A Kraft sliced cheese that contains plant sterols is being promoted as “the first Australian cheese …proven to lower cholesterol.” Kraft liveactive cheese is formulated with plant sterols, which have been associated with reductions in blood cholesterol. Because they are similar chemically to cholesterol, plant sterols compete with cholesterol for intestinal absorption and at high enough consumption levels can block cholesterol from entering the blood stream. Cheese containing plant sterols has been tested in clinical studies has been shown to lower cholesterol levels by as much as 10 percent among people with high cholesterol. According to Kraft, liveactive sliced cheese has the lowest amount of fat per serving when compared to spreads and milk products enriched with plant sterols as of August 2010 in Australia.

New Hope 360 reporter Jessica Rubino says recent research has found that consumers are skeptical about  “beauty-from-within” products, but remain confident in topical beauty products. This shouldn’t be, she argues, because people choose foods and supplements for a healthier body and brain, so why not for the skin, hair and nails? Turning to her readers, however, she found many who believe foods, drinks, and supplements can impact appearance – the readers are just not buying outlandish “marketing claims” of conventional “nutricosmetics” companies. They know some dietary supplements such as fish oil and evening primrose oil, and foods and beverages like rooibos tea and leafy greens, benefit the inside and the outside. So she recommends that the industry skip splashy claims and instead promote recognizable ingredients with benefits supported by science.

A consumer survey by Edelman finds that Pepsi is ranked the #1 brand that places at least as much importance on a good cause as on making a profit.  In explaining this achievement, PepsiCo Americas Beverages communications director Melisa Tezanos, underlines the importance of the corporate banner ,"Performance with Purpose," and also the company’s Pepsi Refresh Project corporate social responsibility program, which aims to “empower people to put their great ideas into action.”  The Pepsi Refresh website (www.RefreshEverything.com) has achieved over 2.8 billion media impressions, with more than 50 million votes cast and more than 4.3 million registered as voters. Tezanos is enthusiastic about the program and indicates that Pepsi plans to roll it out globally in 2011.

A new report from the American Society for Microbiology describes the complex global system that moves food from the farm or factory to the dinner table and warns that threats to food safety can emerge at any stage. Food can contain ingredients from anywhere on the planet, may be processed at several facilities along the line, and  be handled by wholesalers, retailers, and several transporters. Moreover, illnesses resulting from food safety mistakes in the delivery chain often go undetected and unreported. The report provides examples of how further research and new technologies would benefit each step in the process, and describes how tighter regulations would foster good agricultural and manufacturing practices that, in turn, would reduce occurrences of contamination and improve traceability. Also recommended: increased consumer education efforts.

In the quarter to September 26, 2010, Whole Foods Market Inc., posted a 15-percent increase in sales and surpassed the $2 billion mark. Same-store sales growth increased 8.7 percent in the quarter, demonstrating that overall growth was not just attributable to adding stores. Co-CEO John Mackey, said the company's performance outpaced expectations and praised the company's relative pricing; he also pointed to the company’s efforts to reinforce its position as a leader in the healthy and organic foods market with initiatives focused on “healthy eating, animal welfare and sustainable seafood.” The company opened one store in the quarter to give a total of 301 and expects to open three more in Q1 2011.

Noting that it is “committed to making worldwide palm oil production more sustainable,” the Dutch palm oil industry has issued a “manifesto” to the government proclaiming that all palm oil used in The Netherlands will be certified according to RSPO principles and criteria by 2015. Demand for palm oil is rising worldwide due to growing prosperity in China and India and increased use in biofuels. The result is expansion of oil palm plantation areas in producing countries and potential reduction of tropical rainforest. The eight industry groups that are party to the manifesto  represent palm oil refiners, processors and retail firms that market palm oil-based products, such as processed foods (e.g., margarine, ice cream and biscuits), cosmetics and personal care products (e.g., soap and lipstick), and biodiesel. 

