A decision by Australia’s largest organic certifying body to allow use of a synthetic growth enhancer in organic chickens has created both controversy and confusion. At the root of the problem is the pressure on organic farmers to produce bigger chickens faster. But the country’s independent organic certifiers agreed last year to exclude synthetic amino acid isolates, such as DL-methionine, from chicken feed. Now the Biological Farmers Association, which owns Australian Certified Organic – the country’s largest organic certifier – wants the agreement changed, and methionine reintroduced, saying the industry has no choice, despite consumer confusion over the issue. “These things are essentially needed and there's no alternative that would bring the same outcomes,'' a BFA official said. Methionine is banned in Europe and is being phased out in the U.S.

According to market researcher Mintel, several forces have combined to transform the functional foods and beverage industry: the economy, consumer doubts, and tought FDA rules. Price-conscious consumers are more likely to take a cheaper multivitamin, for example, than a specialty supplement. Though antioxidant-rich functional beverages are still highly sought after, consumers can find many cheaper regular beverages containing antioxidants. And they are less likely to buy a functional beverage that is high in calories. Key problems for the industry: consumers don’t really think of functional foods as a category, and they look for foods that are enjoyable as well as healthy, benefits that can come from a wide variety of foods. Mintel says consumers are more likely to choose functional foods to provide a specific benefit: weight loss, energy boost, or stress relief.

Soy-based ingredient maker Solae, LLC, is partnering with 29-year-old Derek Poundstone, known as “America’s Strongest Man,” to promote soy protein as a healthier alternative to animal-derived protein. Solae develops soy-based technologies and ingredients for food, meat and nutritional products. The company’s soy ingredients are found in products such as baked goods, beverages, nutrition bars, meats, vegetarian meals, etc. The partnership with Poundstone will include both trade and consumer promotional appearances, educational messages and a media campaign highlighting the value of healthy nutrition and soy. Poundstone has won five strongman competition titles in the past three years, including the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic twice.

British and Italian researchers have found that naturally occurring chemicals – probably polyphenols – found in the skin of almonds strengthen the immune system and help the body ward off viral infections such as the cold and flu. Natural – but not blanched – almond skins boosted the capability of white blood cells to detect viruses, including the herpes simplex virus type 2, and prevent them from replicating and spreading. The phenomenon occurred even after the almond skins were digested by gastric juices in the lab. The herpes simplex virus is an especially difficult virus to eradicate because it is able to elude the immune system by diminishing the body's response to inflammation.

Despite tough economic times, U.S. sales of organic food and beverages were $26.6 billion in 2009, 5.1 percent higher than in 2008, according to the Organic Trade Association. The performance indicates that Americans are striking a balance between healthy eating and unhealthy spending. That’s a lot of organic food purchasing, and the volume is due at least in part to the fact that traditional supermarkets, club stores and mass merchandisers are showing increased sales. Those stores – Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Costco, etc. – accounted for 54 percent of the organic food sold in 2009, followed by natural retailers at 38 percent. Industry observers believe the retailers are doing well in organic sales because of their reputation for competitive pricing.

Researchers in Brazil investigating the biochemical effects of daily consumption of margarines and butter found plant sterol margarine significantly reduced apolipoproteins (Apos), which are proteins that bind to oil-soluble substances such as fat and cholesterol to form lipoproteins. They also reduced the ability of HDL (“good cholesterol”) to accept fats. The randomized study involved 53 men and women with metabolic syndrome, a precursor of diabetes. Participants were fed butter, no-trans-fat margarine or plant sterol margarine (all of equal caloric value) in addition to their usual diets for five weeks. “No significant effects were noted on the concentrations of inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction markers among the groups," the researchers noted.

A joint venture company formed by Italy’s Agostini family and Bridge That Gap has launched an organic chocolate brand that promises more than just a satisfied sweet tooth. Already successfully marketed in Japan and Italy, the Go*Do brand – the name is slang for “I come” in Italy – comes in 35g bars and is now being marketed in the U.K. Flavors include dark chocolate with espresso and milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts. The bars are made from organic cocoa beans from Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Peru.

