[Market Trends] Food For Thought

Though it seems to be in the news everywhere these days, the eating trends of Americans are not easy to discern. While fast and ready-to-eat foods continue to be popular, concerns about obesity and diabetes are increasing, particularly among America’s youth, and the movement toward healthier eating is taking a firmer hold. As a result, government agencies, health advocates and consumers are driving health trends which are impacting the ways that foods and beverages are processed. What are the top trends and what role does quality assurance play in it all?

GI, phood, trans fats, organics, allergens; labeling requirement changes; the rollout of MyPyramid; and the increase in obesity among the population … all play a part in today’s health trends, and all are having an impact on the food processing industry.

GLYCEMIC INDEX. It was such a fad that the abbreviation – carbs – was itself a household word, regardless of whether anyone in the house had ever tried the Atkins diet or was interested in dieting at all. With Atkins Nutritionals Inc. having declared bankruptcy in 2005, then reorganizing with a new approach, and Americans moving on to the next fad diet, the talk of carbohydrates has taken the same ordinary status as calories, sugars and any other piece of the diet puzzle, at least in most circles.

In others, the talk of carbohydrates has accelerated to a whole new level – that of the Glycemic Index (GI). GI, a scale that ranks carbohydrates in food by how much they raise blood sugar levels, is at the tip of a huge – and complicated – industry issue, says Claudia Boerner, senior food chemist, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Microbac Laboratories, Inc. And it has taken on international proportions. The problem, she says, is in the varying definitions of carbohydrates.

In the U.S., total carbs is a calculation of that which is left over after subtracting water, protein, fats and ash; the FDA definition of total carbohydrates includes total sugars, dietary fiber and other carbohydrates. The Glycemic Index creates difficulties because it is an individual measurement. The blood glucose is measured for a person who has fasted then eats something high in carbohydrates, such as a potato. Blood samples are taken to measure how the glucose changes over time. The measurements are different for each person.

As stated by AACC International, which is leading a task force on a global definition: "Different approaches are used around the world, with some countries using "glycemic index." In the U.S., the amount of high glycemic (or net) carbohydrate is often calculated by subtracting low glycemic carbohydrate from total carbohydrate and displayed on food packages outside the nutrition facts panel. Inconsistencies occur with different foods, manufacturers, and regions because there is no generally accepted definition."

In September, the association’s board of directors approved new definitions relating to glycemic carbohydrates which were presented in open forum at the World Grains Summit. The effort is intended to improve communication and understanding of how the carbohydrate content of food affects blood glucose levels. However, questions still remain on consistent GI measurement in relation to healthy food, the best use of the information and its applicability to consumer diets.

One of the problems with Atkins, Boerner says, was that it was operating under an entirely different definition of total carbs, one which was never approved by FDA. But, she adds, "what’s come out of that is that the trend is now being rerouted to diabetes." Those who have diabetes do need to monitor their consumption of carbohydrates, but this should be done through nutritional planning and portioning. "The two biggest issues in this country today are obesity and diabetes," Boerner says, with a portion of the rise in diabetes resulting directly from obesity. Again, diet and nutrition play a part, because, she says, "Most obese people with diabetes who lose weight no longer have diabetes."

PHOOD. Though not a new science, the adding of nutrients or pharmaceuticals to foods and beverages is seeing an upswing, even to the point of gaining its own acronym: phoods – defined variously as Pharmaceutically Beneficial Food; Functional Food; Pharmaceuticals + food; or even Functional, Fortified, Inherently Healthy Foods and Beverages.

From the introduction of iodine to salt in 1924 to calcium-fortified orange juice in the ’80s and today’s energy bars and multi-grain white breads, processors have long seen the benefits of adding nutrients to food, but in today’s health-conscious environment, phoods are becoming a prevailing trend. "The link between what you eat and your health is the strongest it’s ever been," says Steve Haley of Elite FX. "People are wanting more from the drinks they drink" and the foods they eat. Not only are people caring more about what they put in their bodies, they are aligning it with today’s multi-tasking standard – having a drink and getting benefits from it at the same time.

Haley is founder and CEO of Elite FX, makers of Celsius, a thermogenic, calorie-burning beverage which contains a proprietary blend of ingredients including green tea, ginger extract, micronutrients, taurine and caffeine, as well as Vitamin C. "The trend toward functional beverages is huge," he says, and it is the maintaining of the nutritional value of such products that could become a challenge for processors – and the QA department. Elite FX does not bottle its product itself, but works with co-packers. To retain purity and nutritional value, its specifications require a high-quality processing environment and tunnel pasteurization, Haley says, but his options were limited because the space and time requirements of this process have moved many plants away from it.

The growth of small companies entering this niche market may lead to a growth in companies seeking co-packing sources, Haley says, which will often have the greatest impact on the quality department. "A brand with a product is going to go down a checklist to see if they [the plants] match it," he explains, and if, after the first run, the brand finds that the plant is not meeting specifications, it is very likely to move on – potentially wreaking financial havoc on a plant which has adapted its processes, and possibly even equipment, to accommodate the brand. "We left the first plant we started with because of quality issues in the shrink wrap packaging," Haley says. "If you don’t do a quality job, you’re going to lose [the brand]."

Celsius also provides an example of products through which plants can benefit from the health trends. The nutritional-enhancement trend was already in existence when Celsius was introduced last year, and its thermogenic basis was also an existing science, Haley says. The company simply carved a niche into a growing movement, and ran with it. "We took a concept that we knew worked and tried to marry it with the trend."