America’s heartland – the vast Midwest – is apparently the only dead spot in the otherwise prosperous organic produce industry. East Coast growers are flourishing and Northern California’s organic growers are doing well, with some posting double-digit annual growth as high as 20 percent. According to the Organic Trade Association, the slack economy hasn’t dampened the overall growth rate: organic sales increased 5.1 percent in 2009 and now account for more than 11 percent of nationwide produce sales. Berries and bananas are driving growth, according to the OTA. Year-on-year sales of Chiquita organic bananas rose more than 25 percent, the company says. Industry observers cite public concern for health issues, increased interest in local and sustainable agriculture and less inclination to spend money on expensive electronic gadgets as reasons for organic prosperity.

The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reports that global organic food sales more than doubled in the five years ending in 2008 to $7.2 billion from $3 billion. One of the world’s hotspots is China, where analysts forecast sales to surpass $8 billion over the next five years. Launched in 1990 with the export of organic tea, the Chinese organic foods industry now exports minimally processed or raw foods such as honey, soy powder, beans, sesame, fruit, vegetables and poultry to North America, Europe and Japan. Annual growth rate in Chinese organic exports was 30 percent from 1995 to 2006. Demand for organic food among domestic consumers in China was sparked by a spate of food safety issues. More affluent consumers are the primary buyers of organic products in the country.

A multinational team of researchers who examined results of clinical trials that studied whether widely used vitamin E supplements prevent stroke found mixed – but very sobering – results. The researchers looked at data from nine randomized trials involving nearly 119,000 people. Noting that the “results were largely disappointing,” they discovered that vitamin E actually increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding within the brain) by 22 percent, but reduced the risk of ischemic stroke (brain tissue death from lack of oxygen) by 10 percent. They argued that vitamin E’s 10 percent risk reduction was negligible compared to other types of intervention, especially blood pressure medication and lifestyle changes. The conclusion: “Indiscriminate widespread use of vitamin E should be cautioned against.”

A new study that introduces a framework for analyzing how behavioral phenomena such as obesity spread like an illness from friend to friend predicts that eventually 42 percent of Americans will be obese. The study found that the current “rate of becoming obese” – the chance of becoming obese in any given year – is two percent. Each “obese social contact” – i.e., a fat friend – increases the risk by half a percentage point. The rate of slimming down, however, is four percent a year and does not depend on the number of friends who are slim. The researchers noted that since the 1970s, the rate of losing weight has been constant, so the rise in obesity rates “may be driven by increasing rates of becoming obese,” not by decreasing rates of losing weight.

A new report from Food & Water Europe says the inferior nutritional value and high costs of producing genetically-engineered  salmon will mean that, contrary to arguments offered by the GE fish’s developer, it will not alleviate global food shortages. The transgenic salmon developed by U.S. firm AquaBounty is being considered by the U.S. FDA for approval as a human food. The report says GE salmon can require large amounts of food, display deformities and likely have higher oxygen demands, making them expensive to produce, and therefore impractical for growers and consumers. According to F&EW, GE salmon have 35 percent fewer omega-3 fatty acids. The report also says that escapees from the GE salmon population could alter the genetic integrity of wild Atlantic salmon and Scottish farmed salmon.

Swiss researchers experimenting with ways to make iron compounds added to foods more bioavailable have developed a form of iron oxide that is more acid soluble, is absorbed better in the intestines, and does not adversely affect sensory characteristics. Fortifying foods with iron can be difficult because water-soluble iron compounds are bioavailable but change the color of foods. Other iron compounds may not change the color of food, but the iron isn’t absorbed well in the gut. To develop the iron compound, the researchers applied scalable flame aerosol technology to iron oxide-based nanostructured compounds with added magnesium and calcium, then added the compound to chocolate milk and fruit yogurt. The result: solubility and bioavailability were much better while “sensory changes … were less pronounced.”

