Effective advertising should include multiple sensory attributes of the product
Posted - October 4, 2009
New study on advertising :All Senses Works Best
By O.W.N. News Network
Time to start showcasing the texture of your food, the pop of the can as it opens, and its attractive appearance, according to “The Effects of Advertising Copy on Sensory Thoughts and Perceived Taste”, recently published in the Journal of Consumer Research. The study, done by Ryan S. Elder and Dr. Aradnha Krishna, used three separate experiments to show that talking about the five senses surrounding a food experience was much more effective than just focusing on taste alone. The study was done at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, where Mr. Elder is a doctoral student of marketing and Dr. Krishna is a professor of marketing.
While smell is a natural complement to taste, the researchers also recommend including all of the other senses. Marketing a food product works best when the product is presented as an immersive experience, where the client can experience the sounds, smells, sights, and physical feel of a product in addition to the taste.
The study included other factors, such as distraction from the product and the effects of distraction on the product experience. In one of the three experiments used, both sets of consumers were simply given white popcorn in a plastic cup. One set was given a short test to do before reading the ad and tasting the popcorn, while the other was not given the same test. The two groups were split further into a group that were given a multiple-sensory ad to read before tasting the popcorn, while the other was given a single-sense ad to read. The interesting finding of this particular experiment was that those who were distracted prior to viewing the multiple-sense ad and eating the popcorn reported a more favourable taste test result than the set that were given the test and just the single input ad to read.
The authors conclusion of the study: “Despite the conventional wisdom that taste is composed of multiple sensory inputs, advertising within the food and beverage industry rarely addresses perceptions beyond taste. The results from our studies suggest that advertising should include multiple sensory attributes of the products as this has a significant impact on perceptions of the product. These findings are particularly relevant for the food industry, including packaged goods and restaurants, as it continues to spend billions of dollars in advertising the taste of food, one of our most pleasurable and sensory experiences.”
This has interesting implications for the organic food industry, with potentially a more immersive experience to sell than other food products .Focusing on other senses besides taste might just be the magic ad bullet that most of us are looking for.
The study is available for purchase at this URL: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/605327 or through purchasing the Journal of Consumer Research, February 2010 print edition.
French retailer Auchan expands sustainable lines
Posted - October 4, 2009
French retailer Auchan expands sustainable lines
By Warren Beaumont
French retailer Groupe Auchan has a strong commitment to sustainable development and promoting environmentally-friendly consumption. Auchan aims to promote high-quality food products, based on sustainable production modes, in particular from the organic sector.
For the last few years, Auchan says the chain has been developing its own ranges in each Western European country: ‘Vida Auchan’ products from Portugal, and ‘Filiera Controllata’ products in Italy; In Spain, Alcampo has developed la Producción Controlada AUCHAN’ range comprising over 120 products and has launched the ‘Producción Ecológica’ range which is organic certified.
For greater clarity, Auchan France has split its range into two brands, Mieux-Vivre Environnement (eco-friendly) and Mieux-Vivre Bio (organic). The chain was also the first retailer to be granted Ecocert certification for the storage and sale of organic food products. This certification applies to its new Auchan Bio range and the national brands it sells. A part of making organic products accessible to everyone by price discounting, this chain has introduced organic sections in all its stores. It has also introduced its own line of 20 cosmetic products, organic certified by Ecocert , carrying the Cosmébio labeling of 100% natural ingredients and presented in recyclable packaging.
The Group has taken practical action to promote a responsible fisheries policy in France by increasing the minimum size of some species, suspending sales of other during their breeding seasons or on the basis of the methods used to catch them, and promoting sales of species where stocks are recognised as being sustainable.
Auchan recently added new products to its Mieux-Vivre Bio and Mieux-Vivre Environnement ranges. The group has added fruit yoghurt, shortcrust pastry, smoked salmon ravioli to the Bio organic offering, and multipurpose cleaning wipes, toilet paper, kitchen roll, compostable bin bags, picture frames, clothing and anti-freeze to its eco-friendly range.
Group sales for the first-half of 2009, reported in August were Euro18.8 billion, while supermarket sales were Euro3.3 billion excluding taxes. The early part of the year saw the completion of the rollout of the Simply Market chain in France, Spain and Poland, while the rollout continued in Italy. In all countries, the majority of stores converted to the Simply Market banner have recorded gradual increases in footfall, which Auchan says confirms the appropriateness of the business model in the present period of economic downturn. During the half-year, 14 new supermarkets were opened (7 Simply Market in Western Europe and 2 in Poland, 2 Fredi in France, and 3 Atak in Russia) while 5 were sold.