Critical innovations often come not from lone entrepreneurs, amateurs or private companies, but from the “fourth quadrant”: an area of nonproprietary innovation, such as the Web, where innovations are not owned by anyone. This “fourth quadrant” is collaborative by nature and, according to Steven Johnson, author of “Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation,” who analyzed 300 influential innovations, is the source of more game-changing ideas than the competitive domain. Johnson sees the Internet as the ideal environment for supporting fourth-quadrant innovation, even though the economic opportunity (idea ownership) is lower. He expects to see rapid innovation as connectivity increases: “Ideas are free to flow from mind to mind, and to be refined and modified without complex business development deals or patent lawyers.”

High end Swiss and French chocolatiers are turning out luxury chocolates using cocoa beans produced organically around the world, demonstrating a commitment to both quality and ethical sourcing. Swiss chocolate maker Bonnat, for example, pioneered the use of organic cocoa beans out of principle 17 years ago, and now works with 35 certified organic suppliers in South America who are paid premium prices for their product. According to Stephane Bonnat, 80 percent of cocoa growers are de facto organic – because they cannot afford fertilizers or pesticides – but are not certified because the process is too expensive.  Another chocolatier says using ethically sourced cocoa beans is expensive, adding 20 percent to production costs. But the result is high quality chocolate – and significant financial and lifestyle gains for the farmers.

A new report from GIA projects the global carotenoids market, driven by increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of carotenoids, will reach $1.2 billion over the next five years. Also driving robust growth is a trend toward purchasing healthy and natural food products and publicity about scientific research. The food industry is likely to increase its use of carotenoids, thanks to the rising demand for functional and processed food products.
GIA also sees natural carotenoids being increasingly accepted among consumers, which could put a dent in the market for synthetic carotenoids. The bulk of carotenoids sales have occurred in the U.S. and Europe, though developing countries will show stronger growth rates, GIA believes.

Mothers who eat peanuts during their pregnancy may put allergic infants at increased risk of potentially dangerous peanut allergies, a U.S. study finds. Researchers assessed 503 three- to 15-month-old babies who had milk or egg allergies, had eczema or tested positive for milk or egg allergies, all of which are associated with a heightened risk of peanut allergy. Of the group – none of whom had been diagnosed with peanut allergy – 140 infants were found via blood tests to have a strong sensitivity to peanuts. Eating peanuts during pregnancy was a significant predictor of the test result. While acknowledging that their study had some limitations – like reliance on self-reporting – it nevertheless “highlights the need for further research to make recommendations about dietary restrictions."

Canadian yeast researcher Functional Technologies Corp. says it is getting closer to commercializing a variety of yeast that reduces the levels of the carcinogen acrylamide formed when starchy carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, potato chips and cookies are baked, fried or toasted. Acrylamide-reducing (AR) yeast rapidly breaks down the precursor asparagine into safe compounds before cooking. Several food ingredient companies are testing the AR yeast in baked products. FTC said it is likely that it will partner with at least one producer to speed the commercial launch of the technology. The application of AR yeast technology in the processed potato industry would be lucrative, because that industry uses half the world’s annual production of 315 million tons of potatoes. Cookies, baked snacks and breaded products offer other market opportunities.

Incomplete information from blood tests called serum immunoassays about potential food allergies is causing many children, especially those with eczema, to unnecessarily avoid certain foods, according to U.S. researchers, leading to nutritional risks. The researchers examined the medical charts of 125 children placed on restricted diets because blood tests indicated allergies to 177 foods, such as egg, milk, shellfish, peanut and tree nut. After many of the children later tried the restricted foods, physicians restored 84 percent to 93 percent of them to their diets. The researchers said children with known allergic reactions, especially anaphylactic reactions, should of course avoid questionable foods. But “a growing number of patients” on strict, unproven food-elimination diets end up with “poor weight gain and malnutrition,” thanks to overreliance on immunoassay tests.

With the suburban grocery market saturated with superstores, big retail chains have rediscovered the folks in U.S. cities who might want fresh and healthy food. Led by Walmart Stores, retailers are implementing plans to open small outlets in underserved but potentially lucrative urban areas across the country where 23.5 million Americans live and could be willing to spend $100 billion a year on nutritious groceries, according to a retail consultant. Stores either offering more fresh food in their urban stores or opening smaller stores in cities include CVS Caremark, Walgreen, Supervalu, and Family Dollar Stores(FDO). Meanwhile, a pioneer in the urban grocery market – no-frills retailer Sav-A-Lot – plans to double its urban outlets to 1,200 by 2015 by taking advantage of federal loans and tax incentives.

