturals such as citrus and vanilla, as well as the streamlining of non-core ingredients related to the former FIS portfolio. The strong sales performance in the emerging markets, particularly in Asia and Eastern Europe, reflects Givaudan's commitment and investments in these fast growing regions.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

New microwave package wins award

4/07/2005-Many people have a "love-hate" relationship with their microwave -- they love the reduced cook times and quick reheat features, but they would like the ability to brown or crisp foods and they would like a broader variety of microwavable products. According to a company press release, Graphic Packaging International (GPI) of Marietta, Georgia has developed a package to do that for Sepp's Gourmet Foods of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
The packaging -- called Quilt Wave(TM) -- is so has been named this year's "Best in Class" new product in the food category by the Association of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL). The award was presented on Thursday, March 17 at the association's Winter Management Meeting held in Bonita Springs, Florida.
The package has laminated cells, or "quilts," which expand when exposed to microwave energy and come into contact with the food product. This hot surface immediately next to the food drives away moisture and creates both maximum browning and crisping.
The advantages of the new packaging include: it generates high heat to crisp and brown many food products, including sandwiches, hand held entrees, pizza, and finger foods; it dissipates heat quickly, so it's not hot to the touch and is very safe to handle; and it can be used as a cooking utensil to heat the food, and consumers can eat from the package its convenience appeals to our "grab and go"society
The package was first introduced in Canada last October with a line of grilled cheese sandwiches. In May, Sepp's will introduce its grilled cheese sandwich in the United States.
Sepp's Gourmet Foods distributes specialty products to grocery, retail, and food service customers in North America, Asia, Venezuela, and Iceland. The company -- based in Surrey, British Columbia -- is publicly-traded and has annual sales of approximately $45 million.

Ajinomoto builds plant in Thailand

4/07/2005-Ajinomoto Co., Inc. announced on April 5 that Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd., one of its subsidiaries in Thailand, has completed construction of the Nong Khae Factory, one of Ajinomoto’s largest food product factories, with the object of becoming the top food product company in Asia. Including the new factory, Ajinomoto now operates 13 consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates and 12 factories in Thailand.
The market for flavor seasonings in Thailand is growing about 10 percent each year, and Ajinomoto’s ROS DEE flavor seasoning boasts a market share of about 60 percent. Ajinomoto built the Nong Khae Factory to expand production of ROS DEE in response to this market growth. Built with an investment of approximately 1.3 billion baht (approximately \3.5 billion), the Nong Khae Factory has a production capacity of approximately 34,000 tons per year and will function as the core of Ajinomoto’s food products business in Thailand in the future.

Codex meeting on biotech foods

4/07/2005-The USDA and FDA are sponsoring a public meeting on April 7, 2005, to provide information and receive public comments on the draft U.S. responses to
Codex Circular Letter CL 2005/2-FBT: Proposals for new work to be undertaken by the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. Following approval at the 27th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (from June 28 to July 3, 2004) to establish the Task Force, under the chairmanship of Japan, Codex agreed to solicit comments on the work that the Task Force ought to undertake and on the priorities for this new work.
The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, 2005. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC.
For Further Information About the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived From Biotechnology, Contact: Bernice Slutsky, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the Secretary for Biotechnology,
Office of the Secretary, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250; telephone: (202) 690-0735; bernice.slutsky@usda.gov.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Foods could improve genes

4/06/2005-Although we can't usually change the stack of genes we're dealt at birth, health and nutrition author Jack Challem says that by eating certain foods and taking a daily multivitamin, we can reduce the potential negative impact of certain genes, and even help them work better.
In his new book, Feed Your Genes Right, Challem's advice includes taking a moderately high-potency daily multivitamin, eating more folic acid-rich spinach, consuming more berries that are "loaded with antioxidants," and drinking the perennial antioxidant heavyweight - green tea. He also recommends backing off of foods high in refined carbs and sugars, which may boost insulin levels.
"The biochemical basis of our genetics comes back to nutrition," Challem says. "Nutrients provide the biochemical building blocks for our DNA and genes."
The book, published by Wiley Press, is available at a discount to IFT members. Log in to the members-only website to retrieve the discount code.
Excerpts from the book are available at www.feedyourgenesright.com.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Nutrasweet to reopen aspartame production line

4/05/2005-According to news reports, Chicago-based NutraSweet Co., a producer of aspartame, plans to reopen a mothballed production line at a Augusta, Georgia plant this year to meet increased demand for the sugar substitute. The plant has been shuttered since 2003. According to the company, the reopening will result in a 30% increase in aspartame production.

