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Side Dish, Food and Beverage Industry Trends: Center for Culinary Development
SIDE DISH - CCD's Monthly Compilation on Food and Beverage Industry Trends
Functional Food Pregnant Women

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES

October 2008

Nestlé launches beauty-from-within drink…Glowelle, a daily beauty drink/dietary supplement, intends to protect and hydrate inner and outer layers of skin. It uses high antioxidant vitamins, phytonutrients and botanical and fruit extracts to fight the signs of aging. Glowelle comes in glass bottles or multi-day powder stick kits in Raspberry Jasmine and Pomegranate Lychee flavors. (Nutraceuticals World, 9/3)


  • Campbell Soup’s new labels give wordy ingredients footnotes…Select Harvest soups cleanly and simply identify ingredients, giving a short explanation where needed (i.e. maltodextrin, a carbohydrate made from potato or corn starch). The new line’s labels also include information on what has been left out, such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. (Food Navigator-USA, 9/4)
  • POM Wonderful introduces POMx Iced Coffee…The new iced coffee drinks launched in the Northeast offer an energy boost from “Healthy Buzz” – a stimulating 175mg dose of caffeine and enough POMx to equal the antioxidant power of an 8-oz. daily dose of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. (The Earth Times, 9/8)
  • Kroger launches bread with plant sterols…Kroger Active Lifestyle breads are fortified with CoroWise Cholesterol Reducer plant sterols. They come in six varieties including Honey Oat with Whole Grain, 100% Whole Wheat, Multigrain with Brown Rice and Five-Seed Whole Grain. (Food Ingredients First, 9/8)
  • Wegmans introduces “green” fresh food packaging…The New York-based grocery store is increasing its use of sustainable packaging in the fresh food area. 100%-recycled containers will be available at the Asian Wokery Bars and for salad and food bars. Wegmans added the containers in a duel effort to respond to consumer input and cut costs.  (Supermarket News, 9/9)
  • Açaí berry wins for new flavor idea for Jelly Belly bean…The antioxidant powerhouse berry from the Amazon won a recent Jelly Belly new flavor contest. The public voted on five finalists which include Honey, Sublime Chili Lime, Thai Iced Tea and Mojito, a tip-off on flavors consumers are craving. (PR Newswire, 9/12)
  • Evian Les Petits makes debut in the U.S….Just in time for back-to-school lunches, Evian releases natural spring water packaged for children. Let Petits come in six-packs decorated with kid-friendly designs of sea creatures. (PR Newswire, 9/15)
  • Quaker offers two new ways to add fiber to your day!...Two new products assist consumers with meeting daily fiber requirements: Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal and Quaker High Fiber Oatmeal To Go Bars. Both are made with whole grain oats plus 10 grams of fiber per serving to support digestive health. Both come in Maple Brown Sugar flavors; the oatmeal also comes in Cinnamon Swirl. (Trading Markets, 9/23)
  • Pepperidge Farm adds Fruit & Grain breads and bagels to expansive health and wellness portfolio…Baked with real fruit and whole grains, the new breakfast breads and bagels come in a variety of flavors: bread flavors are Cranberry Orange, Apple Pomegranate, Blueberry Açaí; bagel flavors are Cherry Pomegranate and Cranberry Blueberry. One slice of bread contains half a serving of whole grains, one bagel has a whole serving; each has 3g of fiber. (Marketwatch, 9/19)
Tomato

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY HEADLINES

October 2008

Basil holds the key to anti-ageing…According to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference, Indian holy basil extract was effective at actively searching for and eliminating harmful molecules and protecting against damage caused by free radicals in key organs such as heart, liver and brain. The herb has long been used in the ancient system of Ayurvedic medicine. (Medical News Today, 9/8)