Coca-Cola’s in-house product development unit is looking for the company’s next billion-dollar beverage brand among small domestic entrepreneurial brands that show significant sales potential, and among foreign brands that might appeal to American consumers. The best candidates may end up being niche products, and it may take awhile to find and develop them, but that’s okay with Mary-Ann Somers of Coca-Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands group. There are only 33 nonalcoholic beverage brands in the billion-dollar sales club – out of 3,000 total brands – so they don’t pop up everyday. “We will develop things that not everybody will like, and that's OK," she said. The strategy partly depends on a two-pronged distribution plan: some brands will be promoted through Coca-Cola's huge distribution system, and some will be marketed by independents.

The president of a European specialty ingredients group has questioned whether the regulatory criteria used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for assessing health claims of functional foods and ingredients are “appropriate.” Prof. Dr Markwart Kunz, president of the Federation of European Specialty Food Ingredients Industries (ELC) complained about the high rejection rate of proposed article 13.1 health claims, the third batch of which was released last week. “A rejection rate of 95 percent calls into question whether the criteria applied are appropriate,” Kinz said at the NUCE Congress, an international conference for the nutraceutical, cosmetic, functional foods and drinks and "health ingredients" industry. Kunz called for more dialogue on EFSA’s health claims regulation.

U.S. and Chinese researchers who tested 427 male workers in regions known to contain high levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) found a correlation between BPA content in the urine and symptoms of sexual dysfunction. BPA is a chemical used to make plastic bottles, soda cans and a wide variety of other common products. According to the researchers, increased levels of BPA in the workers’ urine was linked with poor sperm quality, decreased sexual desire, difficulty in having an erection, lower ejaculation strength and lower satisfaction with sex life. The same trend was found among test participants who were exposed to BPA environmentally, but not at work. The researchers said the findings “may have important public health implications  given the widespread human exposure to BPA.”

Players in the $30 billion U.S. functional foods market need to take a careful look at America's food and drug laws before they make health or wellness claims on their labels. Food writer Lynn Kuntz warns marketers that it is relatively easy to run afoul of government regulations, as Unilever and Cadbury Adams Dr Pepper Snapple Group found out recently. In warning letters, the FDA got very specific about transgressions. Unilever, for example, provided links to Web sites that linked Lipton decaffeinated Green Tea with scientific studies showing a cholesterol lowering effect. That kind of promotion – “for conditions that cause it to be a drug” – is taboo. “Crossing the line, intentionally or not, may seem a bold move,” Kuntz writes, but could lead to “some unpleasant surprises.”

Italian scientists have found evidence in a clinical study that supplementation with either of two proprietary probiotic strains (BB-12 or L. casei 431) improves the body’s resistance to common infections such as flu and colds. The study was sponsored by the developer of the strains, Danish food ingredients maker Chr. Hansen. The clinical study involving 211 healthy adults showed that antibody responses were significantly increased in both probiotic groups compared to a placebo after a challenge to the immune system from a flu virus vaccination. Antibody responses to a vaccination model of this type are considered the best marker available to assess the human immune response. The study was conducted at the Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan.

South Korean researchers have found that the antioxidant activity of phenolic acids mixed into  bread dough is reduced by the mixing process, but is then recovered during fermentation and baking. The finding is “important for the development of functional foods,” the researchers said. Phenolic acids are plentiful in whole grains in certain cell walls and in the seed coat and embryo of wheat. But the milling process removes these. For the study, four phenolic acids (caffeic, ferulic, syringic and gallic) were mixed with wheat flour. The most pronounced antioxidant effect was found in caffeic acid, researchers said, adding that phenolic acid recovery after baking was 74–80 percent. The retention of antioxidant activity during the baking process “has potential health benefits for consumers,” they concluded.

With carrot sales flat in recent years, 25 carrot farmers have banded together to launch an ad campaign designed to reposition the vegetable as a snack food. Led by Bolthouse Farms, the group will spend $25 million on the campaign, which hopes to do more than just make a dent in the junk food market. The new tack was developed when producers realized that emphasizing the health benefits of carrots wasn’t boosting sales. According to Bryan Reese of Bolthouse, the former marketing pitch was “missing an emotional connection.” Borrowing a page from the junk food marketing textbook, the new campaign will adopt technical tactics like “bright packaging and exciting promotions and interesting ways to deliver” carrots to consumers.

