Archive For The “Health” Category
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
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Each Christmas Eve, tradition holds that children leave out a plate of milk and cookies for Santa. During the night Santa Claus might visit in excess of 125 million homes. (Estimates vary.) Should he eat merely a single cookie in each visit, at an average of 100 calories per cookie, Bolthouse Farms analysts estimate that Santa may consume as many as 12.5 billion empty calories in a single night. This season, Bolthouse Farms is encouraging Santa Claus to make a smarter food choice.
Children who learn to make smart food choices at an early age tend to thrive. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades[1] and research shows that kids are consuming 5-15% more sugar per day than dietary guidelines allow.[2] To combat the sugar craze, experts recommend making smart food choices, like limiting desserts, sweets and sugary cereals and checking nutrition labels to ensure that sugar isn’t a main ingredient.[3] As sugar is undoubtedly the primary ingredient in the 125 million cookies Santa may consume on Christmas Eve, this gives American parents an ideal moment to discuss food choices.
Bolthouse Farms’ Cut and Peeled Baby Carrots will be repackaged this December as the “Official Snack of Santa.” The holiday carrots will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores nationwide. At 35 calories per serving and full of Vitamin A and beta carotene, baby carrots give Santa and his reindeer the nutritious edge needed to navigate their global journey. With a satisfying crunch that pairs well with favorite holiday dips and dressings, baby carrots are an ideal snack for “all the good boys and girls,” young and old.
“We are sympathetic to Santa and we love cookies, too. But we’re sure Mrs. Claus would welcome it if Santa cut down on the empty calories,” said Jeff Dunn, chief executive officer, Bolthouse Farms. “Even small food choices, made the right way day after day, can have a positive, lasting impact.”
To complement its holiday campaign, Bolthouse Farms is helping to raise funds for Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organization committed to ending hunger and developing sustainable nutritionsolutions. Beginning on November 26 and running for one month, Bolthouse Farms asks consumers to help Santa fight hunger by pledging their support on www.facebook.com/bolthousefarms. For every pledge, Bolthouse Farms will donate $1 to Action Against Hunger, up to $25,000.
“The people at Action Against Hunger are putting every resource at their disposal towards the fight against hunger, and we’re proud to support them,” said Bolthouse Farms’ Jeff Dunn. “For some communities, of course, food choices are not a choice at all – access to food and clean water are limited. For other communities, more options exist, and children can learn at an early age to make choices that keep them healthy and engaged.”
Bolthouse Farms is a health-and-wellness focused company. Headquartered in California’s San Joaquin Valley, Bolthouse has grown to become America’s premier producer of carrots, as well as a category leader in super-premium juices, smoothies, protein shakes, cafe beverages and premium refrigerated dressings.
- Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity and trends in body mass index among US children and adolescents, 1999-2010. JAMA. 2012;307:483-90.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, health.gov
- Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kids-and-sugar/MY02029
About Bolthouse Farms
Bolthouse Farms is a farm located in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley, known for high-quality consumer brands and innovative products. Bolthouse Farms is a market share leader in growing and distributing carrots. In addition, Bolthouse Farms produces and sells super-premium juices, smoothies, protein shakes and cafe beverages under the Bolthouse Farms brand name. In recent years, Bolthouse Farms diversified its offerings by launching a line of premium refrigerated yogurt dressings and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrettes. The Bolthouse Farms mission is to Inspire the Fresh Revolution™ and change the way people consume healthy foods and beverages. The company was acquired by Campbell Soup Company on Aug. 6, 2012. To learn more about the company’s mission and see the entire line of current products, visit www.bolthouse.com.
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization that works to save the lives of acutely malnourished children and ensure that communities have long-term access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. By providing immediate assistance during times of emergency while integrating our programs into local and national systems for sustainability, we aim to restore health, self-sufficiency, and independence to vulnerable populations around the world.
Source: Bolthouse Farms
LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA –Traditional recipes from Hanukkah’s potato Latkes to Christmas morning pancakes, have been given a fresh twist with Stokes Purple ® Sweet Potatoes, distributed by Frieda’s.
The line of new recipes was created for Frieda’s Inc., by Los Angeles bloggers Erika Penzer Kerekes of the cooking site, InErikasKitchen.com and vegan blogger Carolyn Scott Hamilton of The Healthy Voyager. The recipes highlight the versatility of the sweet and savory Stokes Purple®Sweet Potato.
