The 89th Annual NAFFS Convention featured informative presentations – many that included a variety of product-tasting sessions. The presentations in conjunction with abundant networking opportunities and great weather made it a productive and fun event for all.

Convention attendees experienced first-hand the variety of flavors being used in the beverage and tobacco markets and learned the marketing strategies Turkey Hill employed to achieve its tremendous growth and visibility. Look for copies of several of the presentations which will be made available on the NAFFS web site.

The program closed with a dinner dance where numerous awards were presented to winners of the golf and fishing tournaments. Pictures of highlights of the convention will be posted to the NAFFS web site shortly.

NAFFS THANKS EXITING
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS

The Board of Directors and the NAFFS staff thank Arthur Curran of Citrus & Allied Essences; Mary Foster of Shank’s Extracts; Audrey Morrison of Pepsico and Maureen Murphy of Berje for their service to the organization during just-completed terms as directors. Thanks are also expressed to Patrick Imburgia of Mission Flavors, who most recently served as chairman of the Board of Directors.

MEMBERS ELECT
OFFICERS, DIRECTORS

New officers were elected October 14 at the annual meeting held during the NAFFS Convention. The new NAFFS officers are: President – Paula Boudjouk, Medallion International; President-Elect – Phil Parisi, David Michael & Co. ; Vice Presidents – Joe Moran, Allen Flavors and Howard Smith, Virginia Dare; Treasurer – Bill Becker, Advanced Biotech; and Secretary – Scott Riefler, TIC Gums. Mike Bloom of Flavor & Fragrance Specialties, who served as president for the past year, becomes chairman of the NAFFS Board of Directors.

Elected to three-year terms as members of the NAFFS Board of Directors were: Bill Baugher, Blue Mountain Flavors; Christine Daley, A.M. Todd; Hector Haget, Key Essentials; John Nobile, Arome America; and Bob Weeks, Virgo Publishing/Food Product Design.

MIKE BLOOM
RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE

Incoming president Paula Boudjouk presented a plaque to Mike Bloom to recognize Mike’s service to the organization over the past year while serving as president of NAFFS.

The plaque praised Mike for his vision, trust and commitment while serving the association as president and the good will and straight-forward approach that have marked his long history of service to NAFFS.

SURVEY SHOWS COLLEGE STUDENTS
PREFER BOTTLED WATER

A recently completed micro survey among university students at University of California’s Santa Barbara campus reveals some interesting water drinking tendencies among the twenty-something generation. If California students are any indication, their strong preferences may signal a new trend in bottled water consumption on university campuses nationally, according to the survey. Results include:

Students drink a lot of bottled water because they feel it is healthy, convenient and tastes good, describing it as “clean,” “refreshing” and “pure.”

42 percent said they drink water "all the time," while 33 percent indicated they drink water more than half the time.

The majority chose water as their beverage of choice followed by juice, flavored teas, diet soft drinks and milk. More than 50 percent said they drink bottled water at home and when they are out.

More than 50 percent said that they never or rarely drink tap water. They believe that bottled water is better than tap water.

The majority of those surveyed prefer spring water, but filtered water is a close second.

The overwhelming majority of respondents prefer non-carbonated water over carbonated water.

CONVENIENCE AND HEALTH CONCERNS
DRIVE GROWTH IN SNACKS

Growth in the snacking industry is being driven by health concerns coupled with the need for convenience, according to new reports into both the fruit and hot snacks sectors.

The research by market analysts Leatherhead International reveals stagnating growth in the hot snack sector while sales in snacks such as whole dried fruit and fruit bars have increased. Those increases are attributed to the widespread trend towards healthier eating.

“Convenience is the most important factor in driving hot snacks development,” according to the report. However, as the sector matures, demand for healthier alternatives is expected to increase.

Growth has been moderate in the category with sales of snack soups rising just 4.7 percent, frozen hot-eating options increasing by 4.2 percent and snack noodle sales falling 1.6 percent.

In comparison, the fruit snack market appears poised for significant growth with Leatherhead predicting a 30 percent rise in sales to $3.05bn by 2010. The report attributes, “Rising awareness of the need to consume more fruit is the key factor contributing to market growth, aided by the reformulation and repositioning of a wide range of traditional products in a format more suitable for snacking.”

New product development in the sector included incorporating additional health benefits and the introduction of drinkable fruit products.

Leatherhead also reported cereal as the driving force behind growing cereal snack sales which increased by 9.6 percent last year. In 2005 cereal bars made up 70 percent of total cereal snack sales in the U.S., Japan, Australia and Europe’s five largest countries. The popularity of the bars is said to be due to their appeal as convenient, on-the-go foods along with their “healthy” image and frequent fortification with nutritional ingredients. Once targeted primarily to children, core consumers of the “healthier” cereal bars are now health-conscious adults.

NAFFS CALENDAR

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

February 9, 2007 (tentative) – NAFFS Winter Meeting, The French Culinary Institute, N.Y., N.Y.

March 8, 2007 (tentative) – California Meeting, Anaheim, Cal.

April 17, 2007 – NAFFS Technical Meeting, Edison, N.J.

October 18-21, 2007 (tentative) – The 90th Annual NAFFS Convention, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla.