Archive For The “Health” Category
Organic fresh produce is booming despite total grocery store dollar growth may have climbed only two percent in the last year.
The Organic Produce Network (OPN) and Nielsen, have released new data showing organic produce sales have set new records, totaling $5.6 billion in 2018, far exceeding the status quo. And the year ended on a particularly high note as sales soared 13 percent the final week of the year.
The OPN notes it is particularly interesting is an impressive two-thirds of all produce commodity groups increased organic sales year-over-year which indicates this is not an isolated incident. At the same time, organic growth occurred in these three categories despite a decline in conventional sales.
According to a press release, fresh produce represented 26 percent of total store organic sales, and a growth rate of 8.6 percent was on par with total store organic, suggesting a continued movement toward mainstream demand across product consumption.
In terms of absolute dollars, blueberries saw the greatest increase followed by prepackaged salads. Many popular organic categories exceeded $20 million in dollar growth—among them organic bananas, apples, and grapes.
“Although organic accounted for 10.1 percent of total produce sales, it’s driving a disproportionate amount of growth within the produce department,” said Matt Lally, Associate Director at Nielsen. “In total, 43 percent of total produce growth occurred from organic items which equates to an additional $450 million sold.”
OPN noted in its press release, organic isn’t a given recipe for success. Products like strawberries and tomatoes experienced far greater growth in the conventional offering, but a closer look reveals how important pricing is for these categories. Prices varied widely—ranging from $1.97 to $3.38 per pound between conventional and organic tomatoes and $2.26 to $4.26 for conventional and organic strawberries.
“When you compare this difference with commodities that experience a high organic growth rate such as grapes, the difference is striking,” noted Lally “Conventional grapes rang in at $2.18 per conventional pound compared to $2.94 per organic pound. Clearly there’s a strong connection between the growth of organic and the price premium with its conventional counterpart.”
In addition to room for growth in the strawberry and tomato category, onions, bell peppers, watermelon, and mandarins are all disproportionately under-represented in organic sales compared to the total produce average. And OPN noted that making organics widely available during key periods like summer holidays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas is a great way to reach more shoppers.
(Sacramento) – Once again, tests showed that the vast majority of fresh produce collected by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) met national pesticide residue standards. During its 2017 survey, DPR found 96 percent of all samples had no detectable pesticide residues or were below levels allowed by the U.S. EPA.
The findings are included in DPR’s just released 2017 Pesticide Residues in Fresh Produce report.
“DPR carries out extensive sampling of pesticides on fresh produce, and once again it shows that California consumers can be confident about eating fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Brian Leahy, Director of DPR. “California growers and farmers are adept at following our comprehensive rules to ensure produce is grown to the highest pesticide standards.”
The 2017 report is based on year-round collection of 3695 samples of produce, from 28 different countries, including those labeled as “organic.” DPR scientists sampled produce from various grocery stores, farmers’ markets, food distribution centers, and other outlets throughout California. The produce is tested for more than 400 types of pesticides using state of the art equipment operated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) sets levels for the maximum amounts of pesticide residue that can be present on fruits and vegetables, called a “tolerance.” It is a violation if any residue exceeds the tolerance for the specific fruit or vegetable, or if a pesticide is detected for which no tolerance has been established.
California Specific Results
More than a third of the country’s fruits and vegetables are grown in California according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). In 2017 DPR found:
- About 25 per cent of all produce samples tested were labeled as Californian-grown,
- About 95 per cent of these samples had no residues on them or were within the legal levels,
- About 5 per cent of California samples had illegal residues, including kale and snow peas. These are pesticide residues in excess of the established tolerance or had illegal traces of pesticides that were not approved for that commodity. However, none of those residues were at a level that would pose a health risk to consumers.
Other highlights from the 2017 report include:
- 41 percent of all produce samples had no detectable residues at all,
- 55 percent had residues detected within the legal level.
- 4 percent of all the samples had pesticide residues in excess of the established tolerance or had illegal traces of pesticides that were not approved for that commodity.
Fresh produce takes four spots on a new top 10 list of superfoods.
Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian surveyed more than 1,300 registered dietitian nutritionists on which foods consumers will favor as healthiest in 2019.
Avocado, blueberries, beets and exotic fruit like acai and golden berries all made the cut, according to a news release. Other items on the list were fermented foods, seeds, ancient grains, nuts, coconut products and non-dairy milks.