Group Auchan operates supermarkets and hypermarkets in countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Eastern Europe, Russia and China under brands such as Auchan, Atak, Sabeco, Sma and Simply Market, its new discount supermarket. This includes: 479 fully-consolidated hypermarkets in 12 countries, and 735 supermarkets in five countries, including 591 Simply Market stores; a property division – 293 managed shopping centres in 12 countries; and banking, with 6.2 million customers in 10 countries.
First supermarket chain to introduce organics in Brazil
Posted - October 4, 2009
Pão de Açúcar champions health and well being
By Adriana Michael and Carla Pioli
Pão de Açúcar, part of the Companhia Brasileira de Distribuição, celebrates its 61st anniversary this September as the most successful food retailer in Brazil. It can also boast being a pioneer, since it introduced organic foods in its stores 15 years ago, the first supermarket chain in Brazil to do so.
What began in 1940 by Portuguese immigrant Valentim dos Santos Diniz as an ordinary food store in São Paulo, has turned into the biggest Brazilian retailerof food, general merchandise, electronics and home appliances, one of the most successful retail operations in Latin America. The group operates under different concepts and store names, including supermarkets, gas stations and pharmacies. The company has 1200 outlets spread across 17 states in Brazil, with a total sales area of over 1 million square meters, and a sales force of more than 79 thousand employees.
Ten years ago, only a limited selection of organic fresh produce was available at the stores. Today, Pão de Açúcar has a portfolio of over 600 organic products, from fruits and vegetables to grocery items, dairy, meat, bakery and frozen foods. Fresh produce is still the bestselling category according to Sandra Caires, manager of the organic department. More than 70% of all the volume of fruit, vegetables and organic vegetables sold by the Group are concentrated in São Paulo.
Pão de Açúcar is a local showcase for some of the best organic brands from Brazilian suppliers. The gourmet section is expanding this year, along with a section of imported wines. Some other imported brands, such as the cereal beverages by Italian firm La Finestra sul Cielo are performing well . “Brazil offers soy drinks, but rice milk and other cerealdrinks are not produced locally”, says Jeffrey Sidi of Sim Alimentos distributor of La Finestra. “Gradually, Brazilian consumers are more aware of the difference between conventional and organic certified products. We need to make the effort to increase awareness with education, local fairs and direct contact with the consumer”. Non-food products such as natural cosmetics are another emerging segment of interest at the stores.
Own wellness brand TAEQ
The group also carries around 300 products for the health and environmentally-conscious consumer under its own brand, TAEQ. It is the only complete ‘wellbeing’ brand in Brazil, available in the Group’s Extra, Pão de Açúcar, Sendas and CompreBem stores. The line offers products based on nutrition, organics, sport, home and beauty. The company has created exclusive selling spaces for the products under the TAEQ brand, on display in its own specialized thirteen stores: ten in São Paulo, two in Rio de Janeiro, one in Fortaleza and one in Brasília.
New model for green retailing
Pão de Açúcar is committed to further developing and converting into a fully sustainable enterprise. In view of the current boom for organics and the search for eco-friendly lifestyles, the Group invested in building the Pão de Açúcar Loja Verde last year, Latin America’s first “green” supermarket. The store serves as a model for sustainable retailing. It is the first supermarket in Brazil to apply for certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), in accordance with the standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. The store also serves as a working laboratory for testing new business practices in sustainable technology, innovations that can be applied throughout the Group’s stores. Pão de Açúcar Loja Verde carries around 750 organic food and non-food and sustainable products. Displays are set up in diagonal positions rather than the traditional vertical layout. Similar products are shown together for consumer convenience.
Features to enhance the shopping experience of the health conscious shopper include: introduction of reusable shopping bags to reduce use of plastic bags; shopping carts made out of recycled plastic bottles; biodegradable produce trays made out of mandioca (”yucca”) starch; better lighting and displays, increased number of locally- sourced organic and natural products, in addition to highly demand imported goods not found in Brazil; less use of paper in marketing activities; increased in- store and consumer recycling programs; expansion of its “Little Citizen” (PA Kids Program) to foster responsible consumption in the future generations; better logistics for reducing packaging materials, transportation costs, water and energy usage and offers of incentives to suppliers who adhere to sustainable policies. Within nine months of its opening, water consumption at the Green Supermarket dropped by 10 percent, and energy use is 14 percent lower, compared with other stores.
Pão de Açúcar awards suppliers
Since 1995 Pão de Açúcar has developed a strong partnership with its suppliers, as it was the first retailing group to envision the potential of the organic sector. To recognize its top suppliers, Pão de Açúcar created an award this year granted to the best companies in the following categories: Pioneer (Native), Innovation (Friboi), Store Action (Cultivar), Success Story (Quinua Real), Customer Service (Fazenda Salvaterra) and Own-Brand (Engenho da Terra).