The phood trend is continuing to grow, Boerner affirms, and it is moving beyond beverages and into nutriceutical products, that is, nutritional supplements with natural ingredients, such as ginkgo, herbals, lutein, glucosamine, Omega 3 fatty acids and soy protein. Protein bars and herbal teas are common products, but other industries are getting into the game now, such as the newest trend in "functional cereals."

Including such supplements can often increase product sales, Boerner says. "I think consumers are becoming more health conscious, and I think they’re looking for a lot of these. Consumers are so much on the go that we don’t eat healthy."

TRANS FATS & ALLERGENS. With mandatory compliance for both allergen and trans fat labeling taking place earlier this year, consumer awareness and interest were both heightened.

"I’ve been watching trans fat since the proposal in the ’90s," says Boerner. "It was talk for a long time, but no one asked us to check for trans fat until the regulation went into effect." As a food chemist, Boerner’s job is to stay ahead of the industry and understand the trends, so that they are prepared to perform the tests and to talk intelligently with clients about it.

"What most of the industry did, rather than try to reduce the trans fat, was to try to get rid of it completely," she says, but this was not always possible, particularly where formulations needed the characteristics of the trans fatty acids.

On the other hand, she says, "Allergen labeling was consumer driven because there are so many people who have allergies." Without the use of the now required common language, discerning whether a product contained an allergen was difficult for many consumers. There are, however, still areas which are being addressed of which processors should be aware, such as gluten labeling which was not specifically addressed for January compliance. Rather, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 states that a proposed rule is to be issued "not later than two years after the date of enactment of this act" to define, and permit use of, the term "gluten-free" on a food label, and the final ruling to then be issued within two years afterward.

The over-riding element of the allergen legislation is that, Boerner says, "The industry has to be aware that, with any ingredients they purchase from a supplier, they have to get an allergen list so they know how to label it."

ORGANICS. Though organics have had their own recent labeling challenges resulting from an organic farmer’s court challenge on USDA standards for organic labeling and the Congressional amendment clarifying the 2002 Organic Food Protection Act, organics are continuing to emerge as a growth market in the U.S., impacting plants with the need for specific processes and traceability for certification. "We are seeing it grow," says Katherine DiMatteo, past executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), explaining that surveys are showing a consistent increase in dollar volume of sales of organic foods. "The consumer who begins to buy organic is buying more and more, plus we’ve expanded into more and more stores."

DiMatteo does see this as an extension of the current health trends. "People are making the choice of organic in terms of personal health," she says. "Organic resonates with people who are trying to make different choices in lifestyle and in terms of health."

Organic products are defined as those which have met specific criteria throughout the entire food chain, and it is often the QA manager who has the responsibility at the processing plant. "Processing organic ingredients is different than processing non-organic, and the QA person who is responsible for ensuring that the systems are in place for an organic run has to understand the regulations," DiMatteo says.

The process can be integrated into a plant’s HACCP plan, but the plan must then include the specific organic requirements, such as not storing organic with non-organic, ensuring that there is no opportunity for the organic ingredients or product to be exposed to steam with volatile chemicals, and clearly marking all organic ingredient containers. "There is a whole new set of regulations which may seem to be too much to do, but if QA managers just think about what they are already doing, it doesn’t have to be a new burdensome expectation," she says.

Adding organic product to your current line can give a company an edge, DiMatteo adds. "Organic is a part of the marketplace. There’s a very strong segment of people that buy organic, and there will be an increase."

Boerner noted an interesting aspect of U.S. organic farming in that, she says, "A large percentage of farms have been taken over by women who are restructuring them and making them into organic farms." This is interesting both in the fact that women are taking over the farms and in the increase in organic farming, she says. "I think we’re going to see more and more organic. Part of that is coming from terrorism." Consumers believe that organic is monitored more closely so it is less susceptible. "They are equating organic food with being a safer food supply."

One of the key aspects of organic certification which has put plants who process organic foods a step ahead in food security is traceability. "We were well ahead of the game because we had those systems in place," DiMatteo says. "Traceability had been required because you had to know where [the ingredients] came from. As it moves through the chain, one of things that move with it is certification."

While some organic foods can be beneficial to those who are fighting obesity or diabetes, particularly in the arena of trans fat as hydrogenation is not allowed in organic foods, DiMatteo says, "it’s not about what types of products can be made, it’s about what you do to make those products." Because organic foods may still have sugar, salt and carbohydrates and be high calorie, they must be monitored like any other consumption, she explains. "Those issues are about what you choose to eat and how much."

Boerner also expects that consumption control will lead to a resurgence of sodium reduction in food products. "Salt has recently been found to be an appetite stimulant," she says. Although reduced sodium was a trend in the past, it lost momentum because people didn’t like the taste of the low-salt products; then when the industry began to focus on reducing fat, low-sodium products faded to the lower shelves. But with the new findings, Boerner anticipates that food processors will now be asked to "reduce the sodium or salt, but still retain flavor." In addition, you will see spices continue to gain momentum, providing more ways to flavor food and get away from salt.

Like all trends, once they have run their course, GI, phood, trans fats, allergens and organics will either dissipate or become standard practice. But the common thread tying together today’s trends for enhancing the health of America is the following of a basic rule: portion control. While each movement provides a benefit to the consumer – and with that, in many cases, a challenge to the processor – simply monitoring consumption will take the consumer beyond the trends.

MyPyramid corresponds with this thinking. The new dietary guidelines are individualized, and USDA has put the pyramid into an interactive computer-friendly website which is simple for both kids and adults. Processors themselves should take an active interest in MyPyramid, becoming aware of and understanding the points of the new guidelines. "If MyPyramid becomes a bit hit among consumers," Boerner says, "it will definitely drive the food industry." QA