Consumers are purchasing enough functional foods to bring them to an expected $60 billion sales mark next year, according to registered dietitian Keri Glassman, reported CBSNEWS.com.

In part of the series “Heartwatch,” Glassman detailed three such food groups: omega 3 fatty acids, plant sterols and calcium. She explained which foods are fortified with them and what they promise to do for our hearts.

Glassman cited, for example, calcium which is found naturally in milk and yogurt but added to orange juice to fortify it.

Omega 3s, known to lower blood pressure, triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol (LDL) are also known to increase “good” cholesterol (HDL) and reduce inflammation which is a contributor to heart disease and stroke. She spoke about natural sources of essential fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, walnuts, and flax. Fortified foods such as Tropicana with omega 3s from fish oils and Smart Balance PB with omega 3s from flax oil were also cited.

New flavor developments in the industry are driven by consumer insights, according to Frost & Sullivan Market Insight.

To sustain the dynamic flavors’ market, companies are focusing on improving the technologies that enhance shelf life, flavor potency and physical characteristics of flavor formulations to support the modern trends.

Because consumers are increasingly adventurous in their flavor preferences and involved in more flavor experiences, it resulted in the success of the following trends, noted the report:

Exotic Flavors – A major trend is exotic and unusual combinations of flavors which is driven by consumer willingness to try new and unique combinations. The challenge to the flavor companies is to understand their preferences and give them the right flavors at the right time. The report cites McCormick’s top 10 flavor forecast of the season which includes: clove and green apple, thyme and tangerine, tellicherry black pepper and berry, sea salt and smoked tea, lavender and honey, crystallized ginger and salted pistachio, cumin and apricot, toasted mustard and fennel seeds, wasabi and maple and caramelized garlic and Riesling vinegar.

Industry experts have rated “flavors from natural ingredients” as the most important trend within health over the next five years. This will encourage “natural flavors” manufacturers to provide more varieties to take advantage of this opportunity. Blueberry, grape, aloe vera, pine bark, soy and citrus-based flavors are the commonly used health flavors.

Flavor Choices – Flavor choices are primarily influenced by occasion. The trend of eating out has been key in exposing consumers to new flavors. Consumers desire to experience new, exotic foods from a fine dining restaurant to a “grab and go” kind of food outlet and even a convenience store. Flavor choices can also be influenced by life stage. While children’s flavor preferences are generically influenced by parents, this trend is expected to change as modern-age children are more exposed to modern food trends and can make purchase decisions on their own.

Modern-age consumers are venturing outside of their comfort zone and trying various new tastes and combinations, the report concludes. Flavor innovators must meet the needs of the consumer to deliver both value and fun. “The critical success factor is listening to consumer demand, viewing the current trend and anticipating the needs of the future, which could include healthy indulgences and ethnic American foods,” the report said.

Food products with “no additives/preservatives” claims are leading the way in European and international launches, according to data from Mintel.

The “no additives/ preservatives” claims accounted for 23 percent of new product claims in Europe from January to September 2008, and a similar number (22 percent) of claims on products launched globally.

The demand for “Kosher” was reflected in Mintel’s statistics for claims on new products launched in the U.S., with 4,277 out of 11,825 targeting this market.

The “no additives/preservatives” claim was second in the U.S., with 2,243 new products launched with the claim. Third on the list was “all natural,” with “low/no/reduced transfat” and “organic” completing the top five.

Essential oils from cinnamon may inhibit the growth of micro-organisms by as much as 60 percent, reported FoodNavigator.com.

The oil was tested for its anti-fungal activity and results from the research suggest the essential oil from cinnamon may be used as a preservative in certain food applications.

Nikos Tzortzakis from the Greek National Agricultural Research Foundation tested cinnamon oil in the range of 25 and 500 ppm for its activity against certain fungi, including Collectotrichum coccodes, Rhizopus stolonifer Botrytis cinera, Cladosporium herbarum and Asperigillus niger. The in vitro experiments showed the anti-fungal activity was related to the concentration of the essential oil.

When the 25 ppm concentration was tested, a 63 percent reduction in the production of fungal spores was observed. At a concentration of 500 ppm, “fungal sporulation (except for B. cinerea) was completely retarded,” said Tzortzakis.

In addition, germination of the produced spores was also affected by the cinnamon essential oil, with a reduction observed for C. coccodes, B. cinerea, C. herbarum and R. stolonifer.

The study is ongoing with current trials “focusing on the mechanisms underlying the impacts of essential oil volatiles on disease development with a major contribution to limiting the spread of the pathogen by lowering the spore load in the storage/transit atmospheres as well as the use of essential oil as an alternative food preservative,” according to Tzortzakis.

October 23-26 - The 91st Annual NAFFS Convention, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla.