What’s a Virtual Trade Show? Attend One! 

Networking, presentations, supplier literature, exhibitor booths and the ability to ask vendors confidential questions in real time are all valued activities at an industry trade show. How does that translate to a real-time, online event? You will have the chance to find out on December 16, 2010, when Prepared Foods presents a free Heart Health Virtual Expo. The digital age presents ever more opportunities to be informed on subjects impacting day-to-day job duties. If your company is active in the functional foods arena, or if you just want to become more familiar with this new information venue, now is your chance. Pre-registration is helpful. Visit www.PreparedFoodsVirtualExpo.com today.

The Sweet Life
Malt Products Corp. announced the availability of its Grainulose® line of natural, cereal-based sweeteners. The line includes rice, oat, rye and wheat sweeteners, along with the company’s already established line of malts. Grainulose products are manufactured using the malt-germinating process, along with other proprietary techniques. Because each grain imparts its own unique flavor, color and body, these properties can be matched to the sweetening needs of individual products. Grainulose cereal-based sweeteners are humectants and promote moisture retention and longer shelflife, says the company. Malt Products Corp., 800-526-0180, www.maltproducts.com

No More Fishy Aroma
A natural, dried bonito flavor powder from Ogawa Flavors & Fragrances is said to increase umami and long-lasting flavor, while decreasing fishy aroma. Dried bonito, or katsuobushi, is one of the main ingredients of dashi, a broth that forms the basis of many soups (such as miso soup) and sauces in traditional Japanese cuisine. Ogawa’s natural, dried bonito flavor is highly purified and comes in an easy-to-use powder form. It is heat- and retort-stable and has high intensity at use levels of 0.05-0.1%, says the company. Ogawa Flavors & Fragrances, www.ogawa.net/English

Less Impact
Danisco has launched XIVIA™, its new brand name for sustainable xylitol, based on the Life Cycle Assessment results of its unique, wood-based integration concept. Danisco Wood Based integrated concept (DWB) produces as little as 1-16% of the environmental impact associated with the competitive biomass hydrolysis process-based production method using corn cobs as raw material (BHP), according to Danisco. “The LCA results clearly indicate that XIVIA is a far more sustainable sugar substitute than xylitol produced using corn cobs. Environmental impacts associated with xylitol production using corn cob and the biomass concept are significantly worse for all of the 15 environmental impact categories analyzed in the study,” says James Dedman, business director, Polyols, at Danisco. Danisco, www.xivia.info

Milk Consumption and Hispanics
A new Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy white paper analyzes the growing Hispanic market and reveals strategies to more effectively meet the needs of this population and expand dairy sales. The paper segments Hispanic consumers by level of acculturation, which is a strong indicator of consumption patterns. It examines dairy preferences, perceptions and consumption among foreign-born, less-acculturated immigrants; foreign-born, more-acculturated immigrants; and U.S.-born, Hispanic residents. The less-acculturated group consumes almost 50% more milk, cheese and yogurt than the most-acculturated segment of Hispanic consumers. The white paper also pinpoints specific recommendations to help meet the challenge of creating demand by addressing the traditional needs of these consumers, including messaging, positioning, new product and packaging innovation, and distribution strategies. To receive a copy of the white paper, “Understanding the Dairy Opportunity Among Hispanic Consumers,” visit USDairy.com or e-mail InnovationCenter@USDairy.com.

Gluten-free Goodness
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) offers the baking industry hundreds of ingredients, including flour, whole grains, fats and oils, and cocoa and chocolate. Its new sorghum flour was recently featured in a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie at the 2010 International Baking Industry Expo in Las Vegas, and it made use of the company’s sorghum flour and VegeFull bean powder in place of wheat flour. It also featured ADM’s Ambrosia® chocolate chips. Earlier this year, ADM began offering white sorghum flour and whole-grain sorghum flour for gluten-free and multi-grain applications. ADM’s sorghum flour has a light color and neutral flavor, making it ideal for use in cakes, cookies, breads and pancakes. ADM, www.adm.com

Boomers and Energy Drinks
In the midst of a national focus on health, Baby Boomers are an attractive market. Boomers have demonstrated a willingness to spend disposable income on health club memberships, personal trainers and supplements.

In the September 7, 2010, issue of E-dition, Prepared Foods’ e-mail newsletter, Rodney Benjamin, director of technical development, TandemRain Innovations (www.tandemrain.com), asked if today’s array of energy drinks will respond, by evolving into tomorrow’s nutritionally enhanced beverages. If these aging athletes believe such beverages will help them postpone aging, the answer is likely to be a resounding “Yes!”

Consider the market potential in formulating nutritionally enhanced beverages to address joint support, cognitive function, injury prevention, endurance, bone density, cardio health, weight management or metabolism support. Benjamin explored protein-enhanced beverages, the supplementation of calcium and vitamin D in these drinks, and even their recent incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids, while also delving into what may be next on the horizon.

From the September 7 issue of Prepared Foods’ E-dition. For the full article, visit PreparedFoods.com and search for the keyword “jocks.”

Assessing Antioxidants
Antioxidants con-tinue to gain momentum as a major trend in today’s food markets, explained John Michaelides, Ph.D., director of research and technology at the Guelph Food Technology Centre (www.gftc.ca), in a recent issue of the E-dition newsletter. Consumers are becoming more aware of the connection between antioxidants in foods and the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

Many fruits and vegetables have been investigated for their antioxidant ability, and some of the actual substances responsible for the antioxidant activity within these vegetables and fruits have been identified. These include resveratrol in grapes; rutin in asparagus; lycopene in tomatoes; vitamin C in citrus; and many others. Some fruits and vegetables with bright colors are known to contain higher antioxidants. Processing these into ingredients fulfills two current needs for the food industry: the demand for antioxidant-rich ingredients and the need for new natural colors. Recent research in France investigated carrots in various colors, such as white, yellow and pink, both for their natural color and antioxidant strength.

The article went on to discuss factors in the commercial production for stable, antioxidant-rich ingredients.

From the August 30 issue of Prepared Foods’ E-dition. For the full article, visit PreparedFoods.com and search for the keyword “Guelph.”

In the Know
For daily industry news updates, see the homepage of www.PreparedFoods.com and www.NutraSolutions.com.
* PureCircle announced the launch of a global consumer marketing campaign to promote stevia as a better sweetener choice. PureCircle also announced the launch of a joint venture with Nordzucker, one of Europe’s largest sugar companies, and a global strategic partnership on Stevia with Germany’s DöhlerGroup.
* Aker BioMarine’s Superba Krill Oil ingredient has been recognized with The Professors of Pharmacy Award, which works to educate leading pharmacies and consumers about the positive health benefits derived from dietary supplement products.
* Nutraceuticals International LLC agreed to participate in an extensive joint venture with Peruvian Nature, a GMP-certified manufacturer based in Lima, Peru. 
* ENRECO Inc. completed an American Institute of Baking (AIB) inspection at its Newton, Wis., production facility, earning a “Superior” rating for the fourth year in a row.
* Herbamed Ltd. appointed DVA America as its exclusive agent for Ultrasome CoQ10 in the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
* Bunge North America announced the opening of the Bunge Ingredient Innovation Center (BIIC) for Edible Oils & Carbohydrates in Bradley, Ill. This center combines Bunge’s food ingredient innovation and pilot plant facilities into one location. (See tiny.cc/7cjag for complete story.) pf