Food Industry Additive

Media Image of Additives

I've often argued the case with friends and family when they see a media article slamming 'Food Additives'. It's always a headline and generally gives the impression to the public that all additives are  bad!
More recently there appears to be alot of studies coming out with reference to Hyperactivity in kids, health risk of long term consumption etc etc. This only reates to a small number of items, but the industry as a whole is getting the hit. It would be great to see more coverage of the essential benefits that the majority of additives give in food from extending shelf life to cope with extended logistics, to replacing 'natural' fats etc with healthier hydrocolloid solutions.

Do you know more 'free' resources?

Thanks for the comment's on the free web book - I'm searching for more resources that I can add to the blog but if anyone has links that others in the industry will find useful please send me some feedback along with the url's and I'll add them to the new page -
Happy hunting!

Food Processing Web Book

While browsing the New Zealand IFST web site I came across this link for a free web book which is about food processing. It's not been in print for some years but contains a whole load of information that normally costs you $$.
While it might not be relevant to everyone I"m sure there's a few out there who'd benefit from this opportunity.
Happy reading and no, I don't understand it all either!

Clinical Water

I'm know I'm not the only one who checks out new  products especially when it's a new concept or twist. A colleague sent me this link to a new water available in the UK - a spring water that has  additional nutraceutical ingredients added that is  "clinically proven to help reduce acne".
It appears it contains Preventim, a bio active protein rich in Lactoferrin and Aloe Vera.
Both Tesco and Morrison's (UK retailers) have launched this week.
Will this be the start of the cosmeceutical conveyor and what will be next...we already had edible sunscreens will it be drink a face lift or botox smoothie?

And the winner is.....

                        

Thankfully I've never seen anyone breakdown in tears after receiving an award in the food industry (please let me know if you have and better still, send a photo!) and they're  certainly not the Oscars but do they have a big impact on sales?
Of course being present in a magazine as the winner is good PR, but does it naturally follow that this translates into more sales, and do you need to be 1st, 2nd, 3rd or just on the short list to get this boost?

C is for......Caramel

Caramel usually occurs as a dark brown to black liquid or solid. It is a complex mixture of compounds, some of which are in the form of colloidal aggregates.Caramel is manufactured by heating carbohydrates, either alone or in the presence of food-grade acids, alkalies, and/or salts. Caramel is produced from commercially available, food-grade nutritive sweeteners consisting of fructose, dextrose (glucose), invert sugar, sucrose, malt syrup, molasses, and/or starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof. The acids that may be used are food-grade sulfuric, sulfurous, phosphoric, acetic, and citric acids; the alkalies are ammonium, sodium, potassium, and calcium hydroxides; and the salts are ammonium, sodium, and potassium carbonate, bicarbonate, phosphate (including mono- and dibasic), sulfate, and bisulfite. Food-grade antifoaming agents such as polyglycerol esters of fatty acids may be used as processing aids during its manufacture. Caramel is soluble in water.

Four distinct classes of Caramel can be distinguished by the reactants used in their manufacture and by specific identification tests:
Class I (Plain Caramel, Caustic Caramel) Prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without acids or alkalies; no ammonium or sulfite compounds are used.
Class II (Caustic Sulfite Caramel) Prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without acids or alkalies in the presence of sulfite compounds; no ammonium compounds are used.
Class III (Ammonia Caramel) Prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without acids or alkalies in the presence of ammonium compounds; no sulfite compounds are used.
Class IV (Sulfite Ammonia Caramel) Prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without acids or alkalies in the presence of both sulfite and ammonium compounds.

All of these Caramels should meet the criteria established for Caramel in this monograph.

REQUIREMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Function	Color.
Ammoniacal Nitrogen(1)	Not more than 0.6%, calculated on an equivalent color basis.
Arsenic(2)	Not more than 1 mg/kg
Color Intensity(3)	Between 0.01 and 0.6 absorbance units (a.u.)
Lead(2)	Not more than 2 mg/kg
Mercury(2)	Not more than 0.1 mg/kg
4-Methylimidazole(1)	Not more than 0.025%, calculated on an equivalent color basis.
Sulfur Dioxide(1)	Not more than 0.2%, calculated on an equivalent color basis.
Total Nitrogen(1)	Not more than 3.3%, calculated on an equivalent color basis.
Total Sulfur(1)	Not more than 3.5%, calculated on an equivalent color basis.

(1) These tests are calculated on an equivalent color basis that permits the values to be expressed in terms of a Caramel having a color intensity standardized to 0.1 a.u.

(2) These tests are calculated on an as-is basis.

(3) Color Intensity is defined as the absorbance of a 0.1% (w/v) solution of Caramel in water measured in a 1-cm cell at 610 nm and is expressed on a Total Solids basis.

Read more about Caramel

Reproduced from www.caramel.com

Press Release - Chemidex 04-14-08

Ingredients for Innovation – Delivered Daily

Introducing the Food & Beverage Innovator – a free daily news and trends eNewsletter from Chemidex.