Chip reduces time needed for DNA analysis

4/05/2005-A team of researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has developed new miniature sensors for analysing DNA. The sensors have the same size and thickness as a fingernail and reduce the time needed to identify DNA chains to several minutes or a few hours, depending on each chain. These sensors can be applied to many different tasks, ranging from paternity tests and identifying people to detecting genetically modified food, identifying bacterial strains in foodborne illnesses and testing genetic toxicity in new drugs. Once mass production of the sensors begins, their cost and availability will be similar to that of pregnancy test kits found in pharmacies.
The researchers Salvador Alegret, Manuel del Valle and Maria Isabel Pividori, all of whom are members of the Sensors and Biosensors Group at the UAB's Department of Chemistry, developed the new sensors based on their experience in research with electrochemical sensors. These can identify a substance by chemically interacting with it and converting this interaction into an electrical current that they measure.
To detect DNA, the new miniaturised electrochemical genosensors have a probe containing DNA fragments that complement the DNA they aim to detect. For example, to detect Salmonella in a sample of mayonnaise, the probe has fragments of the type of DNA that complements that found in a group of genes that identify the bacteria. When the probe is submerged into the mayonnaise, some of the DNA fragments from the bacterial cells join the complementing fragments from the probe, creating a measurable electrical current. The sensor converts this current into a signal that can be seen by the person controlling the tests, making him aware there are bacteria. Also, because the sensors are very small and easy to manipulate, it is possible to assemble a set of sensors that can collect data simultaneously and deduce information about the bacteria such as which strain caused the foodborne illness.
This type of analysis already takes place in laboratories, but until now the experimental measures needed were not suitable for in situ analysis. By using the new sensors developed by UAB scientists, the time taken to identify the source of infection for Legionella would decrease from two days, as is currently the case using organic production techniques, to just thirty minutes. In trials developed with the support of the UAB's Department of Genetics and Microbiology, the new sensors have enabled Salmonella to be identified in four and a half hours, compared to three to five days using the traditional microbiological methods. This method for identifying bacteria could also be used to detect other infectious agents such as Campylobacter and Listeria, and the sensor could easily be adapted for use in medicine, environmental monitoring and the industrial sector.
Other important applications for DNA sensors include: detecting genetically modified organisms in food, either in basic ingredients or in prepared food; identifying people, either to establish blood relations or to find criminal evidence; and testing the toxicity of different drugs to establish what damage they may cause to the DNA molecule of disease-causing microorganisms and of cells in patients.
"The next step is to mass-produce the sensors", states Salvador Alegret, the director of research. "Mass production will allow costs to be reduced and the product to become as widely available as pregnancy test kits we can buy at the local pharmacy".

