The 91st Annual NAFFS Convention featured informative presentations from industry leaders in the beverages and ingredients markets. The presentations, in conjunction with abundant networking opportunities, made it a productive and worthwhile event for all.

Convention attendees experienced first-hand a delicious sampling of superfruits and heard enlightening presentations on beverage formulation, natural colors, functional ingredients fortification, changing regulations and best practices in product recalls and crisis management. 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. Look to the NAFFS web site for pictures from the convention.

The Board of Directors and the NAFFS staff thank Jean-Pierre Tetrault of Robertet; Cynthia Astrack of Astral Extracts; Pete Mazeiko of Ottens Flavors; Dave Adams of Savoury Systems; and Howard Smith, Jr. of Virginia Dare for their service to the organization during just-completed terms as directors. Thanks are also expressed to Paula Boudjouk of Medallion International, who most recently served as chairman of the Board of Directors.

MEMBERS ELECT
OFFICERS, DIRECTORS

New officers were elected October 25 at the annual meeting held during the NAFFS Convention. The new NAFFS officers are: President - Joe Moran, Allen Flavors; President-Elect - Bill Becker, Advanced Biotech; Vice Presidents - Scott Riefler, TIC Gums and Chris English, Bontoux, Inc.; Treasurer - Arthur Curran, Citrus & Allied Essences; and Secretary – Dave Adams, Savoury Systems International. Phil Parisi, David Michael & Co., who served as president for the past year, becomes chairman of the NAFFS Board of Directors.

Incoming president Joe Moran presented a plaque to Phil Parisi to recognize Phil’s service to the organization over the past year while serving as president of NAFFS.

The plaque praised Phil for his strong commitment and leadership while serving the association as president for the second time and for his long history of service to NAFFS.

AMS ISSUES FINAL RULE
AMENDING NATIONAL LIST

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service issued a final rule amending USDA’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) regulations to enact recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The amendments addressed in the final rule, which becomes effective November 3, pertain to the continued exemption (use) and prohibition of 12 substances in organic production and handling. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule renews 11 exemptions and one prohibition on the National List along with any restrictive annotations and corrects the Tartaric acid listings by adding annotations originally recommended to the Secretary.

The exemptions and prohibitions granted under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) are required to be reviewed every five years by the NOSB. If they are not reviewed by the NOSB within five years of their inclusion on the National List and renewed by the Secretary, their authorized use or prohibition expires, meaning that synthetic substances Copper sulfate, Ozone gas, Peracetic acid, and EPA List 3 Inerts, currently allowed for use in organic crop production, will no longer be allowed for use after November 3, 2008. Calcium chloride currently prohibited from use in organic crop production, except as a foliar spray to treat a physiological disorder associated with calcium uptake, will be allowed after November 3. This also means that Agar-agar,

Carrageenan, and Tartaric acid, currently allowed for use in organic handling, will be prohibited after November 3, 2008. Finally, Animal enzymes, Calcium sulfate, Glucono delta-lactone, and Cellulose, currently allowed for use in organic handling, will no longer be allowed for use after November 4, 2008.

Since established, the National List has been amended ten times. Complete details are available at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-24114.htm or by contacting the NAFFS office.

100 SCIENTISTS PETITION
FDA TO REGULATE ENERGY DRINKS

One hundred scientists and physicians have written a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for more regulation of increasingly popular energy drinks because their high caffeine content puts young drinkers at possible risk for caffeine intoxication and higher rates of alcohol-related injuries, reported USA Today.

The letter asked FDA to require the drinks’ caffeine content be listed on the can, to set a limit on the amount of stimulant allowed in the drinks and to require warning labels.

The letter was written by Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. Griffiths claims it’s the wide variations between brands that are a danger. “You can pick up a can and drink it and get 50 milligrams, which is the amount in a Mountain Dew, or pick one up and get 500 milligrams, and that’s enough to put someone who hasn’t built up a tolerance to caffeine into caffeine intoxication, resulting in nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, tremors and rapid heart rate,” Griffiths says. He also claims energy drinks are frequently used as a mixer with alcohol. “There’s good evidence that when you do that, people are less able to discriminate how intoxicated they are, so they’re more likely to get into alcohol-related accidents,” he says.

The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer by volume of energy drinks, roughly 290 million gallons in 2007, according to Zenith International. Americans drink 3.8 quarts per person per year. Packaged Facts estimates the U.S. market for the drinks at $5.4 billion in 2006, growing at an annual rate of 55 percent per year.

The FDA does not comment on petitions, says spokesman Michael Herndon.

NAFFS CALENDAR

February 6, 2009 - NAFFS Winter Meeting, The French Culinary Institute, N.Y., N.Y.

March 5, 2009 – NAFFS California Meeting, Anaheim, Cal.