Research by U.S. scientists has shown that the fish oil-derived omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) protected brain tissue and promoted recovery in acute ischemic stroke in rats, even after a five-hour delay in treatment. Ischemic stroke results when blood flow to the brain is restricted because of a clot or atherosclerosis. Damage to brain tissue is irreversible at the site of the blockage, but damaged tissue surrounding the site is salvageable if blood flow is restored and neuroprotective therapy is applied. For the study, researchers administered either DHA or saline intravenously at 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours after the onset of stroke. MRIs showed that DHA treatment reduced swelling, helped neurobehavioral recovery, and reduced destroyed tissue by 66 percent four hours after the stroke.

A Canadian researcher recently presented study results showing the potential health benefits of plant-derived phytosterols not only in reducing blood triglycerides, but also in developing personalized nutrition programs and combination therapies. Phytosterols are found in fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, legumes, nuts and grains, and have been shown to lower cholesterol. But Prof. Todd Rideout of Canada’s Richardson Centre for Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals believes phytosterols offer broader health benefits. For example, by determining the factors that affect an individual’s cholesterol synthesis, doctors can better prescribe a nutritional program. And even greater benefits may be derived by combining phytosterols with other therapies, such as omega-3 fatty acids.

A company that provides health care professionals with organically-grown whole food supplements has published a research paper analyzing the antioxidant activity of buckwheat throughout its various stages of growth. The goal of the study by Standard Process Inc.  was to determine the optimum time to harvest the plants. According to the company, levels of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids, fluctuate dramatically over the life cycle. But while scientists are well aware of rutin concentrations, similar information is lacking in buckwheat. Over the life of the plants, researchers analyzed the levels of lutein, beta-carotene, rutin, and anthocyanins. Allowing for plant size and yield, they determined that optimal harvest time for buckwheat is 4 – 5 weeks after sowing. The research is ongoing and will be revisited to make sure recommendations remain accurate.

Despite food and beverage industry efforts to provide healthy eating options, Americans feel they continue to face hurdles in grocery stores when planning, shopping and preparing healthier meals, according to a study by Catalina Marketing Group. Only half of shoppers surveyed felt their supermarket helps them make healthful choices, and only a little more than a third believed the store helps them manage the risk of specific health concerns. Thirty-eight percent said their grocery store provides information to help manage personal health concerns, but only a quarter of respondents believed store employees know anything about nutrition. And less than a third felt employees are knowledgeable enough help with nutrition, vitamins, nutritional supplements and over-the-counter health remedies. Lastly, more than three-fourths (77 percent) believed healthy food is expensive.

China’s largest Internet companies, Alibaba, which controls 75% of the country’s ecommerce through business-to-consumer site Taobao, and Baidu, which accounts for 80% of online search traffic in the country, are set to become fierce competitors with their plans to launch ventures competing directly with each other’s core businesses. Baidu, in partnership with Rakuten, Japan’s leading ecommerce company, launched the Lekutian online shopping site. Meanwhile, Alibaba revived its ecommerce platform Taobao Mall and launched its Etao search engine. The companies also face a new competitor in the world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores, which plans to start an ecommerce site for the Chinese market, forecast to reach $65.9 billion in value in 2010. Online sales will account for 7.2% of the retail market by 2013, according to Deutsche Bank.

A study commissioned by Google and conducted by Boston Consulting Group reveals that in the U.K. the Internet industry was worth £100 billion ($139 billion) in 2009, or about 7.2% of the country’s gross domestic product. The study, reportedly the first one to put a monetary value on the U.K.’s Internet market in its entirety, highlights the fundamental strengths of ecommerce in the U.K., which includes online buying by consumers that accounted for £50 billion ($69 billion) in 2009. Aside from showing advertisers the importance of the Internet in all phases of consumers’ life and decision-making, the report also predicts that the Internet will have long-term economic importance for the country, expanding further to account for 10–13% of the U.K.’s GDP by 2015.

Microsoft Kinect’s combination of motion- and gesture-based gaming technologies presents advertisers and marketers with revolutionary opportunities in in-game advertising. Kinect’s capability to recognize facial gestures or expression will push motion- and gesture-based gaming, which began with Nintendo’s Wii console and is reinforced by Sony’s Move platform, into wider adoption by marketers. This capacity will allow the gaming system to adjust the game in real time based on the player’s emotions, enabling in-game advertising to be tailored to individual gamers. Combined with Xbox Live, this technology will allow advertisers and gamers to create interactive advertisements with some social-networking elements.