A trade dispute between China and the U.S. over chicken import restrictions has ended with the U.S. accepting without appeal a World Trade Organization (WTO) censure of U.S. limitations on imports of cooked chicken. China had filed a complaint against the U.S. over a congressional ban imposed in an appropriations bill that prevented the U.S. from allowing imports of Chinese chicken. At its core, the problem originated as a food safety issue rather than a trade issue, as one congresswoman said. The U.S. had banned imports from China after bird flu outbreaks and other food scares several years ago. China retaliated with its own restrictions on U.S. poultry imports. But after imports were formally allowed, the congressional spending ban tied the hands of U.S. officials.

Turkish and American scientists have found that people who rely on portion sizes listed on food labels are often misled into eating more than they intend. Inconsistent portion sizes – small, medium and large vary from one product to another – contribute to consumer confusion about how much to  eat. Size labels in fact “can have a major impact on consumers' purchase and consumption behavior," the authors wrote. In their five studies of people eating, the researchers found that when people consumed a large item labeled "small," they felt less guilty, an effect they termed "guiltless gluttony." The biasing effect of size labels was most evident when people didn’t seem to care about accurate nutrition intake. "Stricter size labeling laws and more vigilant monitoring of marketers' use of size labels may be needed,” the researchers concluded.

Unless efforts to protect the biodiversity of food and agriculture crops are stepped up, the world’s food security could be in jeopardy, according to a report from the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The report, which discusses topics such as gene bank collections and the effect of climate change, warns that more effort is needed to ensure that the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and their “wild relatives” is preserved. The FAO recommends, for example, studying the genetics of crop wild relatives to determine if they could help cultivated crops resist heat, droughts, salinity, floods and pests. The organization warns that without protective measures, as much as 22 percent of the wild relatives of peanuts, potatoes and beans could disappear by 2055, thanks to climate change.

Swiss dairy company Emmi is planning to expand its international presence over the next five years while launching a marketing campaign that stresses product “Swissness”. The aggressive expansion strategy – boosting global revenues from 25 percent of total sales to 50 percent – will focus on countries where Emmi has found success already, including Germany, Italy, Austria and the U.S. The “collapse” of the pound, euro and dollar have put stress on profit margins, according to marketing chief Robin Barraclough, but Emmi’s response is to stress the real value of its premium products. Specifically, the company wants to consolidate many  of its diverse product brands under the Emmi umbrella, to “leverage Swiss origin, our quality, all things Swiss and build a bit more of … a power brand.”

An informal study of single, “twenty-something”  office workers in 12 Asian and Australian cities, found that toast remains the dominant breakfast whether at home, during the commute, or at the office. The McCann study involved workers who were asked to take photos of their breakfasts and lunches for two weeks and upload them to the publication’s Facebook page. Though toast dominated the breakfasts, there was a comeback of traditional foods with some innovations: instant noodles and rice dishes in “convenient takeaway forms.” Cereals still struggle as a breakfast choice everywhere but in Australia. Favorite brands included Nutella, Smuckers, Nescafe, Coffeemate and Minute Maid, and Danone, Meiji and Nestle yogurts. For lunch AdWeek found a relative lack of brand names, but a rise in popularity of pasta.

A large cohort study showed positive associations between red meat intake and esophageal and gastric cardia cancer. During a 10-year follow-up, researchers recorded 215 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, 630 esophageal adencarcinomas, 454 gastric cardia adenocarcinomas, and 501 gastric non-cardia adenocarcinomas. Results of the study positively linked red meat with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, showing that subjects with the highest intake of 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx) at greater risk for gastric cardia cancer and those with the highest intake of 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), or heme iron intake at increased risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Stevia extract supplier GLG Life Tech Corporation says it has contracted with online distributor ChemPoint.com Inc. to sell GLG’s portfolio of stevia extracts to food and beverage companies in the U.S. and Europe. ChemPoint will handle sales and order fulfillment under the three-year agreement, as well as technical support and expertise. Stevia is a natural, calorie free sugar substitute, derived from the leaves of the stevia plant, that can replace many uses of sugar. GLG’s vertically integrated operations include each step in the stevia supply chain , from non-GMO stevia seed breeding, natural propagation, stevia leaf growth and harvest to extraction, refining, etc.