Beets and blueberries were new to the list, while kale finished outside the top 10.
Those surveyed reported keto as the number one diet trend, followed by intermittent fasting.
“It’s clear from these predictions that consumers are on the hunt for a flat belly and will take extreme diet measures in their pursuit,” Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian wrote in the release.
The top diet trend reported for last year was clean eating, which dietitians point to as still relevant if not as wildly trendy as the other two.
“It’s not that ‘clean eating’ has declined in popularity,” Jenna Bell, senior vice president of Pollock Communications, said in the release. “We are still seeing the consumer push for cleaner labels and the industry continues their work to deliver it. But what’s different here is that millennial consumers are going beyond eliminating a food group, like cutting gluten, to making more drastic changes that require real lifestyle adjustments.
“It’s beyond food is medicine,” Bell said in the release. “Now food is the core of wellness.”
BALA CYNWYD, PA – Love Beets, the creators of everyone’s favorite ready-to-eat beets, will celebrate National Heart Health Month with their “Love Your Heart-BEET” campaign during the month of February. The campaign will span both in-store efforts and digital activations across the Love Beets social platforms with the goal of educating consumers that beets are a great addition to a heart-healthy diet.
The brand will partner with Kroger stores nationwide to perform in-store demonstrations and distribute Love Beets samples to customers. With every sample, each customer will also receive a recipe booklet with several beet-inspired recipes that have been certified heart-healthy by the American Heart Association.
“We’re so excited because having these recipes certified by the American Heart Association only adds to the integrity of our campaign,” said Natasha Lichty, Brand + Marketing Director at Love Beets, USA, LLC.
“Promoting and inspiring a healthy lifestyle is a key part of our mission at Love Beets and we’ve made sure that these recipes are very approachable to show consumers that creating healthy meals doesn’t have to be complicated or too time-consuming,” said Lichty.
The heart-healthy certified recipes include a beet-citrus smoothie, a simple beet and feta salad, beet energy bites, beet hummus crudité platter, a golden beet salad, and a roasted cauliflower beet soup. All of the recipes have ten or less simple and affordable ingredients, making them easy for consumers to replicate at home. The recipes will also be available on Love Beets’ website.
Additionally, Love Beets will be partnering with Registered Dieticians on their social platforms throughout the campaign to post more heart-healthy recipes and tips, and to help explain why beets are a great heart-healthy food.
“Beets are considered a good source of fiber, with nearly 4 grams per cup. Fiber helps to lower cholesterol to protect the heart,” said Sammi Haber Brondo, MS, RD, CDN.
Haber also explained that beets contain helpful compounds such as antioxidants and phytochemicals. Specifically, carotenoids and flavonoids in beets help to protect cells against damage from free radicals, reduce inflammation, and decrease risk of heart disease.
“One cup of beets also contains about 10 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for potassium. Potassium flushes out sodium in the body to lower blood pressure and helps reduce the risk of heart disease,” said Haber Brondo.
The Registered Dieticians Love Beets will be partnering with during the campaign include @CaitsPlate, @VeggiesandChocolate, @EmilyKyleNutrition, @Bites by Mia, @DaisyBeet, and @DishingoutHealth.
Follow along on Love Beets Instagram (@lovebeets) throughout February for giveaways, recipes, and tips about maintaining a heart healthy diet and lifestyle! Use the hashtag #loveyourheartbeet to post and find beet-inspired, heart-healthy recipes.
By USDA AMS
SWASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the 2017 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary. The Summary shows more than 99 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues well below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Each year, USDA and EPA work together to identify foods to be tested on a rotating basis. In 2017, tests were conducted on fresh and processed foods including fruits and vegetables as well as honey, milk and bottled water. AMS partners with cooperating state agencies to collect and analyze pesticide residue levels on selected foods. For over 25 years, USDA has tested a variety of commodities including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, grains, fish, rice, specialty products and water.
USDA tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. EPA relies on PDP data to conduct dietary risk assessments and to ensure that any pesticide residues in foods remain at levels that EPA has determined to be safe. USDA uses the data to help U.S. farmers improve agricultural practice and to enhance the department’s Integrated Pest Management Program.
The annual pesticide residue results are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA in monthly reports as testing takes place throughout the year. FDA and EPA are immediately notified if a PDP test discovers residue levels that could pose a public safety risk.
