April 17, 2003 Recent News
Cereals run sweet and healthy: 2003 New Products Annual
Household diversity trends: consumers & their needs
Dietetic food market to grow globally
Addressing the childhood obesity epidemic
Legislating obesity through food taxes?
Atkins Diet blamed for sales slump in grain-based foods
The Mediterranean's edible sunshine
Macro mania: the highs and lows and American nutrition
EU takes 12 member states to court over GMO law
Cereals run sweet and healthy: 2003 New Products Annual
In a survey conducted by Mintel International, about a third of respondents were eating breakfast cereals as snacks. There were few new innovations in the categories of ready-to-eat and hot cereal in 2002. Category sales, according to Information Resources, were at $6.8 billion. The adult cereal category products contained more multi-grain and organic ingredients as well as "massive amounts of vitamins and minerals in fortification efforts," the article notes. The children's lines were mostly off-expansions of established brands and licensed character cereals. Most makers used box banners to promote fortification, but they are also looking for healthful grains and unique flavors to gain a market edge. Kellogg's Kashi products are noted, one of which includes whole barley, triticale and sesame. Nature's Path's Hemp Plus Granola has organic oats, canola oil and flaxseed in its line-up; and the article predicts that flaxseed, with omega-3 fatty acids, will be one of the cereal ingredients of the future. General Mills and Quaker introduced several oat products to capitalize on the heart-healthy claim. Kellogg, General Mills and Kraft have expanded some of their cereals using dried berries. Organic cereals are growing in popularity and according to the Natural Marketing Institute; retail sales of organic products had compound organic growth of 22.74% over the past ten years and are expected to hit $20 billion by 2005. Amaranth is noted as a featured ingredient in several cereals. The article includes a table of launches of new hot and cold breakfast cereals in North America for the past three years. A sidebar notes several cereals that are being offered around the world. Among them is Nestle's Twoja Linia, a fitness cereal, in Poland. Nestle introduced similar products in Israel in 2002 and in Mexico and Germany in 2001. Quaker entered to Hong Kong market with its Oatmeal Porridge, which has soluble fiber and comes in an anchovie flavor.
(Extracted from Prepared Foods, 3/1/2003)
Household diversity trends: consumers & their needs
Households in the US are becoming more diverse, which has added complexity to analyzing their needs. The nuclear family spends the most money eating out and those continue to increase, though there are demographic differences in the nuclear unit. The article notes that the "mosaic of today's typical American households is not likely to change anytime soon," and says this is positive for the foodservice industry. It suggests that the industry note the following for planning purposes: family household will continue as the ranking target segment, with young singles declining in importance as a "hot" group; the potential for minority households will need to be reviewed; and multigenerational households will grow in importance. In order to appeal to the changing model of the American household, the foodservice industry will need to be more focused in its marketing.
(Extracted from Future Food Trends, 3/1/2003)
Dietetic food market to grow globally
According to a study from Euromonitor, global demand for dietetic foods, drinks and supplements will continue to grow for at least the next few years and there is enormous growth potential as people's health awareness grows. Sector growth will be spurred by the following factors, especially in developed countries: longer life expectancy, increased obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and growing consumer awareness. Most growth will occur in sports nutrition, slimming foods, products for food intolerances and medical foods, the report says. Among products for food intolerances will be lacotose-free and lactose-reduced products and diabetic and gluten-free products. The medical foods will be aimed at those having chronic diseases. The report notes that the crossover use of products will increase as it has with consumption of sports drinks by non-athletes or of lactose free products for general health benefits. Consumers in the developing areas in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America and Eastern Europe will become better informed and as global manufacturer participation increases, those markets have high potential for growth.
(Extracted from Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 3/1/2003)
Addressing the childhood obesity epidemic
According to the American Heart Association's "Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2003 Update," there are an estimated 8.8 million overweight or obese children in the age 6-18 group. Estimates from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are that 16%-33% of children and adolescents are obese. Of those in the 10-13 age group classified that way, about 80% will go on to become obese as adults. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention notes a tripling of overweight adolescents in the last 35 years and says the percentages continue to rise. Leading causes of obesity in children are: poor eating habits, overeating, lack of exercise, family history, medical illness, medication, stressful life events or changes, family and peer problems, low self esteem and depression or other emotional problems. Changing current trends will not be easy, given that almost 65% of adults in the US are either overweight or obese, making obesity a family lifestyle issue. The article notes the increase in serving sizes for such foods as hamburgers, salty snacks, soft drinks, asks what a "serving" is, observes that serving sizes vary between adults and children and says the "lumberjack" servings many children are eating can quickly lead to obesity. National health goals addressing the problem have been developed and there are a number of "grass roots" efforts underway. Currently consumers support individual choice in eating habits, something not likely to change, but eating habits do evolve over time.
(Extracted from Future Food Trends, 3/1/2003)
Legislating obesity through food taxes?