“Frieda’s encourages produce retailers to include Purple Sweet Potatoes in their potato displays. Not only are they a nice color break, but they will create more impulse sales for the entire potato category. Their bold purple color is a wonderful addition to the holiday table,” says Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s, Inc.
Frieda’s new line of Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato recipes includes Sweet Potato Latkes, Sweet Potato Pancakes with Bacon, Sweet Potato Muffins, Sweet Potato Vegan Bisque and Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
In addition to the recipes, Frieda’s also recently created a YouTube video featuring the Stokes Purple® at www.youtube.com/friedasproduce
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Inc. celebrates 50 years of innovation in fresh produce. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. With the mission of changing the way America eats fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Black Garlic and many more. Learn more at www.friedas.com
CONNECT WITH FRIEDA’S:
Twitter: @FriedasProduce
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FriedasSpecialtyProduce
Blog: http://whatsonkarensplate.blogspot.com
YouTube : www.youtube.com/friedasproduce
Source: Frieda’s Inc.
In case you haven’t noticed strawberries in retail supermarket are costing about 30 percent more, or about a dollar more per 16 ounce claimshell package, than only a few weeks ago. After a summer of plentiful supplies, this is the time of year when strawberry production is in a transition from the bountiful fields at Watsonville, CA to areas further south, such as Ventura and Orange counties, as well as in Mexico. It will be the first of the year before supplies increase, and perhaps some break in what you are paying in the stores.
Long gone are days of 99-cent-per-pound apples. Yet, this fruit is one of the better buys in produce departments. Despite a freeze wiping out the vast majority of apples in Michigan last spring, plus cold weather hitting New York apples hard, the nation should have nine percent more apples than a year ago – thanks to a humongous crop in Washington state. Still it depends on the variety, what you will pay. For example, two of my favorites, the Gala and the fuji apples are selling at my store for $1.77 per pound. However, another favorite of mine, the Ambrosia apples, costs about 50 percent more.
Table grapes have been another wonderful eating experience this year. California’s crop has been so sweet and cruncy I sure hate to see the season end. I’m noticing the late season grapes from California are not quit as good as the super tasting product that has been available for month. Grapes also have been one of the best buys in the produce department. The California product will soon be replaced by grapes from Chile. We can only hope Chile has as good a crop.
Other good buys in the produce department continue to be bananas and kiwifruit.
Fresh fruit and vegetable retail prices in 2012 were generally lower, according to a recently released government report.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports lower fruit and vegetable prices resulting in overall retail prices for food being kept in line through October this year.
From January through October , average food-at-home prices have been flat because deflation in the fresh fruit and vegetable arena and lower prices for milk and pork, the USDA ERS said in a food price outlook report issued in late November. By contrast, beef, veal, poultry, fat and oil prices have been higher.
The inflation forecast for both all food and food-at-home prices in 2012 is 2.5 to 3.5 percent. Lower prices were particularly pronounced for vegetables in 2012, according to the USDA ERS.
The fresh vegetable consumer price index increased 0.6 percent, however it has dropped about every month in 2012. Compared with 2011 year ago, fresh vegetable prices are down 3.2 percent on average, due primarily by a 10.9 percent drop in potato prices, a 4.1 oercent decline in lettuce and a 1.7 percent slide in tomato prices. Other fresh vegetable prices were down 0.7 percent.
Warmer weather and favorable growing conditions in 2012 combined to increase yield and lower prices compared with year-ago levels.
An expected seasonal increase in prices during the second half of 2012 has been less than predicted, and because of that the USDA now expects fresh vegetable prices to fall 4 percent to 5 percent in 2012. The fresh fruit price index is up 2.1 percent from October 2011, and the USDA projected fresh fruit prices for 2012 are now projected to fall between 1 percent and 2 percent.
Compared with October 2011, the USDA said retail apple prices are up 6.4 percent, with banana prices 1.4 percent lower, citrus prices 0.1 percent higher and other fresh fruit commodities up 1.3 percent in retail price.
Prices increases overall of 3 to 4 percent for fresh produce is projected in 2013 by the USDA. The agency sees an increase of 3 to to 4 percent for fresh fruit and 4 to 5 percent for fresh vegetables.
Overall food price inflation for 2013 is projected between 3 and 4 percent. Prices for food served away from home are projected to increase 2.5 to 3.5 percent in 2013, while prices for food served at home are expected to increase 3 to 4 percent.