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Testing Standards for Effi cacy of Functional Food Ingredients
Functional foods continue to be a major trend, but consumer confidence in their health benefits is eroding due to the scrutiny that antioxidants and other functional components have received from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other scientific groups. Testing standards to measure the efficacy of functional food ingredients added to foods is one potential approach to instill confidence in the marketplace and to consumers. This webcast, taking place on July 19 at 12 p.m. central time, will explore the needs, opportunities, and challenges to developing, validating, and using scientifically defensible efficacy testing standards for functional food ingredients.

Face-to-Face: Meet Kurt Buckman
Ever wonder if anyone else is facing the same professional challenges as you? Or just looking to connect with some new people in your field? In our Face-to-Face series, we introduce you to a different IFT member every month with a fun, insightful Q&A session. This month, meet Kurt Buckman, Vice President of QA Operations & Supply Chain at Pinnacle Foods Group Inc., and learn where he sees the industry headed in the coming year.

Savory Odors May Enable Salt Reduction Without Taste Impact
The food industry is under great pressure to significantly reduce the salt levels in their products. A study published in the June/July issue of the Journal of Food Science shows that savory aromas may help to boost salt reduction strategies by masking the tastes of sodium replacers such as potassium chloride. The researchers demonstrated that at least a 15% salt reduction can be compensated by the use of savory aromas. And a combination of potassium chloride-based salt replacer and extra aroma was found to compensate approximately 30% sodium reduction without significant change of the flavor profile.

Can We Really Blame Ronald McDonald?
As the scrutiny towards marketing to children grows, the focus (in the media at least) seems to have centered on McDonald’s. Some cities have even gone so far as to enact bans on toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals, believing that marketing unhealthy foods to children is one of the reasons kids choose to eat such products and have become overweight. In the new ePerspective post, Richard F. Stier, Consulting Food Scientist, expresses his belief that this is a “lame excuse” for the condition of our children. Stier brings it all back to the parents who are making the food choices for their children. So, can we really blame Ronald McDonald and Happy Meals for America’s growing obesity problem? Share your opinion today on IFT’s ePerspective blog.

Kelly Hensel,
Digital Media Editor
[email protected]