High levels of vitamin D in the blood stalled the progression of chronic lymphocyte leukemia (CLL) and reduced the death rate among newly-diagnosed patients, a U.S. clinical study has found. Vitamin D is obtained from skin exposure to sunlight, from foods like fatty fish and eggs and from supplements. In the study, researchers enrolled 390 new CLL patients and found that 30 percent had insufficient vitamin D levels. After three years, CLL patients deficient in vitamin D were 66 percent more likely to require chemotherapy and double the risk of death. The finding is significant, researchers said, because it offers patients a way to slow progression of the disease and it gives patients who must “watch and wait” to see how the disease develops something they can do to help themselves.

Two brand strategists claim that 11 trends identified using predictive consumer loyalty metrics will determine the success or failure of branding and marketing campaigns in 2011. These include the consumer’s central role in determining what value is; decline in brands’ significance in relation to value; marketers’ need to understand the real driving factors of their markets; and the increase in importance of corporate social responsibility done properly. Also included are the importance of emotional aspects in brand differentiation; significance of social networking and new media in driving product information; increase in consumers’ reliance on word-of-mouth advertising; rise in importance of mobile marketing; expansion of Internet-driven competition; growth of technology-driven consumer expectations; and persistence of engagement methods of marketing.

U.S. researchers have found that the bioavailability of certain nutrients in 100 percent orange juice and in a nutrient-fortified low-calorie beverage are similar. In the study, 12 adult men were fed a 591 mL serving of orange juice, a low-calorie beverage fortified with ascorbic acid and folic acid, and one percent low-fat milk. Blood samples were taken at 30-minute intervals over 4.5 hours and analyzed for nutrient concentrations. Although the blood plasma concentration of ascorbic acid was much greater after drinking the fortified beverage, bioavailability of the nutrient was the same in both drinks. The same result was found with folic acid. The researchers noted that, though both beverages delivered nutrients equally well, the fortified drink had "far fewer calories".

Booz & Company’s sixth annual Global Innovation 1000 review looks at what makes some companies able to consistently innovate successful products. It finds that investment is not the reason, with no relationship between total R&D dollars or R&D as a percent of revenue. Instead, Booz focuses on the importance of aligning corporate capabilities – knowledge, talent, team structures, tools and processes – with wider business strategies and goals. Booz also identified three distinctive innovation strategies, each of which can be successful, which it termed  Need Seekers (actively engage customers to shape new products, use superior end-user understanding, try to be the first to market), Market Readers (watch customers and competitors, use incremental change centered on proven trends) and Technology Drivers (push their technological capabilities, seek innovation to solve the unarticulated needs of customers). Apple, Google and 3M are considered the most innovative companies. Technology represents 6 of the top 10; Toyota is the sole car manufacturer and P&G the sole FMCG company.

With busy Indian consumers in urban areas demanding more quick and easy breakfast options, big food companies are rushing to fill the void. It’s a big opportunity: industry estimates peg the branded breakfast foods market in India at $113 million and growing. Involved in the sprint to the Indian breakfast table are Britannia Industries, Marico, PepsiCo, Kellogg India and MTR Foods. Britannia, whose bread, biscuit, butter and cheese products are already familiar to Indian consumers, is market testing packaged products such as buttermilk oats and sweet multi-grain porridge under the “Healthy Start” brand. A Kellogg India study of Indian breakfast habits found that least one in three Indians and more women than men skip breakfast daily, presenting a huge opening for packaged breakfast providers.

Grocery shoppers who believe organically grown vegetables are more healthful than conventionally grown ones might be disappointed by the findings of a new Danish study. Except for one specific phenolic acid, researchers found that organically grown onions, carrots and potatoes did not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants than conventionally grown ones. In the organically grown potatoes fertilized with cover crops, researchers did find a significantly higher level of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA), the predominant phenolic acid in potatoes and carrots. The researchers said there are still important reasons to buy organic, including improved animal welfare, environmental protection, better taste, and possible health benefits. But, they added, “it cannot be concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated ones.”