The 2017 data and summary can be found on the Pesticide Data Program page on the AMS website. Printed copies may be obtained by contacting the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Science and Technology Program, Monitoring Programs Division by e-mail at amsmpo.data@ams.usda.gov.
For more information about pesticides and food, please visit the EPA website and the FDA website.
b
y Index Fresh
Riverside, C.A. — California-based avocado marketer, Index Fresh is talking about imperfect fruit, those less than perfect avocados. The ‘So Good – Grade 2 Avocado’ brand has a few blemishes on the outside, but taste just as good as a Grade 1 avocado.
There are a lot of reasons why an avocado may be deemed ‘imperfect’ and marked as Grade 2 fruit. An avocado with sun damage or other scarring on its skin doesn’t always mean blemishes or brown spots on the inside.
“The inside of an imperfect avocado will be the same as the inside of a fruit you buy at the grocery store,” said Bailey Diioia, Ventura Field Representative for Index Fresh.
For Index Fresh, Grade 2 avocados are as precious as any other. So, these are marketed to the food service sector keeping in mind that what’s on the inside matters the most. After the bins from the fields arrive at an Index Fresh facility, the team sorts through them and hand-grades the avocados before packing them up for customers.
The avocado company partnered with Vevian Vozmediano (@VevianVoz), Personal Chef and Lifestyle Coach, for easy and delicious recipes using the ‘less than perfect’ fruit. “Imperfect fruit is actually perfect for so many recipes and the mango salad with avocado dressing is an excellent example of how we can use these avocados,” she said.
About Index Fresh
Index Fresh is a worldwide marketer of avocados, sourcing from all major growing regions around the globe, including California, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. Through its dedication to quality, consistency, and innovation, Index Fresh continues to be a leader in the industry.
Headquartered in California, the company has facilities spread across Texas, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, and Illinois. Early this year, Index Fresh also started operations at its new packing, bagging, and ripening facility in Pharr, TX.
by The American Chemical Society
BOSTON — Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a set of painful conditions that can cause severe diarrhea and fatigue. Treatments can include medications and surgery. But now researchers report that a simple dietary intervention could mitigate colonic inflammation and improve gut health. In this case, a strawberry — or rather, less than a cupful of strawberries — a day could help keep the doctor away.
The researchers are presenting their results recently at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world’s largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 10,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.
“The sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits of many people in this country — high-sugar, high-animal-fat, but low-fiber diets — may promote colonic inflammation and increase the risk of IBD,” says Hang Xiao, Ph.D., who led the study.
In 2015, 3 million adults in the U.S. reported being diagnosed with IBD, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. IBD includes both Crohn’s disease, which can infect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, and ulcerative colitis, which is characterized by inflammation of the colon and rectum. People with IBD also have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
The dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a lowered risk of IBD. To establish an effective and practical approach to decrease colonic inflammation in both IBD patients and the general population, Xiao and his team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst focused on strawberries due to their wide consumption. According to Yanhui Han, a Ph.D. student who conducted the study, most of the previous reports focused on the effects of purified compounds and extracts from strawberries. “But when you only test the purified compounds and extracts, you miss out on a lot of other important components in the berries, such as dietary fiber, as well as phenolic compounds bound to the fibers, that can’t be extracted by solvents,” he says. He adds that it also makes sense to study the effects of whole berries because people mostly consume the whole fruits rather than their extracts.
In their experiment, Han and Xiao used four groups of mice — a group of healthy mice consuming a regular diet, and three groups of mice with IBD consuming a regular diet, a diet with 2.5 percent whole strawberry powder or a diet with 5 percent whole strawberry powder. Xiao says they tried to feed the mice doses of strawberries that would be in line with what a human could reasonably consume.
The researchers found that dietary consumption of whole strawberries at a dose equivalent to as low as three-quarters of a cup of strawberries per day in humans significantly suppressed symptoms like body weight loss and bloody diarrhea in mice with IBD. Strawberry treatments also diminished inflammatory responses in the mice’s colonic tissue.
But decreased inflammation wasn’t the strawberry’s only conferred benefit during this study. Colonic inflammation adversely impacts the composition of microbiota in the gut. With IBD, the abundance of harmful bacteria increases, while levels of beneficial bacteria decrease in the colon. Following the dietary treatments of whole strawberries, the researchers observed a reversal of that unhealthy microbiota composition in the IBD mice. Xiao’s team also obtained experimental data that indicated strawberries might impact abnormal metabolic pathways in the IBD mice, which in turn could lead to the decreased colonic inflammation they observed.
