Archive For The “Health” Category
A frequently expressed concern in the ongoing public health debate is the lack of affordability of fresh vegetables, especially those that are nutrient dense. A new study, “Vegetable Cost Metrics Show That Potatoes and Beans Provide Most Nutrients Per Penny,” published in the journal PLOS ONE, shows that potatoes are one of the best nutritional values in the produce aisle, providing one of the better nutritional values per penny than most other raw vegetables and delivering one of the most affordable source of potassium of the more frequently consumed vegetables, second only to beans.
Dr. Adam Drewnowski and colleagues from the University of Washington used a combination of nutrient profiling methods and national food prices data to create an “affordability index,” which was then used to examine the nutrients per unit cost of 98 individual vegetables as well as five vegetable subgroups including dark green, orange/red, starchy, legumes (beans and peas) and “other” vegetables.
The results indicated while dark green vegetables had the highest nutrient density scores, after accounting for cost, starchy vegetables (including potatoes) and beans provided better nutritional value for the money. Potatoes, in particular, provide one of the lowest cost options for four key nutrients including potassium, fiber, vitamin C and magnesium. Among the most frequently consumed vegetables, potatoes and beans were the lowest-cost sources of potassium and fiber—nutrients of concern, as identified by the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines.
“The ability to identify affordable, nutrient dense vegetables is important to families focused on stretching their food dollar as well as government policy makers looking to balance nutrition and economics for food programs such as the school lunch program and WIC,” said lead researcher Adam Drewnowski, PhD. “And, when it comes to affordable nutrition, it’s hard to beat potatoes.”
The study was funded by the United States Potato Board and adds to the growing database of nutrition science that supports potatoes in a healthful diet. In addition, one medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato contains just 110 calories per serving, boasts more potassium (620g) than a banana (450g), provides almost half the daily value of vitamin C (45 percent), and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
For a copy of the article, contact Meredith Myers at 303-873-2333 or meredithm@uspotatoes.com. Visit potatogoodness.com for healthy potato recipes, videos and nutrition information.
For more information on the USPB as the nation’s potato marketing organization, positioned as the “catalyst for positive change,” and the central organizing force in implementing programs that will increase demand for potatoes, please visit www.uspotatoes.com.
David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board—Maximizing Return on Grower Investment.
Source: United States Potato Board
Eating sweet Bing cherries significantly decreases circulating concentrations of specific inflammatory biomarkers in human blood. At least that is the “anecdotal support” resulting from a recent scientifc study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Western Human Nutrition Center.
“It represents seven years of research and work by the growers and the USDA to better understand the nutritional benefits of our sweet cherries,” said James Michael, vice president of marketing, North America for Northwest Cherry Growers and the Washington State Fruit Commission. “We’re proud to pass the word along.”
“Many studies by other investigators have demonstrated that some of those inflammation markers are associated with increased risk for some chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer,” said Kent Erickson, professor at the University of California Davis School of Medicine and a collaborator on the study.
The findings of the study were published in the March 2013 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
“The study was initiated in 2006 and supported financially by the Northwest Cherry Growers,” Michael said. The purpose was to examine the effects of fresh sweet cherry consumption on concentrations of risk factors for chronic diseases.
Sixteen 16 women and two men were part of the research study. They had slightly elevated C-reactive protein levels, an inflammatory biomarker, and who were between the ages of 45 and 61. According to initial results, a reduction of the protein levels was detected in the subjects after consumption of sweet cherries.
“In 2010, researchers used automated methodology to examine a broad spectrum of 89 biomarkers of diseases with stored frozen plasma samples,” Northwest Cherry Growers wrote. “A second round of more detailed analysis demonstrated that cherries had more systemic impact than originally observed. The further testing showed that the sweet cherries had an effect on nine biomarkers rather than just the three originally identified.”
Kelley’s results showed that sweet cherry consumption may “reduce risk or modify the severity of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, CVD, blood pressure and cancer,” according to Northwest Cherry Growers.
Michael said a new sweet cherry powder has also been created for use in further scientific studies.
One of every three bites of food comes from plants pollinated by honeybees and other pollinators. Yet, major declines in bee populations threaten the availability of many fresh ingredients consumers rely on for their dinner tables.
To raise awareness of just how crucial pollinators are to our food system, the University Heights Whole Foods Market store temporarily removed all produce that comes from plants dependent on pollinators. They pulled from shelves 237 of 453 products — 52 percent of the department’s normal product mix.