Advocates of the so-called “Paleo Diet” argue that, to stay healthy, humans should only eat foods that Stone Agers ate. That means meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, but not processed foods, and no sugar, dairy, beans, grains and potatoes. But Pres. and Mrs. Obama’s personal trainer Cornell McClellan has his doubts. First, no one really knows what the caveman diet consisted of. But a recent archeological study found evidence that Paleolithic men ate grains and other prepared foods such as roots, vegetables and a form of cracker. And despite its popularity, the Paleo Diet, even when it achieves weight loss, is “not the healthiest diet program,” McClellan says. He agrees with cutting out processed foods, but says a meat-heavy diet that eliminates whole food groups is not recommended for most people.

The U.K.’s  Organic Trade Board (OTB) is launching a three-year advertising campaign in January to get the word out on the benefits of buying organic food, whose sales fell 13 percent in 2009. The Board has hired the Haygarth agency to help it “democratize” organic food, broaden its appeal and hopefully boost sales through a new Web site, public relations, online ads and social media. According to a spokesperson for the OTB, the goal of the ad campaign is to “break down the myths … that organic is fancy food for posh people.”

The Natural Products Association (NPA) is warning its members to stay alert during the lame duck session of the U.S. Congress to make sure legislators soon to be out of power don’t “try to slip their pet proposals into must-pass legislation, like the spending bill.” A particularly noxious example that might rise from the dead is a bill that would add more enforcement authority to the Federal Trade Commission. An NPA official said the organization supports FTC actions “aimed at getting the bad actors out of the market” but not efforts that target “the legitimate industry” especially if they supersede current law. Another bad piece of legislation that might pop up again, the NPA warned, is Sen. John McCain’s Dietary Supplement Safety Act.

U.S. researchers working with mice found that the harder the animals worked to get a certain food the more they chose and savored it over other options. The researchers said the results suggest that dieters might be conditioned to consume lower calorie foods; the results also offer possible insights into ways to change other less-than-optimal behaviors. The research team conducted two experiments, both involving ordinary lab mice. In the first, mice pressed a lever once to obtain a sugary treat. But they had to press a second lever 15 times to get a similar snack. When later allowed to choose a snack freely, the mice preferred the food that they had worked harder for. The second experiment confirmed the results when a low-calorie snack was substituted.

Thanks to widespread uncertainty about European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims rules, new product introductions have dropped off in the European food supplements sector and food manufacturers are making more general health claims about their products. Innova Market Insights counted 384 new supplement introductions in West Europe between January and June of this year, compared to 405 in the same period last year. Of the top five supplement categories, the leader for new supplements was weight management with 99 new products, followed by immune health (91) and digestive/liver health (86). Functional foods innovation in Europe, as measured by new product introductions, fell from2,1889 new products in the first half of 2009 to 1,960 new products with an "active health" positioning in the same period of 2010.

Whole Foods Market has expanded its kosher food offerings with the addition of specially developed organic kosher chicken broth from Pacific Natural Foods. Certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, the broth is made from free-range, grain-fed chickens raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones, and are processed according to kosher standards. Whole Foods offers an array of kosher products from Streit’s, including  vegetarian and gluten-free macaroons, and vegetarian cake and stuffing mixes that are free of hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives and MSG. Some stores also offer poultry options from Kosher Valley, including fresh and frozen whole young turkeys and chickens, ground turkey and chicken, and value-pack options for both. On the confectionery side, Whole Foods offers kosher marshmallows, candy canes, and organic, ethically sourced Hanukkah gelt.

U.S. researchers who tested an algal-derived omega-3 fatty acid (docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) supplement in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease found that it did not slow the rate of cognitive or functional decline. Earlier studies had found that consumption of fish, the primary dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids, was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline or dementia. Some studies had found that consuming DHA, but not other omega-3 fatty acids, was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer disease. The study was conducted among 295 patients who were randomly assigned to take the DHA supplement or a placebo. Though the researchers concluded that "DHA supplementation is not useful for individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease," they suggested that earlier intervention might be more effective.