Next, the team will try to validate their findings in IBD patients. While eating three-quarters of a cup of strawberries a day could be beneficial for those looking to enhance their gut health, Xiao advises patients to consult with their doctors before changing their diets. He also suggests avoiding this type of nutritional intervention if one is allergic to the fruit.
The researchers acknowledge funding from the USDA.
The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
By Potatoes USA
DENVER — The Potato industry is making a strong statement about potatoes to demonstrate the performance-boosting benefits of America’s favorite vegetable. Potatoes USA, the nation’s potato marketing and research organization, worked with its members to identify a nutrition-based lifestyle benefit that challenges consumers’ preconceived notions about potatoes. Extensive research led to a strategy based on a key truth: Potatoes fuel performance. Most people don’t consider the potato a performance food and are surprised to learn about all of the nutritional benefits.
Potatoes provide the energy, potassium and complex carbohydrate people need to perform at their best. A medium-size, 5.2-ounce potato with the skin on has, 26 grams of carbohydrate, 620 mg of potassium, and is more energy packed than any other popular vegetable. Potatoes also contain many other important nutrients that athletes seek such as 27 mg vitamin C, 2 g fiber and 3 g complete protein.1
Adequate energy intake supports optimal body functions and carbohydrate is the primary fuel for your brain and a key source of energy for muscles.2 And with the skin on potatoes have more potassium than a medium-size banana. Potassium is an important electrolyte that aids in muscle, cardiovascular and nervous system function.
Potatoes USA is bringing its “performance” strategy to life in a new campaign that shows how potatoes fuel athletic performance and poses the question: “What are you eating?” The campaign is based on the idea that consistently beating your personal best isn’t just about how you train, it’s about what you eat.
“The potato undeniably works in the athlete’s favor,” says Blair Richardson, Potatoes USA President/CEO. “The message is clear: If potatoes can fuel elite athletes, they can fuel your active life, too.”
While the campaign features athletes it is not about marketing only to them. It is about showing the power of the potato through people who can influence consumers to think about potatoes differently.
The campaign is being executed through a variety of mechanisms including race sponsorships—including a year-long partnership with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, advertising, influencer marketing, social media and industry engagement.
About Potatoes USA
Potatoes USA is the nation’s potato marketing and research organization. Based in Denver, Colorado, Potatoes USA represents more than 2,500 potato growers and handlers across the country. Potatoes USA was established in 1971 by a group of potato growers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes. Today, as the largest vegetable commodity board, Potatoes USA is proud to be recognized as an innovator in the produce industry and dedicated to positioning potatoes as a nutrition powerhouse.
By The Mushroom Council
Redwood Shores, CA – Big bowl. Small bowl. Rice bowl. Grain bowl. No matter the preferred bowl, you can always make it a better bowl with mushrooms.
For Mushroom Month, the Mushroom Council will be devoting September to reminding consumers and chefs about the health and taste benefits of making mushrooms the main ingredient in your favorite bowl build.
“Bowls are continuously ranking among the most trending foods among both foodservice and consumers, and there are plenty of reasons why,” said Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “For consumers, it’s the ultimate convergence of convenience and the globalization of cuisine. At foodservice, you couldn’t ask for a less expensive, more filling dish on the menu – after all, it’s mainly grains, veggies, and not a lot of meat.”
“When it comes to great bowls, mushrooms are the answer,” Minor added. “You need umami in a bowl build, and mushrooms will bring that meaty, satisfying umami flavor.”
Throughout Mushroom Month, the council’s “Build a Better Bowl with Mushrooms” campaign will engage with consumers, influencers and menu developers through a variety of activities, including:
- “Build a Better Bowl” recipes and videos sharing simple ideas for crafting delicious bowls starring mushrooms recipes.
- A September 26 Facebook Live session featuring Melissa d’Arabian demonstrating how to build a better bowl using mushrooms. Viewers who stay tuned throughout the whole segment will have a chance to answer a secret question to be entered to win special prizes.