Along the same lines as attempts to reduce smoking, it was suggested a few years ago that junk foods be taxed as a means of reducing their consumption. The object was to reduce obesity. The author, a consultant dietitian to the Confectionery Manufacturers of Australasia, claims it is dangerous to try and align food with cigarettes, which are addictive and have no safe level of consumption, while there are safe levels for every food and no addictive compounds in food. The alignment is also simplistic and assumes that junk foods are the only cause of obesity. It is difficult to get people to exercise, a key component of weight control, but it is simple to tax or ban certain foods, and the industry is an easy target. Sadly, many health professionals target the food industry when often they are producing much of the education nutrition resources. Taxing foods would require defining the problem and relating it to the supposed negative ingredients in each food. Is chocolate worse than cheese? Should the sugar in soft drinks be taxed? Sugar is actually fairly innocuous in terms of disease. The author suggests upgrading nutrition education in schools and the workplace, and making physical activity a normal part of life.
(Extracted from Manufacturing Confectioner, 12/1/2002)
Atkins Diet blamed for sales slump in grain-based foods
Food companies say that the very popular Atkins Diet is falsely portraying food groups that are a foundation of American eating and that the diet's promotion of the severe limiting of flour-based products is hurting bread and cereal sales. According to the Wheat Food Council (WFC), something must be done soon. It plans to work with federal health officials who are beginning to discuss revisions to the 11-year old Food Guide Pyramid, which places bread, cereals, rice and pasta as the foundation and recommends 6-11 servings a day. The group plans a direct attack on the Atkins diet, saying those following the diet increase the risk of such health problems as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, kidney damage and some cancers. It also says the diet can lead to headaches, constipation and bad breath. The latest Consumer Expenditure survey indicated that there is a possible shift from grain-based foods. Spending in 2001 for such products dropped as spending on poultry, fish, eggs and other such products was up for the third year in a row. While spending dropped 0.2%, the consumer price index for the grain-based foods was up 2.9%. Wheat consumption in the 1997-2001 period dropped 4%. While Atkins is not interested in doing battle with the flour people, the director of research at Atkins Health and Medical Information Services says that over-consumption of such foods as bread, cereals and baked products are partly to blame for the problem of overweight in this country and that those foods made with white flour, sugars and hydrogenated oils are the worst.
(Extracted from Food Industry Newsletter, 3/31/2003)
The Mediterranean's edible sunshine
Food Product Design writer, Kimberly Decker, discusses the "Mediterranean" diet pyramid as an alternative to the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid, suggesting that "perhaps the surest strategy for fighting modern society's chronic illnesses may be to abandon fat-free deprivation and resume eating the way we did before those illnesses became so chronic." The Traditional Healthy Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, first presented in 1994 by a joint body made up of the Harvard School of Public Health, the United Nations World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization Collaborating Center and Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust. This diet utilizes the "dietary traditions of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy circa 1960" and structures them in light of current nutrition research. The main similarity with the USDA pyramid is that the Mediterranean one emphasizes daily consumption of bread, pasta, grains, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. But other recommendations are quite different. The Mediterranean pyramid recommends consuming poultry, fish and eggs on a weekly basis, and it includes tree-nuts and legumes in the fruits-and-vegetables sector instead of with animal-based proteins. The biggest difference is at the top: The USDA pyramid gives this smallest section to fats, oils and sweets, while the Mediterranean apex contains red meat, accompanied by a "monthly" consumption suggestion. But the lipids are found throughout the Mediterranean pyramid, although focusing on olive oil instead of other oils or fats.
(Extracted from Food Product Design, 2/1/2003)
Macro mania: the highs and lows and American nutrition
The new nutritional guidelines released by the US National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board have added new impetus to the macronutrient nutrition market in the US. The guidelines provide the first-ever recommended intake levels for dietary fiber, carbohydrates, nine essential amino acids, total fat and alpha-linolenic and linoleic fatty acids. It also sets upper level intakes for some nutrients, pointing out effects of over-consumption, and places a new emphasis on the prevention of chronic diseases. The guidelines advise that one should reduce added and refined sugar to 25% of total calories and carbohydrates to 130 grams a day, from 230-280 grams. By not setting a cautionary upper limit on protein or dietary fiber, the new guidelines "leave the door open" for high fiber products, the article notes. In the category of carbohydrates, the article discusses the trend to high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets and says that particular market is likely to remain strong. With the maturing of the high-protein side of the market, the article notes two major market opportunities: the first is an increase in the popularity of amino-acid-directed products resulting from the new requirements for nine essential amino acids. The second is more attention to the source of protein. A Gallup-Multi-Sponsor Survey in 2002 found that there had been an increase in consumption of soy foods by adults from 13% in 2001 to 14% in 2002, with 6% consuming soy beverages, down from 8% in 2000. Other protein sources besides soy are offering a wide range of health benefits, especially those with a number of amino acids, such as whey protein. Another Gallup poll found that 56% of consumers made some effort to reduce sugar intake in 2002, 8% over 2001. Of those, 44% said they were on a low sugar regimen, up 12% over 2001.
(Extracted from Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 3/1/2003)
EU takes 12 member states to court over GMO law
The EU is taking 12 of its 15 member countries to trial for failing to implement new regulations on testing and monitoring GM foods. Countries that missed an October 2002 deadline to put in the new EU rules are France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria and Finland. The new rules were meant to ease consumer fears over GM foods. The 12 countries, led by France, say they want another layer of rules on traceability and labeling of GM ingredients to be passed before they set up their procedures.
(Extracted from Reuters News, 4/10/2003)