Market research from Mintel reveals several key food trends that are likely to have an impact on food industry decisions next year. The trends include a graying workforce, men doing grocery shopping, and the continuing obesity problem. According to Mintel, people are waiting longer to retire, which means there is an increasing need for food products, including snacks, that promise energy and health for older workers. With women in the workforce working longer hours for higher salaries, more men will be found cruising grocery store aisles looking for products that appeal to them. Lastly, companies also will have to decide whether they want to help fight the obesity problem with healthier foods or “embrace the idea of indulgence and gluttony,” Mintel says.

The chemical bisphenol A (BPA), used to line metal food cans and to make plastic containers such as baby bottles, has been associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and male sexual dysfunction in exposed workers. But no studies had taken a close look at BPA exposure in packaged foods. Now U.S. and German scientists measured BPA levels in 105 fresh and canned foods, plastic packaged foods, and in pet foods in cans and plastic packages. The researchers detected BPA in 63 of 105 samples, but said the BPA levels “did not reach concentrations ... associated with adverse health effects.” Canned Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans had the highest level of BPA, while canned Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup 2.5% Fat had no BPA. The researchers urged continued monitoring of the food and water supply.

U.S. researchers who analyzed data from 26 studies found no data to support a hypothesis that eating red or processed meat is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men worldwide. Some scientists have suggested that the spread of prostate cancer could be due to a wider global adoption of the Western diet, including higher fat and meat intake. But the researchers looked at 15 studies of red meat and 11 studies of processed meat and could find no association between prostate cancer and high or low consumption of red or processed meats. The researchers concluded: “The results of this meta-analysis are not supportive of an independent positive association between red or processed meat intake and prostate cancer.”

Israeli scientists have found that phosphatidylserine (PS) combined with omega-3 fatty acids improved age-related neurochemical damage to the brain in memory-impaired elderly patients. The small clinical trial involved eight patients aged 60 years or older who had complained of memory problems. The study was not placebo controlled. The patients were given three PS-mega-3 capsules (Sharp-PS Gold, from Enzymotec Ltd.) daily for six weeks. Researchers found that “PS-omega-3 may have a favorable effect on memory recall” in elderly people with memory impairment, specifically on “the ability to store, hold, and retrieve information of an episodic nature.”  PS-omega-3 supplementation resulted in a significant 42 percent increase in the ability to recall words in the delayed condition. The researchers hope that their findings will lead to a larger scale placebo-controlled study of PS-omega-3.

A U.S. study in mice has found that black raspberries are “highly effective” in preventing colorectal tumors, the third  most common cancer. Earlier studies had shown that  black raspberries have antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The researchers used two strains of mice genetically altered to develop either intestinal tumors or colitis. The mice were randomly assigned either a Western-style diet (high in fat and low in calcium and vitamin D) or the same diet supplemented with 10 percent freeze-dried black raspberry powder for 12 weeks. The black raspberry-supplemented diet produced a wide variety of protective effects in the intestine, colon and rectum, researchers found. In one mouse strain, the number of tumors was reduced by 60 percent. The researchers hope to launch clinical studies soon.

Acknowledging that advances in nutrition science have rendered its fat- and calorie-based “points” plan obsolete, WeightWatchers is implementing a new system that focuses on the quantity and types of protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fat in food. The “ProPoints” scheme, to be launched in time for the New Year’s resolution season with a $45 million ad campaign, awards weekly bonus “real living” points that allows participants to indulge in favorite foods and even fast foods. About 250 products that had total sales of $510 million in the U.K. last year are packaged for the WeightWatchers system. Fifty-seven of the products will be reformulated for the new points scheme. Heinz, Yoplait, Greencore and Warburtons will have to alter their WeightWatchers packages.

