Watch your mailbox for information on the upcoming NAFFS Convention to be held October 12-15 at The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla. The convention is also being promoted to non-members and press releases have been sent to industry magazines and web sites. Word is already getting out about the outstanding program being offered and the excellent lineup of speakers.

Register now on www.naffs.org and find out why NAFFS’ Convention attendees say this is the event with the right balance of education and networking where you will hear vital information from industry leaders and benefit from peer collaboration.

A daily supplement of an extract from citrus peel could reduce insulin resistance in hamsters, suggesting the extract might also help prevent diabetes in humans, according to a recent study.

The citrus peel extracts, polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), have been reported to have beneficial effects on cholesterol-levels. But this new study is said to be the first study that looks in detail at the benefits and reports that the extracts have positive effects on inflammatory cytokine levels.

“This study provides novel evidence that PMF reverse hypertriglyceridimia and restores insulin sensitivity,” said researchers from the University of Hawaii, in collaboration with KGK Synergize, a Canadian nutraceutical company. The new study, published in the journal Life Sciences, investigated the effects of a daily supplement of PMF on insulin- resistant hamsters.

PMFs are similar to other plant pigments found in citrus fruits that have been increasingly linked to health benefits, including protection against cancer, heart disease and inflammation. The main PMFs in the extracts are tangeretin and nobiletin, as well as small amounts of synephrine.

“After PMF supplementation for four weeks, significant reductions in TG and cholesterol were observed in a dose-dependent manner related to lipids, cholesterol and inflammation, indicating that the response was specific to PMFs,” wrote lead author Rachel Li.

The researchers concluded data from the study provides a basis for further investigation of the role of PMF in improving insulin resistance (IR) in human subjects and for testing dietary reagents for the prevention of IR.

FRUIT TRENDS POPULAR
IN DAIRY MARKET

The Top 100 2005 Flavor Introductions in milk, non-dairy milk and yogurt drinks were released by Datamonitor’s Productscan Online. They included:

Yogurt and yogurt imitations also included a variety of flavors. Topping the list was strawberry followed by blend, vanilla, peach blueberry, raspberry, banana, chocolate, cherry and plain.

Other flavor trends gaining popularity in the dairy foods market include acai, apricots, figs and pomegranate. In the first months of 2005, at least 190 new pomegranate-flavored foods and drinks were introduced in the U.S., according to Datamonitor’s Productscan Online database.

NAFFS will be at Booth 4436 at the IFT Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. June 25-27. If you are attending the meeting, be sure to stop by the NAFFS booth and help spread the word about NAFFS’ benefits and the upcoming convention.

A new survey from the UK's Trading Standards Institute (TSI) says that the fat and salt content of children's food vary widely, and suggests that some kids' intake may be twice the recommended intake of salt and fat, potentially "stoking up the obesity time-bomb," reported Foodnavigator.com.

"This survey revealed that on average the foods had less than 20 percent fat. However, there were examples of meals, snacks, sweets and other foods which contained more than 20 percent, one of which contained 33 percent fat," said Phil Thomas, TSI spokesman on food.

TSI is calling on the food industry to standardize labels that can be easily understood by the consumer.

Assuming a child eats all the highest fat products, the TSI calculated that a child could have a fat intake of over 130 grams per day, almost double the 70 grams recommended for girls. And the high-salt foods could lead to a daily salt intake of 13.5 grams, more than three and a half times that recommended to four to six year olds. But by eating the low-salt content foods, the daily intake could be slashed to just more than half a gram.

The foods investigated included breakfast cereals, lunch box foods, snacks, crisps, desserts, sweets, chocolate, ready meals, biscuits, bars, pizzas and tinned products like beans and spaghetti hoops.

Ron Gainsford, chief executive of TSI, said that the diet of many children was a cause for concern.

"There is an increase in obesity and diabetes in young people and it is estimated that, if current trends continue, a third of adults, one fifth of boys and a third of girls will be obese by the year 2010.

More than 150 spray-on foods were introduced in the past two years, according to an article in USA Today. Among the targeted clients: dieters who crave a particular flavor; parents who want to disguise flavors of foods kids won’t eat; and owners of finicky pets.

NAFFS CALENDAR

Be sure to save these dates when filling in your calendars:

October 12-15 – NAFFS 89th Annual Convention, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla.