General Mills Inc. unveiled a web portal for people interested in building better Cheerios, reports Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. And it’s offering funding to help entice them.

The food-maker’s recently revamped web site for its General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network is online at GeneralMills.com/Win and includes interactive features letting inventors know what topics the company is interested in pursuing.

The network was launched in 2007 to reach out to food scientists and inventors to help with specific technical hurdles. However, the site now lists 50 challenges, including “Low Capital Ice Cream Hardening Processes,” “Alternate Uses for Vegetable Waste Streams” and “Sugar Reduction in Chewy Granola Bars.”

If General Mills likes an idea, it could respond by starting a licensing or joint venture deal. The company is also offering to back proof-of-concept demonstrations with up to $50,000 in funding.

Those who register online to join the innovation network community will receive ongoing updates about specific technical challenges that match their unique abilities and expertise.

MINTEL PREDICTS 2010
FLAVOR/SCENT TRENDS

Next year's flavors for consumer packaged goods are going to be a mix of old and new, as ethnic flavors become the norm and certain spices are added for their functional benefits, according to a new report by market researcher Mintel.

The 2010 flavor predictions include:

• Cardamom, known to be intensely aromatic, will extend beyond the ethnic foods and will turn up as a flavoring for confectionery items like chocolate, such as an orange-cardamom flavored bar by Cosmic Chocolate.
• Sweet potatoes are one of the most diversely prepared vegetables and are slated to be the new functional food as they have been shown to stabilize blood sugar, lower blood pressure and help with digestive conditions.
• Hibiscus – USDA has said consuming hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure. Mintel expects to see it become a common ingredient in beverages.
• Capuacu is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and amino acids. This taste from the Amazon is expected to be the next big superfruit.
• Rose water – no longer just a fragrance – look for rose water as a common flavor in ethnic foods and desserts.
• Latin – Latin spices like cilantro will determine the flavors of more new products on the shelves.

Mintel also noted its scent predictions which include simple/clean scents and scents to influence mood.

FOLLOW NAFFS
ON LINKEDIN

Are you LinkedIn yet? NAFFS is! We invite you to join our group on LinkedIn where you’ll have additional opportunities to find and connect with those in the flavor industry, start and comment on discussions and post articles. Take advantage of additional networking opportunities by joining the NAFFS Group on www.linkedin.com.

VOTE FOR NAFFS
YEARBOOK COVER

The cover choices for the NAFFS 2010 Yearbook are available online at www.naffs.org. Members must log in to the Members-Only area to cast their vote.

Each of the entries submitted had impressive style and uniqueness. Be sure to visit the NAFFS web site and enter your choice now. All votes must be in by December 4.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR
CHOCOLATE LOVERS

The levels of antioxidant activity and flavan-3-ol levels in chocolate products are stable over a controlled shelf life of one year, according to a new study, reported Food Navigator.

Increased interest in the levels of flavanols in foods in recent years has stemmed from the possible cardiovascular health benefits associated with their antioxidant activity. Flavanol levels found in cocoa and chocolate are among the highest dietary sources of these compounds so shelf life stability is of great interest.

Researchers based at the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition conducted the study and explained that in order to analyze the shelf-life stability of cocoa products including milk and dark chocolate, cocoa powder and beans, the products were stored for one year under conditions designed to replicate retail storage at temperatures ranging from 18 to 24◦C. Scientists measured the antioxidant activity, total polyphenols, flavan-3-ols monomers and procyanidin levels in all the products at successive intervals.

The results showed that for the cocoa products studied, antioxidant activity and flavan-3-ol levels are stable over typical shelf lives of one year under controlled storage and over two years in ambient storage in the laboratory. “We also show that 80-year old cocoa powder and 116-year old cocoa beans still show very high levels of antioxidant activity and flavan-3-ol content,” claimed the team.

NAFFS PARTICIPATES
AT SUPPLYSIDE

NAFFS had a booth last week at SupplySide West in Las Vegas. Many thanks to NAFFS Vice President Arthur Curran of Citrus and Allied Essences for his assistance at the booth throughout the show.

In addition to participating via the show floor, NAFFS participated via the education program. NAFFS President-Elect Scott Riefler of TIC Gums, Stephanie Lynch of Virginia Dare and Judy Lindsey of RQA spoke about the role of flavors and related ingredients in functional and health foods. Many thanks to Scott, Stephanie and Judy as well.

NAFFS also participated in the Chicago IFT Suppliers’ Day last week. At both the SupplySide and IFT events, information on NAFFS and NAFFS Yearbooks were distributed to attendees. Many of those stopping at the NAFFS booth were very interested in the ads and the membership directory in the Yearbook.

FDA AMENDS COLOR
ADDITIVE REGULATIONS

The Food and Drug Administration is amending the color additive regulations to provide for the safe use of astaxanthin dimethyldisuccinate as a color additive in the feed of salmonid fish to enhance the color of their flesh. The rule is effective December 8.

FDA EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD
ON ACRYLAMIDE IN FOOD

FDA is extending to January 25, 2010, the comment period for the notice entitled “Acrylamide in Food; Request for Comments and for Scientific Data and Information,” that appeared in the August 26, 2009 Federal Register. Electronic comments and scientific data may be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov.

NAFFS CALENDAR

Feb. 2010 – NAFFS Winter Meeting, TBD
March 11, 2010 – NAFFS California Meeting, Crowne Plaza, Anaheim, Cal.
Nov. 4-7, 2010 – NAFFS 93rd Annual Convention, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fl.