Consumers seeking to change their lifestyles are open to disruptive innovation, and functional food is one area that can help. As consumers become more aware of what they are eating and what it does to them, they are looking for products that are simpler, less processed, more natural, and with recognizable ingredients. An example of the sort of product that is gaining interest is Five ice cream from Haagen Dazs, which contains just five recognizable ingredients. Consumers are also demanding more information on a product’s provenance and want to know that their food is free of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and preservatives. The organic food industry has benefited from these trends, but there remains distrust and uncertainty about organic food claims, and consumers are increasingly demanding locally-sourced food from farms with sustainable, free-range and humane agricultural practices. Globally, this extends to fair-trade or rainforest alliance certification. These trends are being driven partly by the Baby Boomers, as they transition to later life stages and expect products and services targeted at their needs, such as functional foods and beverages. 

What makes a successful functional food? It’s not a “hot ingredient,” according to industry expert Julian Mellentin. Instead it’s a combination of the right packaging and product differentiation, clearly explained health benefits of key ingredients and – most important of all – filling consumer wants. An example is digestive health, the most important benefit currently offered by functional foods, which is why they comprise the largest segment of the market along with energy drinks. The reasons for their success, however, are fairly easy to define. Technological advances in probiotics and fiber have helped, of course. But the key factor is how products are carefully created and marketed to meet demonstrated consumer needs. Surveys have found that digestive health ranks among the top four health concerns globally: digestive disorders affect nearly everyone at one time or another.

British researchers have found that school-age children tend to enjoy eating more if their mothers don’t try too hard at mealtime to control their diet or apply pressure to eat. In fact, when mothers are very strict about what kids eat, the kids will tend to overeat. And kids whose mothers pressure them to eat develop “food avoidant tendencies, i.e. they become picky eaters. But the researchers, who analyzed questionnaire data from 213 families, acknowledged that the mothers’ mealtime behavior is not necessarily the cause of their children’s eating problems: the mothers may actually be reacting to how their kids eat. In other words, “children both influence and are influenced by their parents' feeding practices.”

Acai juice maker Bossa Nova has a lot of explaining to do, if the results of a consumer survey are to be believed. Apparently, not a whole lot of people are familiar with the acai berry or its health benefits. The survey found that half of adults put antioxidants at the top of the list of nutrients they want in their diets, but don’t know which fruits contain the most antioxidants. A third of those surveyed believe blueberries have more antioxidants than acai berries, which is not accurate. A quarter of those surveyed mistakenly believe acai juice helps with weight loss. Bossa Nova says the  survey findings mean it has “a long way to go in terms of educating the public” about the benefits of superfruits, especially acai.

Food and supplement companies are keenly aware of the rising interest among consumers in attaining healthy blood sugar levels for energy maintenance, weight control and diabetes management or risk reduction. But as they ponder how to meet the demand for products that help achieve a healthy glycemic index (GI), they deal with significant questions. For example, when will science definitively prove the benefits of a low GI? What GI claims will the FDA allow on product labels? Are GI-lowering products really healthful? Is all the talk about GI just a fad? Do consumers really understand what GI is all about? Despite these uncertainties, several companies offer products that promise a healthier GI. Key ingredients include glycinate chelates (minerals), fiber and oligosaccharides, fenugreek and amla fiber, yacon herb, cinnamon, banaba leaves and crepe myrtle.

The $68 billion global market for vitamins and dietary supplements is growing more slowly these days, though certain product categories and countries report strong sales. The enduring recession, regulatory problems and product saturation in older markets have all contributed to slower overall growth, according to Euromonitor. Nevertheless, certain supplement categories – fish oils, lutein and zeaxanthin, glucosamine and probiotics – report double-digit growth. Buoying the success of these products is strong awareness among aging Baby Boom consumers of the scientific evidence supporting their health benefits. A notable trend is the popularity of combination supplements, such as fish oil blended with CoQ10 or tocotrienols. The $20 billion U.S. market and $8.2 billion Chinese market are posting healthy growth trends, while the No. 2 market, Japan at 15.3 billion, is showing flat growth, due in part to a regulatory clampdown on health claims.