The dietary supplement red yeast rice (RYR) – also known as hong qu – is advertised as a natural therapeutic for treating hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol and triglycerides). A number of brands are available on the market, and a U.S. study has found wide variations in their active ingredient formulations. One brand, the study found, even contained detectable levels of a toxic substance. RYR is made by culturing a yeast (Monascus purpureus) on rice. That process yields compounds called monacolins, one of which has been purified and marketed as lovastatin. American consumers in 2008 spent about $20 million on the supplement. But, researchers concluded, there is a “need for improved standardization of RYR products and product labeling” and until then “physicians should be cautious in recommending RYR to their patients.”

Driven by health and aging concerns, lifestyle changes and growing wealth, functional foods are moving to the mainstream and, according to Global Industry Analysts, set to reach $130 billion in sales by 2015. Growth slowed in 2009 and 2010 but remained positive and is now recovering; Asia Pacific will have especially strong growth at 6% annually through 2015. GIA sees continuing innovation in functional foods and drinks as companies target specific needs such as heart health, energy and antioxidant delivery, increasingly using niche ingredients such as spirulina, wheatgrass and Chlorella and other  ‘super greens’.

According to Patrick Holden, retired director of the Soil Association, recent faltering demand for organic produce is due to a number of factors: negative reactions from traditional farmers, PR campaigns against organic, consumers’ perceptions of exclusivity, a lack of understanding of the benefits of organic agriculture, and the impact of the weak economy shifting purchases to lower-cost items. Instead of stressing ‘organic’, Holden argues that suppliers emphasize ‘sustainable agriculture’ and ‘sustainability’ that he sees as a more attractive and enduring message.

Big food companies have taken a close look at the success of a couple of small Greek yogurt producers and are jumping into the market – or, in the case of Kraft, jumping back into it. The company gave up on its yogurt line six years ago, but has recently introduced its own brand of Greek-style yogurt, Athenos, and General Mills has introduced a Yoplait version. But Chobani and Fage Dairy Industry SA remain the market leaders in the space. Chobani – which launched its yogurt business after buying a Kraft yogurt factory – saw sales triple in 2009 to nearly $200 million. Applauded by nutritionists as healthier than conventional yogurt, Greek yogurt has gained converts because more Americans are replacing cereal for breakfast with yogurt, industry analysts say. Overall yogurt sales rose nearly eight percent in the past year.

A U.S. study examining the impact of wild blueberries on the blood vessels of rats with hypertension found that the berries improved “vascular tone” and lowered blood pressure. Polyphenol-rich wild blueberries comprised eight percent of the diet in the test rats over an eight-week period. The diet resulted in “a significant moderation of the increased aortic vascular tone,” the researchers said, noting that the berries affected acted the nitrous oxide pathway, increasing nitrous oxide delivery to the blood vessels, causing them to dilate or relax and thus improve blood flow. The researchers concluded that wild blueberries show potential as an effective vasodilator for reducing blood pressure.

Health Canada and Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), the largest Canadian food industry association launched a multi-media education campaign to improve consumer food knowledge. The campaign, which will include messages on food packaging as well as in-store, national print, television, and online advertising,  will center on improving consumer food knowledge and use of nutrition facts tables and percent (%) daily value information so that Canadians can make more knowledgeable diet decisions. The Honorable Leona Aglukkaq, Canadian Minister of Health, stated "This innovative, national initiative builds on ongoing efforts by our Government to help Canadians better understand and use this information to make healthier food choices."

Research conducted by the U.K.’s University of East Anglia for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) suggests that decreased food availability will lead to higher prices and push consumers towards processed foods with higher sugar and fat content. The researchers believe that the FSA, which is charged with protecting the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food, will have to boost efforts to encourage healthier eating including using nutritional surveys and enhanced monitoring. While the researchers point to the need for additional work on a number of fronts to better understand likely upcoming changes and the impact on food supply, they also suggest that increased pathogens and additional food-borne disease and other changing risks will intensify unpredictability and require broader oversight to isolate new risks. 

While consumers continue to buy more sustainably-labeled groceries, Mintel finds that many do not know what various green terms mean, if they can even recall seeing them.  Of the 84% of consumer that regularly purchases green/sustainable products, only 40% claim to have heard claims about solar or wind energy usage and 32% say they have never heard a claim of reduced carbon footprint/emissions. Mintel finds instead that consumers buy sustainable foods and drinks because they believe they are superior in quality (45%) or because they are concerned about the environment or human welfare (42%). 