Products removed included apples, onions, avocados, carrots, mangos, lemons, limes, honeydew, cantaloupe, zucchini, Summer squash, eggplant, cucumbers, celery, green onions, cauliflower, leeks, bok choy, kale, broccoli, broccoli rabe and mustard green.
To help support honeybee populations, for every pound of organic summer squash sold at Whole Foods Market stores June 12-25 the company will donate 10 cents to The Xerces Society for pollinator preservation.
“Pollinators are a critical link in our food system. More than 85 percent of earth’s plant species — many of which compose some of the most nutritional parts of our diet — require pollinators to exist. Yet we continue to see alarming declines in bee numbers,” Eric Mader, assistant pollinator conservation director at The Xerces Society, said in a press release. “Our organization works with farmers nationwide to help them create wildflower habitat and adopt less pesticide-intensive practices. These simple strategies can tip the balance back in favor of bees.”
Whole Foods Market offers more ways to “bee part of the solution” at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/sharethebuzz.
Touting fresh U.S. blueberries and California strawberries as key ingredients, Wendy’s restaurants are again offering berry almond chicken salads.
The fast food restaurant chain plans to buy 2 million pounds of strawberries and 1 million pounds of blueberries from now through September to meet customer demands for the seasonal salad, according to a news release from the Dublin, Ohio-based company.
Wendy’s officials hinted in the release that unseasonable weather in berry growing regions of the U.S. had an effect on the timing of the reintroduction of the berry almond salad.
“Thank goodness berries are ripening on the vine — at last,” Derek Detenber, Wendy’s vice president of brand management, said in the release.
The the salads include 11 types of field greens, in addition to fresh berries, providing a total of three servings of vegetables and one serving of fruit, according to the release. As with its other fresh produce items, Wendy’s employees slice fresh strawberries for the salads at individual restaurants.
Salads have been on the menu at Wendy’s for almost 35 years, with the chain selling more than 100 million salads in the U.S. in 2012, according to the news release. In 2012 Zagat rated Wendy’s salads as No. 1 in the fast food category, beating out Panaera, Chipolte and Subway.
Waycross, GA – The Georgia Blueberry Commission will host its first-ever “Sweet Georgia Blues Recipe Contest” throughout the month of June in celebration of Georgia Blueberry Month.
Georgia Blueberry fans are invited to create and photograph an original recipe using Georgia Blueberries. Submissions will be posted on the Georgia Blueberry Commission’s website and Facebook page for voting.
Contestants are encouraged to share information about the contest with family and friends to gain more votes. Recipe submission and voting will begin on June 1 and continue through June 30. Winners will be announced on July 8th.
The recipe creator with the most votes will win $500. Contestants who receive the second and third most votes will receive a Sweet Georgia Blues Basket (includes blueberry jams, autographed cookbook, etc) and an autographed copy of Hugh Acheson’s A New Turn in the South Cookbook, respectively.
“June is the peak of our season and we want consumers to be as excited about Georgia Blueberry Month as we are,” explained Joe Cornelius, chairman of the Georgia Blueberry Commission. “Hosting this month-long recipe contest is a great way to do that. Plus, we’re looking forward to seeing all the new recipes we can try! ”
According to the Georgia Farm Gate Value Report, blueberries make up nearly 40% of all fruits grown in the state and have an estimated value of $134 million, compared to just $22 million a decade ago. Georgia is one of the largest blueberry-producing states in the United States and boasts the longest season from mid April to the end of July.
Full of antioxidants, Georgia Blueberries are a delicious way to lower cholesterol and decrease your risk of heart disease and cancer. They’re high in fiber, contain no fat and at just 80 calories per cup, Sweet Georgia Blues are an easy and convenient snack or an excellent addition to nearly any recipe.
For more information and contest rules, log onto www.GeorgiaBlueberries.org
About the Georgia Blueberry Commission
In 2008, the Georgia Department of Agriculture formed the Georgia Blueberry Commission as a program to support research, education and promotion on behalf of the state’s growers. Georgia claims the longest season in the U.S. lasting from mid-April through the end of July to enjoy fresh Georgia Blueberries – our very own “Sweet Georgia Blues.” For more information, recipes and background on Georgia Blueberries, log onto www.GeorgiaBlueberries.org
Source: Georgia Blueberry Commission
San Jose, CA – The Mushroom Council’s inaugural “Swap It or Top It” summer promotion will kick off the summer grilling season on June 1. The contest challenges consumers to transform their typical summer grilling recipes into healthier versions, by adding mushrooms, for the chance to win $5,000.
