Food manufacturers are infusing a growing number of American staples with Hispanic flavors, reported the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Companies have found that Latin-inspired foods not only resonate with Hispanics – at 14 percent of the population and now the nation's largest minority – but they also make a splash with non-Hispanic consumers who crave new flavors.

"Latin flavors are hot, and they're hot across all market segments," says Bill Briwa, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America who notes that the rise of Hispanic flavors has been sudden and fast. A decade ago, chipotle was virtually unknown in the mainstream.

Today companies like Sargento Foods are launching chipotle-seasoned cheddar, Miller Brewing is introducing a lime-and-salt flavored beer, and Orbit chewing gum now comes in a "mint mojito" flavor. These new types of flavors have moved from the specialty aisles to being woven throughout the supermarket.

As Hispanic flavors enter the market, Americans have adapted them to make them their own. Tortillas, for example, come in spinach and sun-dried tomato – varieties a cook from South America might not recognize.

The trend has surprised some companies. Cleveland-based Pierre's Ice Cream didn't expect its pineapple, coconut and margarita flavors to be as popular among mainstream shoppers as with Hispanic consumers. So now the company is launching its "Hola Fruta" sherbets nationally in flavors such as margarita and piña colada, and expects the products to reach across ethnic lines, says company spokeswoman Laura Hindulak.

The NAFFS Convention committee has put together a great program for October where a “real world” approach to formulating products for organics will be explored. The exciting lineup of speakers include:

Attendees will hear first-hand:

This information-packed program will be held October 18-21 at The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla.

Watch for more details coming soon or visit www.naffs.org.

Most Americans are trying – but failing – to achieve a more healthful and balanced diet, according to a new Mintel report, which suggests a discrepancy between what people believe and what they actually eat.

The report, “Attitudes to Food: Weight and Diet,” identifies five major factors that are shaping the nation's attitude towards food:

According Mintel, more than half of Americans are aware of the nation's new dietary guidelines which were revised in 2005, yet the majority of consumers do not follow these.

Although no single dietary program is currently in vogue, most respondents to Mintel's survey expressed strong interest in foods that reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer or diabetes. However, this interest reveals a disconnect between which claims are sought and which are most promoted, said the market researcher. A survey of over 16,000 food products launched in 2006 shows that none of the top ten food claims mentioned heart disease, cancer or diabetes claims, according to Mintel's global new products database (GNPD).

While consumers appear to understand the benefits of eating right, the report also identifies a number of reasons – or excuses – cited for not eating healthy. These include availability, cost, confusion, time constraints and taste concerns.

Americans also continue to be hugely influenced in their eating habits by convenience, with approximately a third of peoples' daily calorie intake consumed from food away from home. According to Mintel, “consumers are not willing to trade convenience for health or other benefits. Products cannot be healthful at the expense of convenience or they will not be successful."

Dairy proteins and polysaccharides can be nano-engineered as new functional stabilizers for foods and packaging, according to scientists working on a project in Finland.

The government-sponsored Tailored Nanostabilizers for Biocomponent Interfaces Project (Taina) aims to engineer and construct functional nanoscale particles for sensitive biocomponents in foods.

The scientists believe that the particles can act as active emulsions, to stabilize foams and sensitive components during processing or in the gastro-intestinal tract, reported FoodProductionDaily.com.

The scientists involved also want to develop tailored barrier and sensing functions for food packaging using the components. For food packaging, they aim to improve the barrier properties of the biopolymers and also to evaluate the possibility to incorporate enzymes in nanoscale particles into the packaging materials.

Such use of enzymes would give increased functionality or "intelligence" to the package, such as freshness indicators, says Markku Lamsa – a senior technology advisor with Tekes – the main public funding organization for research and development in Finland. They are working on the premise that proteins and selected carbohydrates are suitable as nano-stabilizers for bioactive components, he said.

NAFFS WELCOMES
NEW MEMBER

Fuji Foods, Inc.
6206 Corporate Park Drive
Brown Summit, NC 27377
Phone: (336) 375-3111
Fax: (336) 375-3663
Website: www.fujifoodsusa.com
E-mail: mrussell@fujifoodsusa.com
Contact: Michael Russell, Vice President
Products: Spice and flavor mixes, flavors & savory flavors

October 18-21 – The 90th Annual NAFFS Convention, Longboat Key, Fla.