MarketWatch -- January 2011

Bottled pomegranate juice has emerged in popularity in recent years, but many consumers are unsure or unwilling to utilize the fresh pomegranate. To negate the consumer need to extract the edible arils from a pomegranate (an inconvenient and often time-consuming process), one of the fruit's biggest proponents is introducing the arils presorted.

The Fresh Pomegranate Arils from POM Wonderful promise a sweet-tart flavor and can add a sweet overtone to a savory entrÈe or zest to a dessert, the company notes. Furthermore, the company explains, the arils are "an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber and a good source of potassium and polyphenol antioxidants."

Out of Many, One
Increasingly, consumers are concerned about the sustainability efforts in the products they purchase; as such, manufacturers are altering their approach to "green" issues. In fact, an exclusive feature on sustainability in the food industry will appear in the January 24, 2011, issue of E-dition, Prepared Foods' electronic newsletter.

Naked Juice is making its own efforts in sustainability, most recently with a switch in its packaging. The company has introduced the reNEWabottle for its 10, 15.2 and 64oz juices and juice smoothies. The new bottle is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, and the company notes it will reduce virgin plastic consumption by 7.4 million pounds per year. Furthermore, Naked Juice claims the reNEWabottle will reduce its overall carbon footprint and save more than 12,000 cubic meters of space in landfills.

Beer is Good
According to a survey from Boston Beer Company, more than 60% of men would prefer to toast celebratory occasions with beer rather than champagne, if given the choice. As luck would have it, the company has introduced a new beverage that it believes will cater to both demands.

Infinium is described as a champagne-like beer, a sparkling brew that is the culmination of a two-year collaboration between Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Samuel Adams beers, and Dr. Josef Schradler, managing director of Germany's Weihenstephan Brewery. The new beverage adheres to the standards of the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer-purity law which demands all beer be brewed with only four ingredients: hops, malt, water and yeast. According to the companies, Infinium is the first new beer style created under the Reinheitsgebot in over 100 years, and it also contains 10.3% alcohol by volume, more than twice the amount of an average beer.

"Pure" Delusion
The court of justice of the European Union has determined there is no such thing as "pure chocolate," thereby voiding an Italian law recognizing some delicacies as "pure chocolate."

According to the court, if a product is made from 100% cocoa butter, it must be listed only as such on the ingredients label. Furthermore, per the EU's 1999 chocolate labeling regulations, there is no allowance for a "pure chocolate" reference, such as the Italian law enacted in 2003.

As some EU nations include vegetable fats in the production of chocolate, the label for these must also indicate "contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter," the court determined.pf