Beset by wilting sales and lackluster financial performance, Kellogg Co. hopes to increase its lead over number two breakfast cereals producer General Mills with the introduction in the U.S. of a cereal sold for 30 years in the U.K. To be launched in January, Crunchy Nut with its “unique honey and nut flavor” gives the company a much-needed new product introduction without having to spend on research and development, according to analysts. The $6 billion cold cereals market has been depressed of late: dollar sales declined 2.68 percent in the 12 months ending in October, unit sales were off .22 percent, and the average box price dipped below $3.00. Kellogg still has 33 percent of the market, but General Mills isn’t far behind (31 percent) and is gaining share as Kellogg loses.

International companies operating in China must expand their sales, marketing, and distribution efforts to cover the country’s smaller cities or risk losing market share to domestic and foreign rivals. Demand for consumer goods is increasing in these secondary cities, which are territories not familiar to many multinational consumer goods vendors but often serve as launching pads for regional Chinese vendors before they grow and expand into the country’s larger cities. Realizing this trend, international consumer goods vendors, such as Procter & Gamble Co. and KFC Corp., expanded their operations to include provincial cities. P&G products are now available in Tier 5 markets. In order to expand to new territories, companies must realise that there are regional variations between the smaller cities, with different cuisines, dialects and cultures, as well as climates. The companies will also need to be able to work not only with modern trade channels, but also the traditional channels in the country, which are likely to exist for some years to come. Local merchandizing is often weak, and so the companies might also need to build and run a large sales force of their own.

Voluntary reductions in the salt content of processed foods have proven cost-effective in terms of improving health and lowering healthcare spending, according to an Australian study, but government-mandated reductions would be even more effective. Dietary advice targeted at individuals was found not to be cost-effective, even among people at risk for high blood pressure. Researchers said the current voluntary salt reduction efforts in the Australian food industry could be 20 times more effective if the government imposed “moderate salt limits” in processed foods. The researchers said heart disease rates could be cut by 18 percent if the government forced food manufacturers to lower salt content. "If corporate responsibility fails, maybe there is an ethical justification for government to step in and legislate," the authors wrote.

Adding monounsaturated fat (MUFA) such as sunflower or avocado oil to a cholesterol-lowering diet increases so-called “good cholesterol” (HDL) by 12.5 percent and lowers “bad cholesterol” (LDL) by 35 percent, a Canadian study has found. Low HDL levels and high LDL levels are associated with greater risk for heart disease. Twenty-four men and women were randomly assigned to either a high- or low-MUFA diet. All patients ate a vegetarian diet of oats, barley, psyllium, eggplant, okra, soy, almonds and a plant sterol enriched margarine. Researchers substituted 13 percent of the carbohydrate calories with either sunflower or avocado oil in the high-MUFA diet group. They concluded that a cardio-protective, cholesterol-lowering diet “may be significantly enhanced by inclusion of a moderate amount of monounsaturated fat.”

Indonesian shoppers are caught up in the trend toward healthier diets, and that often means switching to organic foods. But the search for certified organic products can be confusing because the country’s certification system is not airtight, and is therefore not particularly reliable. One organic food expert in Indonesia says the problem is due to the fact that the government doesn’t require food suppliers to have their products certified organic. The certification process began as voluntary, permitting suppliers to make whatever organic claims they wanted. However,  the government later introduced a system that involved seven official certifying bodies. Farmers, traders and suppliers submit products to these certification authorities. It’s a process that’s too expensive for small farmers, however, and lends itself to corruption.

Dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like fish oil could provide a way to prevent and treat gum disease by targeting the inflammation rather than the bacterial infection, U.S. researchers have found. A common inflammatory disease in which gum tissue separates from teeth, periodontitis leads to accumulation of bacteria and often bone and tooth loss. Researchers looked at data on more than 9,000 adults who participated in a national health survey between 1999 and 2004. Dietary intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and linolenic acid (LNA) were estimated from interviews and data regarding supplementary use of PUFAs. They found that consumption of DHA and EPA were associated with a decreased prevalence of periodontitis. Linolenic acid (LNA) did not show this association.