Cranberries may protect against heart disease

4/05/2005-Cranberries over the years have been identified with preventing or ameliorating urinary tract infections and playing a positive role gum disease, ulcers and even cancer.
Recent work shows that cranberries contain naturally derived compounds (antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols) that may help protect against heart disease. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine studied the effects of taking cranberry juice powder regularly over six months and found a pronounced improvement in the vascular function -- the ability of blood vessels to relax – in subjects with high blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
"Since the abnormal functioning of blood vessels is an important component of heart disease, finding ways to improve vascular function in patients with high cholesterol and atherosclerosis is critical to helping protect these patients from consequences such as heart attack or stroke," according to lead researcher Kris Kruse-Elliott.
The research was presented as paper: "Cranberry juice modulates atherosclerotic vascular dysfunction," Sunday April 3, at the 35th Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences in San Diego, March 31 - April 5, 2005.
"The value of fruits and vegetables in our diet has recently been an area of intense research and studies like this help us to understand the specific mechanisms by which the nutrients we consume can protect against heart disease," Kruse-Elliott said. She said that the next steps are "to determine what specific components of cranberries are most important to the improvements in vascular function that we observed, exactly how they modify blood vessel relaxation, and how they can be most easily consumed as part of the diet."
Kruse-Elliott's collaborator, Jess Reed has been working with other foods such as pomegranates and grape seed extract, as well as whole cranberries. According to Reed, "the equivalent consumption of dried cranberries would be 4-8 servings, or 10-20 servings of cranberry juice, in order to achieve the levels in the current study. However, the point to be emphasized is that total polyphenol intake is very low in western diets and a diet rich in polyphenols would in fact give a daily intake that is equivalent to the levels in our cranberry feeding experiments."
Kruse-Elliott added: "We're lucky to have a unique animal model for atherosclerosis – familial hypercholesterolemic (FH) swine, whose genetic defect causes them to spontaneously develop high blood cholesterol leading to atherosclerosis and vascular dysfunction by eight months of age, very similar to the way human beings do." She noted that the FH pigs' blood vessels don't function normally, such as not relaxing well, compared with normal pigs.
"However when the FH pigs were fed cranberry juice powder, made from whole cranberries, for six months their vessels acted more like normal pigs, Kruse-Elliott said. FH pigs who didn't get cranberry juice powder had "significantly less vascular relaxation" than either normal or cranberry-fed pigs. The pigs on the CJP diet received 150g/kg per day.
A series of experiments are planned to dig deeper into the cranberry-vessel function link in several cases applying tests used on humans to the pigs. For instance people with atherosclerosis take flow-mediated vasodilation tests using ultrasound to measure the change in size of the blood vessels and in flow rate. "We also will be measure CRP (C-reactive protein), which some people think is a predictor of cardiovascular disease," Kruse-Elliott said. "Furthermore, we want to correlate all those findings with LDL (levels), which should yield important physiological results as well as further validating the FH model," she said.
More information on the 35th Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences at http://www.iups2005.org/.

Visual cues important in food intake control

4/05/2005-Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report dramatic evidence of the importance of visual cues in the control of food intake in the current issue of Obesity Research.
The researchers served a free soup lunch to 54 adults, half of whom ate from normal 18-ounce soup bowls, while the other half ate from identical bowls that, unbeknownst to the participants, were slowly refilled through tubing connected to out-of-sight soup cauldrons.
Those who ate out of the refilling bowls consumed 73 percent more soup than did participants who ate from the normal soup bowl during the 20-minute lunch.
Although they averaged 113 more calories than those eating from normal bowls, those eating from the bottomless bowls believed they consumed the same number of calories as the other participants and rated themselves as being no more full.
"People use their eyes to count calories and not their stomachs," lead researcher Brian Wansink, professor of marketing and of nutritional science at Illinois, said. "This can be dangerous to our diets."
Because we appear to judge our food intake by visual cues, such as an empty bowl, Wansink said that people worried about overeating should carefully consider the size of portion servings in restaurants and in their kitchens.
He suggested, for example, repackaging snacks and other bulk foods into small plastic bags. The visual cues from the filled bags can lead families, especially children, to think that a smaller-than-normal serving was a satisfying full serving.
The paper, titled "Bottomless Bowls: Why Visual Cues of Portion Size May Influence Intake," was co-written by James E. Painter, a professor of family and consumer science at Eastern Illinois University, and Jill North, a graduate student in food science and human nutrition at Illinois.