Coca-Cola is committed to playing a role in the global war against obesity, but needs to “evolve and innovate to be part of the solution.” In an interview with Seeking Alpha, CEO Muhtar Kent said his company provides a wide variety of beverage choices to consumers, some with calories, some without, etc., but overall in the last ten years it has cut calories in U.S. beverages by 15 percent. The key, he noted, is to make sure consumers have enough information about Coca-Cola products to “make the right choices.” But caloric intake is only one part of the problem, he stressed: expenditure of energy is the other part, which is why the company sponsors the "Triple Play" initiative supporting 150 physical activity programs in 100 countries.

A vending machine manufacturer is partnering with Fresh Del Monte Produce to develop a machine that will vend bananas and other fresh produce without damage. The effort is driven by the push to provide healthier snacks in machines located in schools and offices. The Wittern Group’s new machine, launched earlier this year, is partitioned into two separate chambers. The upper chamber contains bananas kept at 57 degrees; the bottom contains other fresh-cut produce kept at 34 degrees. Other special features include: plastic packaging to keep bananas fresher longer; padding in the retrieval bin to protect delicate produce from the long drop; and, in future models, elevators to gently lower fruit to the bin. Freshness is not cheap: the new device costs $5,000, compared to $3,000 for traditional models.

Superfruits can reverse the negative effects of oxidative stress and help combat inflammation, according to a Tufts University nutritionist who spoke at a workshop at the SupplySide West conference. The key to the health benefits of superfruits is anthocyanins, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and improve function, Barbara Shukitt-Hale said. But superfruits also appear to help develop new dendritic connections in the brain, a finding that offers hope for reversing the degenerative effects of aging. Another speaker at the workshop said that food formulators should consider superfruits in developing new food offerings. Thirty-seven percent of consumers aged 18 to 29 through those 65+ want to add more superfruits to their diet – including cranberry, blackberry , blueberry, açaí, noni, mangosteen, pomegranate, aronia, maqui, honeyberry and yumberry.

A good example of a trend among American consumers toward value rather than simple self-deprivation, is the upsurge in popularity of Greek-style yogurt. According to Nielsen market research, after three years of recession, consumers look closely not only at prices, but at the benefits of products. And they are willing to pay a higher price if those perceived benefits seem worth it. Greek yogurt, for example, is sold at 121 percent of the price of regular yogurt on average, but sales are soaring: dollar sales rose 160 percent and unit sales rose 203 percent in the past 12 months, compared to three percent and one percent respectively for regular yogurt. Nielsen says Greek yogurt is a “triple threat” in the market: it offers health, convenience and taste.

A randomized clinical trial involving 2,399 Australian women found that dietary fish oil supplements containing the omega-3 fatty acid DHA did not decrease levels of postpartum depression in mothers or boost cognitive and language development in their children. The findings conflict with earlier research and recommendations that fish oil supplements in pregnant women offer possible health benefits. Women in the trial received DHA-rich fish oil capsules (providing 800 mg/d of DHA) or similar-size vegetable oil capsules without DHA from study beginning to birth. Researchers measured levels of depression and found that the percentage of women reporting high levels of depressive symptoms during the first six months postpartum did not differ between the DHA and control groups (9.67 percent vs. 11.19 percent).

Researchers who analyzed data from a large European cohort study found that intake of more than 100 mL (about 3.4 oz.) of coffee and tea a day was significantly associated with a reduced risk of brain tumors (gliomas). The findings support the conclusions of an earlier U.S. cohort study as well as some experiments showing that caffeine slows the persistent growth of glioblastoma. Researchers examined data compiled from more than a half-million people over eights years. They found 343 cases of glioma and 245 cases of meningioma in nine countries. There was “an inverse association between total coffee and tea consumption and risk of glioma that was consistent with the findings of a recent study,” the researchers concluded.

A July poll by AdweekMedia/Harris into which advertising consumers find most helpful in deciding what to buy found TV ads still the most popular, with 25% of total responses. Surprisingly, the popularity of TV ads is higher with 18-34 years olds (34%) than 24-44s (24%) and 55-pluses (15%). Following TV ads is internet search ads (contextual ads) with 18% of responses. Another surprise is that the eldest group (55-plusers) finds this form more helpful than the youngest group (18-34s), 20% compared to 16%. Newspaper ads took 15% of responses and internet banner ads 2%, while 40% said none of these. 