Overland Park, KS – April 14, 2008 – Chemidex LLC, a leader in providing specialized search engine
services for the global chemical and life science industries, today announced the launch of a new daily
eNewsletter, The Food & Beverage Innovator, designed to keep Food and Beverage scientists up-to-
speed on the latest industry news and product developments. With over 6,000 subscribers worldwide, The
Food & Beverage Innovator not only features multiple resources to keep you informed - it's also a great
platform to announce your own company news and product developments. A subscription is available at:
http://foodindustry.typepad.com/the_food_and_beverage_ins/subscribe-to-the-food-and.html

The launch of the Food & Beverage Innovator eNewsletter coincides with the launch of the new Food &
Beverage Industry blog (http://foodindustry.typepad.com/), the Food Industry Additive, that provides an in-
depth look at new product information, emerging trends and company information. 

Both the daily newsletter and the industry blog are edited by Stephen Hyde, Global Marketing Manager for
the Food & Beverage Cybrary, who brings 20+ years of experience in the food ingredients sector. Having
worked for companies such as Griffith, Barry Callebaut, McCormick Flavor Group and Avebe, Hyde's global
industry knowledge translates the most important developments in the global market into strategies that
enhance your product development, every day. 

The Food & Beverage Innovator is just one part of the growing Food & Beverage network at Chemidex.
Become an active part of our growing community of suppliers and formulators. The Food & Beverage
Cybrary is a robust resource for researching ingredient datasheets, formulations and sample delivery -
directly linking Food and Beverage innovators with ingredient supplier information.

To submit your press releases for inclusion in the eNewsletter, contact us directly at:
fbdaily@chemidex.com. 

The Food & Beverage Innovator eNewsletter is a great opportunity to:   
    - Announce your own company news   
    - Introduce your newest products 
    - Provide analysis and expertise on emerging industry trends. 

For Advertising and Sponsorship opportunities, contact us at: sales@chemidex.com.

About Chemidex LLC 
Chemidex LLC is the market leader in providing specialized search engine services in the chemical and life
science industries. The Chemidex Cybrary® at www.chemidex.com utilizes a proprietary search engine that
enables formulators to locate ingredients and raw materials based on Keyword search, end-use application,
physical property criteria and starting point formulation performance criteria. As a result, Chemidex speeds
formulators' product development while simultaneously enhancing raw material/ingredient suppliers' sales
efforts by providing unprecedented market reach, service and product interest tracking. 

Chemidex now offers focused Cybrary segments serving the Adhesives & Sealants, Graphic Arts & Inks,
Food & Beverage, Household, Institutional and Industrial Cleaners, Paint & Coatings, Personal Care &
Cosmetics and Plastics & Elastomers industries. Membership to the Chemidex Cybrary is free to all qualified
industry professionals.

B is for......BHA

Butylated hydroxyanisole is a food additive much more widely known by its abbreviation, BHA. BHA is an aromatic organic compound with the chemical names of 2- and 3-tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol. It can exist in either of the two isomeric forms or as a mixture of the two isomers. In its pure form, BHA is a waxy white or pale yellow solid with a melting point of 118.4–131°F (48–55°C) and a boiling point of 507.2–518°F (264–270°C). It is normally insoluble in water, but can be treated in order to make it so.

The chemical property of BHA that is of greatest commercial interest is its tendency to reduce the rate at which other substances undergo oxidation. It has long been used as a preservative in foods containing fats, which turn rancid by oxidation. First used as an antioxidant in 1947, it is now added to a wide variety of foods, including beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods, instant mashed potatoes, edible fats and oils, breakfast cereals, dry yeast, and sausages. The compound is sometimes used in conjunction with a related antioxidant, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).

Some studies have found that BHA can produce allergic reactions and, in larger doses, affect liver and kidney functions. The Select Committee on GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) Substances of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported in 1980 that no evidence exists to indicate that BHA is a health hazard. However, it recommended caution in its use and suggested additional studies on possible risks to human health. Currently FDA regulations limit the concentration of BHA in commercial foods to 0.02% in products containing fats and oils and to somewhat higher concentrations in other food products. In spite of current FDA regulations, some nutrition experts have recommended that BHA be banned from use in foods on the grounds that safer antioxidant alternatives are available.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole

Attack on Ready Meals...again

It's going to be another round of reassuring family and friends, explaining to them that it's alot of hype and hysteria. It was announced over the weekend that Jamie Oliver the UK celebrity chef's next project is to rid the consumers kitchen of ready meals.

"After taking on school dinners and intensively-reared chicken and battery eggs, Oliver will attempt to change the way the country eats at home in his new four-part Channel 4 series."  link

I really hope that it doesn't take the easy option and blame the food industry for putting 'additives' in (which help keep things safe for example) when it's essentially a personal choice that people make. Personally, I like Jamie and have cooked his recipes many times (without a failure - I wish I could say that about all recipe books) and the work he does in raising awareness of sensible eating and how simple and cheap cooking can be is great. It's the same old story as with everything in life - too much is not good for you - so come on Jamie - push that balance is the key and whatever you do, don't hit the food industry too hard.

.....I'm justing dreaming Marks & Spencer extend their reach to the midwest in the future as I am partial to the occasional ping myself!

(See here for a separate article on this same subject from 2005).
 

Rice shortage increasing

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/pingAn ingredient that normally doesn't get alot of attention but rice is making the news everyday...

"Vietnam has become the latest rice-producing nation to limit exports of the grain against a backdrop of soaring global prices and demand.

Vietnam, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, said it would cut exports by 22% this year, following similar moves by India and Egypt.

Analysts said the Vietnam government wanted to stabilise domestic prices.

Global rice prices have soared by 50% in the past two months raising supply concerns across Asia. "

For the full story click here  (www.bbc.com)