“The Trend is to Blend” states Mushroom Council President, Bart Minor, “Mushrooms and meat are a natural pairing, this contest will elevate the concept with the consumer while increasing mushroom sales” continues Mr. Minor. Summer grilling represents a huge opportunity for increased mushroom consumption. It is the ideal time as consumers are looking for lighter fare, to create retail sales lift, increase shopper awareness and build shopper impulse purchases of mushrooms.
The contest is called “Swap It or Top It” because there are two cooking techniques with mushrooms that can add a healthy flair to summer favorites. Swapping, for example, is the technique of blending finely chopped mushrooms with ground meat before cooking. By swapping 50 percent of beef in a burger with fresh mushrooms, it’s possible to reduce intake of calories, fat and saturated fat by 24, 25 and 37 percent, respectively. The other technique is to top dishes with mushrooms to add more vegetables to the plate, such as topping a turkey burger with roasted brown mushrooms.
Vice president of sales and marketing for Premier Mushrooms, Bob Murphy, states “By supporting ‘Swap It or Top It’ retailers can uphold promoting healthier choices to consumers at their market, which consumers continue to demand.”
Retailers can support the promotion to lift sales by stocking participating mushroom products, offering participating mushroom growers premium shelf space and by promoting the program via the Council’s Point-of-Sale material.
The contest is in partnership with the Produce for Better Health Foundation and MyPlate will further amplify program awareness, while drawing in the consumer with the use of each logo on all Point-Of-Sale material.
Encouraging consumers to Swap It or Top It using mushrooms is an important nutritional message in the movement to promote healthier eating with Americans. The contest fully supports the MyPlate message of boosting consciousness around meal time. Creating a MyPlate burger will engage consumers with portion size awareness while developing healthy eating patterns.
Mushrooms provide vitamins and nutrients such as B vitamins, potassium (8% DV), ergothioneine and many more. Mushrooms are also the ONLY item in the produce aisle with naturally occurring vitamin D. Mushroom’s umami enhances the flavor of the meat pairing resulting in both a healthy AND delicious meal. Adding mushrooms to a grill night enhances the upscale feel while maintaining an affordable budget.
Categories for entry include: Swapability/Blendability, Best Topped Burger, and MyPlate Burger. Consumers can enter one, two or all three categories. The top two recipes in each category will be put to public vote to determine the grand prize winning recipes. With a total of $8,500 up for grabs, the grand prize winner will walk away with $5,000 in cash and gift cards. The contest begins Saturday, June 1 on MushroomInfo.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. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information on the Mushroom Council, visit mushroomcouncil.org.
Source: The Mushroom Council
Florida blueberry growers and shippers remain optimistic despite two consecutive years of weather challenges. Those in the industry call it the ‘blue wave.’ Shipments are continuing the increase each year.In 1995, annual per capita consumption of blueberries in North America was just 15.5 ounces. Then in the late 1990s “blues” were labeled a super food followingresearch by the late Jim Joseph, a human nutrition researcher at Tufts University in Boston. The study revealed blueberries having the highest antioxidant levels among 40 common fruits and vegetables. Anti-oxidants inhibit cell damage related to aging and diseases in the human body.
By the year 2000, per capita blueberry consumption had jumped 15 percent to 17.8 ounces, and soared through the rest of the decade, reaching 39.5 ounces in 2011.
Then scientist Paul Lyrene, a horticulture professor at the University of Florida, developed new blueberry varieties suitable for Florida’s warmer climate based on native bushes he found in the Winter Haven area,.
The USDA reports over the past 20 years Florida commercial blueberry shipments have grown from 2.1 million pounds on 1,200 acres in 1992 to 17.1 million pounds on 4.500 acres in 2012.
The Florida blueberry shipments occur generally from late March to early May, depending upon weather and market conditions. During that time, Florida is the nation’s only source of domestic blueberries.
A global survey of consumers shows that shoppers across consider fresh foods a very important component in shopping decision.
A survey of shoppers in 58 countries across the globe revealed that fresh food continues to play an increasingly important role in the shopping decisions of most consumers.
The Nielsen Shopper Trends Survey was conducted in 58 countries around the world covering 54 markets including 87,000 respondents. The survey was conducted online or with face-to-face follow-up in home interviews.
“Fresh foods continue to maintain healthy sales contributions at retail. In fact, fresh foods can comprise between 30-60 percent of total food, grocery and personal care expenses on average, depending on country and type of fresh product,” the report states
Asian shoppers head consumption while USA. shoppers were at the bottom as fresh foods constitute about 30 percent of grocery sales in America.