Thanks to consumers’ ongoing demand for healthy, low-calorie beverages, producers and industry experts expect continued strong sales growth for natural, sugar-free juices as well as new fruit and vegetable offerings. While Europe led in consumption of natural fruit and vegetable juices at 11 billion liters last year, North Americans drank about 9.5 billion liters and Asians about 8 billion. A leading U.K. beverage consultant expects a 1.2 percent sales increase in Europe in 2011, though a global juice packager sees Asian and South American markets showing the strongest growth. Selling well in produce aisles are Bolthouse, Odwalla, Naked, Acai and pomegranate juices, while new products like coconut water are gathering steam. Meanwhile, Coca Cola is fortifying its traditional beverages with vitamins and nutrients and low- and no-calorie options.

Research conducted by The NPD Group on the eating habits of U.S. consumers indicates that time-management is a key driver in food purchase decisions. Although Americans may eat the same types of food they did 30 years ago, they now purchase more ready-to-eat and frozen options and, when preparing food, use more time-efficient approaches. Today only 59 percent of entrees are fully-prepared at home, compared with 72 percent in 1980, and the average number of items in a meal has fallen to 3.5 from 4.44. Cooking techniques have changed as well since the 1980s: microwave use has doubled, and the use of slow-cookers has increased significantly too. More than one in three households now use grills at least once every two weeks. NPD’s projections see current trends persisting.

In the continuing trend to deliver traditional products in more environmentally sensitive ways, Replenish has launched a new line of surface cleaners that relies on consumers diluting a concentrate solution. Replenish sells pods that contain cleaner concentrate along with a specially designed reusable spray bottle into which the pod fits; consumers add water to obtain a traditional strength cleaning spray. The company sells the reusable bottle and the initial pod for $7.99 and each pod, which is enough for four bottles of cleaner, for $3.99, compared to about $4.00 for a single bottle of Windex.

Low-carbohydrate beverages fortified with protein provide longer endurance times in cyclists, according to new U.S. research. The findings offer a different perspective on the use of standard carbohydrate supplements as endurance boosters. A protein-enhanced low-carb drink containing half the carbs and less than a third of the calories of conventional sports drinks improves aerobic endurance – depending on the level of exercise intensity, researchers said. The lab study included 15 skilled endurance cyclists who did two long rides, one after drinking a standard six percent carb supplement, the other a three percent carb plus protein supplement. Overall, there was no significant difference in endurance times. However, endurance improved by about 28 percent in cyclists exercising at or near their ventilatory threshold (VT).

A growing demand for environment-friendly packaging and products is expected to drive the world’s bioplastics industry to grow 30% a year in the coming decade, although plastics made from plant material currently represents just 0.2% of all plastic consumed each year . Biomass is used to replace petroleum products in the manufacture of plastics, reducing demand for fossil fuels and improving biodegradability. Some chemical companies, such as BASF in Germany, are expanding bioplastics capacity to meet the expected demand from consumer goods manufacturers like Procter & Gamble Co. and Johnson & Johnson Inc., both of which have switched to plant-based resins for packaging some of their brands. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are also exploring applications for bioplastics. While environmentalists in general support renewable energy initiatives, they have some reservations about biodegradable plastics, which still go into landfill. Bioplastics are also generally still more expensive than traditional plastics, and the chemical companies are relying on some consumers being willing to pay more for greener options. A return to very high oil prices will also make bioplastics more competitive.

The European Commission says it will recommend that animal cloning for the production of food, along with use of cloned farm animals and marketing of food from cloned animals, be suspended for at least five years. After that period, the temporary measures would be reviewed. The EC also will propose creating a system for tracing the sources of imported reproductive materials for clones, such as semen and embryos of clones. Farmers and industry would then be able to establish a database that would track the animals created from the reproductive materials. The Commission said the proposal for a moratorium, prompted by requests from the European Parliament and Member States for a specific policy, are “a realistic and feasible solution to respond to the present welfare concerns."

A battle royal is shaping up between big food companies and pharmaceutical firms, both of which are taking the $175 billion nutraceuticals market with its 25 percent profit margins very seriously. Lined up on the food side of the field are companies like Nestlé, Danone and PepsiCo, all of which have launched initiatives. A major pharmaceutical entering the fray is Novartis, which has compiled a track record in the food industry by virtue of relationships with companies like H.J. Heinz. It’s still early in the fight, however, and so far neither industry seems to have a big lead. In fact it’s very possible, analysts say, that big food and big pharma will link up to share their respective expertise in tackling the market. Meantime, keep your eye on Nestlé.