- The Council spotlighting its Top 5 Bowls at Restaurants Nationwide, with chefs sharing why mushrooms are a must in their bowls. Restaurants include Bubu’s Zen Bowl (Denver, CO), Radio Room’s Barley Buddha Bowl (Portland, OR), ediBOL’s Ginger Sesame Bowl (Los Angeles, CA), Nourish Café’s Golden Gate Bowl (San Francisco, CA), and Sweetfin Poké Miso Eggplant & Shimeji Mushroom Bowl (Santa Monica, CA).
- Media outreach nationwide spotlighting favorite bowls.
- Social media “bowl polls” allowing audiences to vote for their favorite bowl of the week. Audience members who vote will be entered to win weekly giveaways.
For more information, visit the Mushroom Council’s Build a Better Bowl with Mushrooms feature at MushroomCouncil.com.
About The Mushroom Council:
The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service.
by American Pistachio Growers
FRESNO, Calif. — American-grown pistachio consumption numbers are up globally and have increased substantially in international markets between 2015 and 2017. This is according to a report released recently by California State University, Fresno (CSUF) Department of Agricultural Business, Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
The trend is welcomed by nutrition experts who tout the virtues of pistachios for their health properties. According to nutrition expert Mike Roussell, Ph.D., “Pistachios are the perfect addition to any eating plan for health-minded individuals as they offer a number of health benefits which result from their strong nutritional values, key amino acids, healthy fats, minerals like magnesium, and dietary fiber.”
The United States remains the largest producer of pistachios in the world with approximately 99 percent grown in California, where climate and precision agricultural practices produce high quality nuts. Paired with the fact that approximately 70 percent of pistachios grown in the U.S. are exported, this data shows how popular the nut is worldwide.
This increase in demand is likely due to global health trends and a growing body of scientific research that ties pistachios to a wide range of benefits, including weight management, blood sugar control and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
“We’re finding that not only is overall consumption of U.S. pistachios increasing, but consumers are also broadening their consumption timeframe,” said American Pistachio Growers (APG) Vice President of Global Marketing Judy Hirigoyen. “While nuts have traditionally been consumed during winter months and holidays, we’re seeing increases during spring and summer months as consumers learn about the health attributes pistachios have for athletic individuals and weight management.”
For this study, trends were reviewed in China, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – seven nations considered to be primary trade partners for U.S. pistachios. Additionally, the study includes India as an important emerging market. For the report, CSUF researchers used data for total pounds of pistachios traded across borders accessed from the Global Trade Atlas (GTA).
Global Pistachio Consumption
Germany has no in-country pistachio production, but has seen 84.2 percent growth in consumption over a three-year period. The U.S. share of market in 2017 was 45.4 percent, up 16.1 percent since 2015.
Spain has new plantings of pistachios, most of which will come into production within the next two to three years. There has been a consumption increase of 29.8 percent since 2015. U.S. share of market in 2017 was 31.7 percent, an increase of 31.6 percent since 2015.
Italy produces the Bronte pistachio, prized for its dark green color. Consumption of in-shell pistachios over the past three years has risen 41.2 percent. U.S. share of market in 2017 was 31 percent, an increase of 41.2 percent over 2015.
France produces no pistachios, and has seen a 20.1 percent consumption increase over the past three years. U.S. share of market in 2017 was 42.6 percent, which is 1.7 percent lower than 2015 share, although overall volume for U.S. product is up.
United Kingdom produces no pistachios. Since 2015, there has been a 34.4 percent decline in overall pistachio consumption. However, the U.S. gained 219.6 percent share of market in 2017, with a share of 68.6 percent, thus more than doubling consumption of American pistachios.
South Korea has no pistachio production. There has been a 47.2 percent increase of pistachio consumption since 2015. The U.S. has maintained nearly 100 percent share of market in South Korea.
India’s pistachio market is dominated by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, which have conducted pistachio trade with India for hundreds of years. However, the U.S. pistachio industry has seen its market share grow 146.7 percent over the past year. Overall consumption of the nut has increased by 49.6 percent over the past three years.
China has nominal pistachio production and is, by far, the largest consuming nation of pistachios. There has been an increase of 182.4 percent in consumption over the past three years. The U.S. share of the market totaled 96.6 percent in 2017, a 74 percent increase over three years.
About American Pistachio Growers
American Pistachio Growers is a trade association representing more than 800 members who are pistachio growers, processors and industry partners in California, Arizona and New Mexico. For more information, visit AmericanPistachios.org.