Shoppers around the world generally listed “good value” as one of their top three reasons for shopping a specific store for their fresh foods. Over half (52 percent) of respondents to the 2012 survey said that rising food prices affect their purchasing of fresh foods.
Consumers listed a variety of reasons why they shop at a specific retailer, with the top 10 drivers being enjoyable shopper experience; one-stop shopping; well-stocked inventory; good value for the money; pleasant store environment; excellent customer service; wide variety of products; high-quality fresh food; wide range of fruit and vegetables; and high-quality premium brands.
Globally, fresh food is a high-traffic builder as the average shopper heads to a market 2.5 times per week to buy fresh foods. Shopping trips are most frequent for the sub-category fruits and vegetables sector at an average of 3.2 times per week.
The survey found that convenience is the number one reason for shopping at a certain place in the United States. Americans shop for fresh foods less frequently than other respondents, but fresh foods are continuing to gain greater traction.
Fresh produce represents about one-third of all fresh food sales in the United States, surpassed only by meat, but besting bakery, deli and seafood categories.
Nielsen researchers project by 2016, the traditional grocery store will have a 64 percent market share of fresh food retail sales. That will represent a 2 percent drop from 2012. During that four-year period, market share of fresh food sales for supercenters will rise 1 percent to a total of 15 percent, while warehouse and club stores will see a 2 percent increase in their market share of the category to 12 percent.
Tthe Nielsen report states that “fresh is increasingly growing in non-grocery channels as a greater availability and assortment of fresh products across retail channels respond to consumer demands. Savvy retailers understand that consumers want the option to choose fresh foods anywhere, and they are fighting for the fresh share of wallet.”
by M. H. Traka, Institute of Food Research
Field trials and genetic studies have shown that a new variety of broccoli reliably yields higher levels of a health-promoting compound.
Broccoli contains a compound called glucoraphanin, which has been shown to promote health by maintaining cardiovascular health and a reduction in the risk of cancer. A long term breeding program to increase glucoraphanin levels has resulted in the commercial release of Beneforté broccoli. Beneforté was developed by crossing standard broccoli with a wild relative derived from Sicily.
Publicly funded research to develop Beneforté broccoli was led by two of the UK’s world-leading biological research institutes: the Institute of Food Research and the John Innes Centre, on the Norwich Research Park. They both receive strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Three years of field trials at over 50 different sites in Europe and the United States have shown that Beneforté broccoli consistently produces 2-3 times the amount of glucoraphanin than other leading varieties of broccoli, without affecting yield, quality or the levels of other nutrients.
It’s time for college bowl games! Football fans across the nation will head to their favorite grocery stores to purchase tailgating and party supplies, such as hot dogs, chips, avocados and Concord Foods Guacamole Mixes. Guacamole is one of the most popular food items for tailgating. Stores should prepare for the football bowl games and playoffs, by creating prominent displays of avocados, tomatoes and popular tie-in items, such as Concord Foods Guacamole Mixes.
“Concord Foods Guacamole Mix is great for football parties and tailgating because it is quick and simple to prepare and tastes delicious. Just add two avocados to Concord Foods’ blend of spices for guacamole dip that is ready in minutes.” said Charles Olins, VP Sales and Marketing at Concord Foods. Concord Foods Guacamole Mix is available in grocery store produce departments nationwide and comes in five great flavors: Mild, Extra Spicy, Classic Mild, Classic Extra Spicy and Authentic. In the spirit of football season, Concord Foods has an attractive football-themed shipper display available and some great tailgating recipes available online.
“We’ve developed some amazing tailgating recipes that use guacamole mix, such as Fully Loaded Nachos or the Great Guacamole Burger.” Said Samantha McCaul, Marketing Manager at Concord Foods. “These recipes are easy-to-prepare and great for tailgating. They are available on our website and Facebook page.”
Concord Foods Guacamole Mixes are available in 18 packs and 144 pack floor shippers. Distribution channels include retail grocery stores, mass merchandisers and club stores in the U.S.
ABOUT CONCORD FOODS
Concord Foods Incorporated is a leading supplier of retail food products and custom ingredients to nationally recognized supermarkets, food service operators and leading food manufacturers. Concord Foods retail division offers a wide variety of produce friendly items from Candy Apple Kits to produce seasoning mixes. Consumers count on our quality products to glaze pies, create guacamole and batter onion rings. For more information, please visit www.concordfoods.com.
Source: Concord Foods Incorporated