  • Consumers eating up array of ready-to-go foods…Just as our latest Trend Mapping Report® on Prepared Meal Solutions arrives, we see more and more stories about consumers’ growing interest in prepared meals, especially at supermarkets. Grocers are boosting selections in response to consumers’ needs for time-saving, tasty meals. Stop & Shop and Supervalu both introduced 100–150 new meal offerings in the last few months. Examples include bourbon chicken, pork carnitas enchilada casserole and pineapple upside-down cake. (Nashua Telegraph, 9/10)
  • High-tech restaurants put diners in charge… Inamo, a restaurant in central London, opened recently without servers; instead, guests rely on a computer screen at the table to order, pay the bill, summon a taxi, and even play interactive games with fellow diners. The goal is to use automation to reduce labor costs yet still get diners interacting with each other and other tables. Inamo serves Asian fusion fare. (Myrtle Beach Online, 9/5)
  • Central Market offers care packages for hungry students…Another way Boomer parents can care for their millennial child off at school: Central Market now offers ready-made and custom-made care packages for students packed with snacks, nuts, sweets, coffee and tea. (Progressive Grocer, 9/5)
  • Bite-size cake balls are popular new treat with home cooks, bakeries…Could this be the next cupcake? A home cook in Dallas started making cake balls – crumbled baked cake and frosting rolled into a ball and covered with confectionery coating and decorations. They bize-sized balls caught on and are turning up in Texas bakeries and even Neiman Marcus! (Dallas News, 9/10)
  • The world according to Monsanto… French journalist and filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin’s 2008 film, The World According to Monsanto, has been released in DVD form in the U.S. The film is the latest documentary looking beind the scenes at the food industry. It explores GMOs and their impact on small farmers around the world. (Food Consumer, 9/10)
  • Fast casual chains not an economic casualty… Buoyed by healthier offerings and a narrowing price gap compared to quick-service restaurants, fast casual restaurants like Panera Bread and Chipotle continue to see sales surge. Technomic pegs growth at 13.3% last year. The category attracts baby boomers seeking a better experience than fast food as well as Millennials keen on lower prices. (Brandweek, 9/14)
  • Superfood or monster from the deep?...Fat-burning waffles, cheese that kills intestinal parasites and ketchup that regulates digestion are a few of the latest functional food products enriched with nutraceuticals. Consumers, researchers and writers are wondering if all of these promises work as claimed and if food will taste the same after fortification. (New York Times, 9/17)
  • Junk Science: “Functional” foods promise good health –– but can they deliver?...With  the market for functional foods jumping up 42% between 2002 and 2007, critics are questioning whether consumers are getting what they’re paying a premium for in functional foods. Yogurt, bread, beverages and even mushrooms may, or may not, offer bigger benefits. (Ad Week, 9/22)
  • Brown bagging it becomes fashionable…As consumers look for ways to economize, they are turning more than ever to brown bag lunches, according to NPD. Food giants Kraft and ConAgra are responding to this shift by launching new lunch foods. Kraft introduced new versions of Deli Fresh Natural Cheese, new Oscar Mayer meats and olive oil mayonaise; ConAgra rolled out new Banquet Select Recipes frozen lunches, like Herb Grilled Chicken Breast and Slow Cooked Beef. (Brandweek, 9/22)
  • Food marketers cook up value campaigns…Cheaper, high-margin products now take the spotlight as food companies try to capitalize on the slumping economy. Kellogg’s began advertising staple cereals such as Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies while Campbell Soup will soon launch a campaign for bargain condensed soups. Kraft has begun radio ads for Kool-Aid for the first time in 11 years. (AZ Central, 9/29)

Commercialization News brought to you by Jan Matsuno, our Director of Commercialization, reports:

  • American Food Gets COOL...With the recent Chinese melamine in milk scandal as a backdrop, USDA’s long-awaited Country-of-origin labeling (“COOL”) went into effect September 30. Under the regulations, all raw meat, poultry, fish and fresh and frozen produce must be labeled with the country of origin. This should be welcome news to American consumers concerned about the safety of imported products. On the other hand, the new regulations may not be as far-reaching as many wish. Butcher Shops, Fish Markets and processed foods are all exempt, meaning that while chicken must have COOL labeling, breaded or cooked chicken does not. Same with vegetables: bagged spinach-yes, bagged salad with carrots-no. For more information, see: www.ams.usda.gov/cool.
  • Genetically Engineered Animals for Human Food...On September 18th, the FDA published Draft Guidance on Genetically Engineered Animals, including those for human food. Under the proposed regulations (currently open for public comment), genetic engineering (where genetic material from the same or other species is inserted into animal DNA to create new “super animals” with specific desired characteristics), will be regulated the same as animal drugs. Food and animal feed from GE animals will undergo FDA review before the food or feed can be marketed, however no specific labeling is required. Proponents tout the vast potential benefits of genetic engineering while critics raise concerns about the lack of labeling, use of genetic material from other species and the effect of changed meat or milk on humans. For more information, see: www.consumersunion.org/food.html and www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/ge_animals.