Flavanols amounts in chocolate and cocoa powder differ

4/05/2005-A new Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study evaluating total amounts of flavanols and antioxidant capacity in cocoa and chocolate shows that antioxidants are found in a range of chocolate products -- but more so in those with a higher cocoa content.
Scientists from ARS, the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, presented the findings today at Experimental Biology 2005, an international scientific conference held in San Diego. The study was funded in part by the American Cocoa Research Institute (ACRI), the research arm of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association (CMA).
In this study, the scientists found that the chocolates ranked in antioxidant capacity from highest amount to lowest were natural cocoa powder, unsweetened baking chocolate, alkalinized or "Dutch" cocoa powder, dark chocolates, semi sweet chocolate baking chips, and milk chocolates.
The results were based on chocolate samples from commercially available products under nine brands, as well as reference standards provided by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). ARS scientists, located at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Center, Brunswick Labs, and the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center analyzed these samples in a blind test for flavanol content and antioxidant capacity.
Flavanols are the main flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate. Research over the past decade has identified flavonoids as showing diverse beneficial physiological and antioxidant effects. Flavonoids are compounds also found in fruits, vegetables, and certain beverages such as tea, red wine, and grape juice.
"These results indicate that products derived from cocoa beans, which come from the cacao tree, also contain flavanols, with the highest amount in natural cocoa powders," explains Dr. Leah Porter, vice president of scientific affairs for the CMA. "This study also demonstrates that chocolate products containing higher amounts of cocoa have higher antioxidant capacity."
"The findings provide further scientific evidence that cocoa is a rich source of antioxidant activity, such as other antioxidant-rich foods including red wine, cranberries and blueberries," said CMA President Lynn Bragg. "This research increases knowledge of a wonderfully familiar food, and comes at a time when we are finding new ways to use cocoa and chocolate (e.g., as an ingredient and flavor) in a variety of foods. There is a chocolate for everyone and it can be enjoyed -- in moderate portions -- as part of a balanced diet."

Monday, April 04, 2005

Fortitech launches new online resource

4/04/2005-Fortitech, Inc., a supplier of custom nutrient premixes, has launched a redesigned website, www.fortitech.com, which it hopes will assist customers obtain information to develop new products.
According to the company, an online R&D Center enables users to conduct research on markets, nutrients, applications and health conditions. The site features access to information on breaking industry news on regulations and market trends, an online formulation worksheet to initiate product development with the company, and other resources.
"The new site is our response to the growing industry demand for nutritional intelligence. As a research and development partner we are in a unique position to bring added value to our customers * fortification knowledge, a global view of nutrition trends, solutions and opportunities," said Maria Battista, Fortitech Inc.'s director of marketing.
In addition, the site offers users the ability to personalize their site experience based on their individual needs and preferences, as well as review recent research activities. Other features include the ability to reorder premixes online and view or download product documents related to the customer's account. Segments of the site are available in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.

Splenda introduces new brown sugar blend

4/04/2005-McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, the maker of Splenda non-nutritive sucralose sweetener, announced that it will launch a Splenda Brown Sugar Blend. The company claims that the brown sugar blend is the first of its kind in the reduced calorie sweetener area. The product is a proprietary blend of brown sugar and sucralose. Available at retail stores this September, a serving of the Brown Sugar Blend has half the calories, half the sugar, and half the carbohydrates of brown sugar and can be used anywhere brown sugar is used.
"In the multi-billion dollar sweetener industry, brown sugar constitutes 14% of all sweetener unit sales. We saw an opportunity to provide consumers with another option that was as of yet untapped," said Debra Sandler, General Manager, North America, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company. The company claims that when simply presented with the idea of Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, 40% of consumers said they definitely or probably would buy it. Their research also showed that almost 84% of those who tried the blend at home would purchase it if available.
The blend will be available at all grocery, supermarket and club stores nationwide beginning September 2005, available in a 1/2 lb. bag that provides the sweetness of 1 lb. of brown sugar, and a 1 lb. bag that provides the sweetness of 2 lbs. of brown sugar. Suggested retail price is $2.69 for the 1/2 lb. bag, and $4.69 for the 1 lb. bag.

