PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY
AT NAFFS’ WINTER MEETING
A promotional opportunity exists at the NAFFS Winter Meeting to be held on Friday, February 10 at The French Culinary Institute. If you would like to donate 70 pens and/or 70 pads to be used by attendees, please contact the NAFFS office. This is being offered to members on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you haven’t already registered, don’t miss this audience-participation program where Executive Chef Lee Anne Wong will use cutting-edge technology to demonstrate the latest flavor trends using essential oils and seasonal ingredients. Attendees will get to taste, smell, savor and compare the next generation of culinary excellence. Only a few seats remain. Register now!
TOP FLAVORS AND
FOOD TRENDS FOR 2006
Along with the New Year come many predictions for 2006. McCormick & Company released the McCormick Flavor Forecast 2006, a report revealing the top flavors for the coming year. People are experimenting with international ingredients, local finds and inventive uses of spices and herbs. The report’s top flavors include: anise, caraway, Chai (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper), marjoram, paprika and saffron.
Looking into her crystal ball, Marilynn Marter, food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, announced her picks for the top 20 food trends:
1. Contemporary comfort foods – Consumers still want homey foods but more sophisticated tastes are kicking in.
2. Small gets bigger – Downsized portions by any name are a trend that will continue to grow.
3. The new red meat – Premium pork of rare breed lineage. These pedigreed pigs, kurobuta, produce meat so well-marbled, it’s self basting.
4. Creative cocktails – Adding herbs is the latest twist at the bar.
5. Spicier, more flavorful foods – use of spices, especially cardamom, is on the rise.
6. Exotic fruits and flavors – Black sapote, guarana, Brazilian acai berries, tamarind, figs, lychees, sesame, seaweed and juice of the mangosteen.
7. Breakfast rebounds and coffee bar competition heats up – home breakfasts will gain ground and McDonald’s test-markets expresso, cappuccino and “coffee lounges.”
8. Varietal honeys – look for a growing selection of artisanal honeys bearing the flavors of fruits and herbs.
9. Convenience reigns – Expect more tortas, casseroles and one-pot suppers.
10. Bitter chocolates – the health benefits of cocoa and dark chocolate, the classic comfort food, hit it big last year and will continue.
Also making the list were: Crudo bars, more whole grains, coping with food allergies, the glycemic index, more exotic ices, homegrown foods, more choices/more courses at restaurants, super-premium spring water, more teas with new varieties and continued interest in regional and ethnic foods.
FOOD HEALTH CLAIMS
DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND
The disease-reduction claims on a number of foods are confusing to consumers and could be improved with better wording or graphics, according to staff of a government agency that monitors deceptive advertising.
The language approved by the Food and Drug Administration "does not communicate the intended levels of scientific certainty to consumers," staff of the Federal Trade Commission said.
Makers of foods containing tomatoes, calcium, barley and other ingredients have won FDA permission to advertise the products as helpful for reducing risks of certain diseases.
If the claims are not supported by "significant scientific agreement," they come with one of three disclaimers which explain that the evidence is "promising but not conclusive," "limited and inconclusive" or "very limited and preliminary."
In a study by the International Food Information Council, only 22 percent of people surveyed could sort the levels of evidence in the correct order, FTC staff said. Other research, including FDA surveys, also showed many consumers could not tell which statements suggested the highest level of evidence.
"In short, these results suggest that the current FDA language for qualified claims does not distinguish adequately between the levels of science supporting these claims," the FTC staff said in comments submitted to FDA. The FDA will review the comments from the FTC and others before deciding whether to make modifications.
LYCORED RECEIVES
FDA APPROVAL
LycoRed Ltd. received FDA approval for the use of Tomat-O-Red, natural tomato lycopene, as a food coloring. The approval allows LycoRed to market natural lycopene as a colorant for foods and beverages, including dairy products, confectionary products and baked goods.
The market for natural and synthetic food colorings together is estimated at $1 billion. The natural food colorant market is estimated at $250 million, with red accounting for $30–$40 million. LycoRed’s sales have shown strong growth in Japan, which approved lycopene formulations as food colorants several years ago.
Clinical studies show that tomato lycopene helps prevent DNA and cellular damage, which are factors in many degenerative diseases.
NAFFS WELCOMES
NEW MEMBERS
Prudential Financial
120 Eagle Rock Avenue
East Hanover, NJ 07936
Phone: (973) 560-4000
Fax: (973) 515-0431
Website: www.prudential.com
e-mail: Stephen.roth@prudential.com
Contact: Stephen M. Roth
Products: Financial services – group benefits, business planning/insurance, financial planning services
Goodwin Procter LLP
599 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 459-7442
Contact: Raivo Karmas, Attorney
Products: Legal services
PACA Foods, Inc.
5212 Cone Road
Tampa, FL 33610
Phone: (813) 628-8228
Fax: (813) 628-8426
Website: www.pacafoods.com
e-mail: jim.nagy@pacafoods.com
Contact: Jim Nagy, VP Sales & Marketing
Products: Seasoning blends, marinades, pre-mixes, flour-based products, technical blends
Be sure to save these dates when filling in your calendars:
Feb. 10 – NAFFS Winter Meeting, The French Culinary Institute, N.Y., N.Y.
March 23 – NAFFS California Meeting, Anaheim, Cal.
April 25 – NAFFS Technical Meeting, Edison, N.J.
October 12-15 – NAFFS 89th Annual Convention, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla.
