NAFFS Newswire - February 3, 2009
Food Safety Legislation Introduced; Survey Shows Taste and Price More Important Than Brand Name; Market Research Pinpoints Key Foodservice Drivers; Study Shows Girls Have Better Taste Than Boys; Register Now for West Coast Flavor Industry Forum; and More.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009
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FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION
INTRODUCED
Rep. John Dingell introduced legislation aimed to improve food safety. Dingell’s bill comes shortly after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which added FDA to its list of “high-risk” areas of the federal government. The GAO says FDA, faced with increased globalization and a rise in complex products, may not be able to adequately protect the public’s health.
Dingell’s bill contains some of the same provisions included in his 2008 proposal. Others, including one which restricted ports of entry to ports with FDA laboratories, were eliminated. Nonetheless, the proposed bill includes provisions regarding fees on food facilities and a requirement that food facilities, domestic and foreign, be inspected at least once every four years.
Once a review of the 137-page bill is complete, NAFFS will send more details to the membership. While there’s no way to know for certain whether this or any other bill will pass this year, it’s clear that food safety is still on the minds of members of Congress. We hear two more bills are expected to be introduced within the next few weeks. Instances such as the salmonella outbreak tied to peanut butter will no doubt keep food safety on their minds. SURVEY SHOWS TASTE AND PRICE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN BRAND NAME
While young women favor fashion brands, the “brand name” matters little to them when making food purchase decisions, according to Colman Brohan Davis’ new “Young Consumers Food Shopping Panel.”
The panel of 100 women (ages 23 to 30) was asked to rank a list of ten criteria they would consider when making a food purchase. Taste and price ranked numbers one and two with a variety of nutritional and healthy eating criteria ranking in the middle. Brand name and packaging ranked eighth and ninth with sustainability concerns ranking last. The survey also revealed:
- 91 percent indicated they are concerned about the fat content in the foods they purchase.
- 88 percent indicated they care about the ingredients in the foods they buy.
- 85 percent indicated they read the nutrition label on the foods they evaluate for purchase.
- 80 percent indicated they consider shelf life/expiration dates.
- 53 percent indicated they care about the visual appeal of packaging.
- 49 percent indicated they prefer to buy organic.
“Young women today are committed to healthy eating as a core value,” says Lori Colman, CBD Founding Partner and Co-CEO. “They are online, networked and influenced more by peers than by traditional advertising messaging. Manufacturers need to take note and be much more forthcoming with substantive health and nutrition information related to their products – including in their advertising and on their packaging.” MARKET RESEARCH PINPOINTS
KEY FOODSERVICE DRIVERS Key drivers that will impact flavors and ingredients for foodservice and retail throughout 2009 include the recession, health and wellness, and heightened consumer interest in environmentally-friendly consumption, according to Packaged Facts’ Food Flavors and Ingredients Outlook 2009.
Using coupons, eating fewer meals out, preparing more home-cooked meals from scratch and substituting private label products for leading brands are some of the strategies identified in the report that consumers will use to combat the recession.
Growing interest continues in products that promote good health. Many consumers are concluding that spending a bit more on food products that tout health benefits may help to serve as a form of insurance to avoid medical bills later.
Consumers are also indulging in environmentally-friendly behaviors that are easy on the wallet, according to the report. Motivated to “reduce, reuse and recycle,” consumers are expected to be substituting tap water for bottled water, cloth napkins for paper, eating more leftovers and consuming locally produced foods.
STUDY SHOWS GIRLS HAVE
BETTER TASTE THAN BOYS
Girls have a better sense of taste than boys, while boys have a sweeter tooth than girls, according to a study with 8,900 Danish schoolchildren reported Nutraingredients.com.
The study is reportedly the world’s largest on the ability of children and young people to taste and their preferences and the results could help food formulators to better understand children’s and teenagers’ preferences.
The study was conducted jointly by Danish Science Communication, food scientists from The Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen. It found girls generally prefer milder flavors while boys tend to like the more extreme flavors. It also revealed boys prefer super sweet soft drinks and gave top marks to the sourest samples. Researchers also found that one in three schoolchildren would prefer non-sugary soft drinks, and children and young people love fish.
The research also revealed changes to food preferences and tastes occurred as children aged with the biggest shift occurring at 13-14 years when children become markedly more sensitive to sour tastes.
REGISTER NOW FOR WEST COAST
FLAVOR INDUSTRY FORUM
The “9th Annual West Coast Flavor Industry Forum” to be held Thursday, March 5 at the Hyatt Regency Orange in Garden Grove (Anaheim), California offers an exceptional educational and networking environment to meet and network with industry peers. The program begins at 12 noon and includes a networking lunch and closing reception. Complete details on this program, which is being held in conjunction with the Chemical Sources Association and the Society of Flavor Chemists, has been sent to all members and is available on the NAFFS web site. A limited number of seats are available and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Register now!
NAFFS WELCOMES
NEW MEMBER RQA, Inc. / Product Dynamics
10608 W. 163rd Place
Orland Park, IL 60467
Phone: (708) 364-7060 x182
Fax: (708) 364-7061
Website: www.rqa-inc.com
E-mail: p.vaillancourt@rqa-inc.com
Contact: Pamela Vaillancourt, VP, Business Dev.
Products: Global consulting – full service: quality, product development, consumer insights, sensory retrieval services, crisis management
NAFFS CALENDAR
February 6 – NAFFS Winter Meeting, The French Culinary Institute, N.Y., N.Y. March 5 – California Meeting, Hyatt Regency Orange, Anaheim, Cal. October 1-4 - The 92nd Annual NAFFS Convention, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Fla.
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