Friday, April 01, 2005

Soy in school lunches tested by children

4/01/2005-As the problem of childhood obesity grows and concerns increase, one solution may involve more soy. A pilot program at the Illinois Center for Soy Foods at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, called ISOY, demonstrated the nutritional benefits of including soy in public school lunches.
The program is a joint effort with the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board and Archer Daniels Midland.
According to Barbara Klein, co-director of the center and professor emeritus in the department of food science and human nutrition at Illinois, many school lunches exceed recommended fat and calorie content. "The goal of the ISOY program was to show that products made from soy ingredients can help reduce fat, cholesterol, and calorie in the lunches, and still be acceptable to the children," Klein said.
Pilot studies testing consumer acceptability examined plate waste or the percentage of a product that was consumed during the usual lunch programs. If students consumed a greater or equal amount of the test soy product than the normal lunch, researchers concluded that the products were "at least equally acceptable."
The studies, carried out in four school districts, included four entrees: spaghetti with sauce, chili, ravioli, and nuggets.
Results showed that the soy-enhanced versions of the chili and spaghetti dishes were as acceptable to the children as the meat products. Although the ravioli and nuggets were not as well liked, Klein says that reformulation and testing with children could lead to more satisfactory products.

North American BSE strategy released

4/01/2005-Canada, Mexico and the United States today released their report establishing a "harmonized approach" to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk management. According to the USDA, the science-based framework of risk management measures in the report was developed in order to normalize trade in ruminants and ruminant products within North America, and to promote an international BSE strategy consistent with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines.
The standards defined in the report have not been codified throughout North America, but will be considered by the appropriate animal health and public health officials in each of the three countries. The report is available in PDF format at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website.

FDA seeks comment on food label changes

4/01/2005-The FDA is seeking public comment on two proposals to improve the appearance and content of the nutrition label. The proposals focus on providing practical serving size information and increasing the prominence of calories on the food label.
The proposals are in response to the recommendations by FDA's Obesity Working Group report titled "Calories Count," which offered recommendations based on the fact that weight control is a function of caloric balance.
More information and links to the Advance Notices of Proposed Rule Making are available via the FDA press release.

Frank Perdue dead at 84

4/01/2005-Franklin Parsons Perdue, who revolutionized the American poultry industry with the introduction of his brand-name chickens, died March 31, 2005, after a brief illness. He was 84.
At the time of his death, Perdue was chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors of Perdue Farms Inc., headquartered in Salisbury, Md. He had relinquished day-to-day operation of the business to his son, Jim Perdue, in 1991.
At the age of 19, in 1939, Frank Perdue left college to join his father's backyard table-egg business. In 1950, he took over leadership of the company, nurturing it through a period of "phenomenal" growth. He invested in the grain facilities, feed mills, soybean refinery and processing plants that allowed the company to expand into fresh poultry.
The company became fully integrated when it opened its first processing plant in 1968. Integration meant that every phase of production, from breeding, hatching and feed manufacturing to live production, meat processing and dress product distribution, could be carefully controlled to ensure total product quality. The focus on quality assurance led Perdue to a first: putting its name on what had been a commodity product.
Between 1971 and 1994, Frank Perdue acted as company spokesperson, appearing in about 200 TV commercials, as well as print and radio ads. He gained celebrity status for his tough, folksy persona, and his stubborn commitment to quality led to the famous advertising slogan "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken."
Active in industry and civic life, he served on the board of directors of the National Chicken Council and the Delmarva Poultry Industry, and funded the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury State University in Maryland.
Perdue is now the third largest poultry company in the U.S., employing more than 20,000 people and producing more than 50 million pounds of poultry each week.

Hormel Foods acquires Mark-Lynn Foods Inc.

4/01/2005-Hormel Foods Corporation has purchased Mark-Lynn Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of foodservice items, for approximately $42.5 million. Mark-Lynn makes food products including salt and pepper packets, ketchup, mustard, sauces and salad dressings, creamers, sugar packets, jellies, desserts, and drink mixes.
"With half of today’s U.S. consumer food dollars being spent outside of the home, our acquisition of Mark-Lynn Foods further strengthens the foodservice-focused capabilities within the Specialty Foods Business Segment," said Joel W. Johnson, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Hormel Foods. “Mark-Lynn Foods has a well-established capacity to produce multiple lines of dry and wet products, which is an excellent fit with our existing Specialty Foods manufacturing operations,” he added.
Mark-Lynn Foods was established in 1983 and is owned by Edward Dickinson, founder and president. The company currently operates more than 35 production lines within its 156,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on 38 acres in Bremen, Ga.