“We hope to go further in this segment with this Award and keep our leadership position, “says Sandra Caires.
In 2009, the company will include for the first time sustainability indicators to rank companies, in addition to factors such as punctuality, Quick Response, quality control, optimization of resources and logistics to reduce pollutant emissions and packaging.
There is still a long way to go in the evolution of a giant retailer like de Pão de Açúcar Group, but it is encouraging to see the willingness of top management and the commitment of employees and shoppers to find better ways to live and do business with an effort to leave a smaller carbon footprint on the planet!
Special Report on Packaging
Posted - October 4, 2009
In search of the most sustainable packaging
By Angela West
The growth in popularity of organic foods and natural products has resulted in a considerable level of new product development over a short period of time. As noticed during industry trade shows, the manner in which organic, nutritious and fair trade goods are packaged and presented to a growing consumer market demanding them, is frequently overlooked. Nutrition, environmental concerns, marketability and logistics are all factors that directly influence the choice of packaging substrate and design. Which are the most unique, convenient, eco-friendly and safe packaging solutions? Which are the best materials? Could it be PET or bio-plastics? Or is it glass or metal?
This is the second of a series (started with the O.W.N. Summer 2009 digital edition available at www.organicwellnessnews.com) on packaging alternatives that fit the values of the green movement. We asked industry players about their choices. Here are some of their replies.
In Canada Harmony Organic opts for traditional glass shaped bottle
Harmony Organic Dairy Products Inc. is a medium sized organic certified enterprise owned and operated in Ontario since 2001 by organic dairy farmers Lawrence Andres and Ross Wilhelm. Although market demand has forced the dairy to also offer its milk and cream products in recyclable cartons and 4 liter bags, the most discerning consumers still prefer to buy their milk in reusable attractive old fashioned shaped glass bottles. The reason? Taste!, says marketing director Robert Kuenzlen. “Anyone who has tasted milk from a glass bottle can attest, milk packaged in plastics and cartons doesn’t compare on taste at all.”
Harmony Dairy wanted the old school milk bottle with the square neck that older folks remember being delivered to their doorstep every day. Produced by packaging giant, Stanpac, the same bottle is also being used by other non-organic dairies in North America. Their goal was not to design a special bottle for the company, but to use what was already available as both a cost saver and out of consideration for the environment.
Harmony retailers charge a high (one to two dollar) deposit for the glass bottle, with a 60% to 70% return rate. One of the challenges to their rate of return is that consumers keep the bottles as keepsakes or for other uses. Harmony Dairy uses hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine to clean and sanitize their bottles when they get them back. The lids used are No.5 plastic which can be recycled, and they are bi-phenol-A (BPA) free.
Sales of the glass-packaged milk grew last year by almost 30%, a direct response to the increased consumer call for glass. Despite the success of the program, initial implementation and reverse logistics were the biggest challenges for Harmony Dairy. It required a commitment from their vendors to donate space to the program for sometimes dirty or unwashed bottles. Another big challenge was the weight; shipping costs increased dramatically, with new charges for returned bottles and increased charges for the initial shipment.
But once all of the logistics were in place, the operation ran smoothly, according to Kuenzlen. Based on the results, Harmony Dairy gives its glass packaging program a big thumbs up, and will keep it up in the years to come.
In Brazil Canaspirit goes eco-friendly beyond the ingredients
Formerly Cachaca Canaa, this artesanal producer of cachaca, one of Brazil’s best-loved alcoholic drinks, believes in the process of thinking about the environment in every facet of the product life cycle. Cachaca is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented sugar cane juice. Canaspirit started producing premium organic certified cachaca in late 2007 and produces around 50,000 litres in a year, so they do end up using a fair number of glass bottles.
The packaging as well as its content was an important part of Canaspirit’s environmental philosophy, according to marketing director Isabel Calil. “We were concerned not only about making a nice and good looking bottle that people would like and keep in their bars, but also the way this bottle would be produced”, she says.
Canaspirit produces its own bottles with several more eco-friendly methods than you would find at a conventional glass production facility in Brazil. One of these is in the way that it handles sandblasting, the process by which the glass is made translucent. The abrasive material used in this process is aluminum oxide which is not harmful to the environment. The equipment is automated with filters and an internal vacuum does not allow dust to get into the air during the sandblasting process. The aluminum oxide, which is already an existing mineral in the soil, is returned to the environment as soil fertilizer once the process is complete.
Canaspirit was careful to avoid any chemical processes for the etching of the bottles as they didn’t want to soak them in harmful chemicals such as sulfuric acid, fluoride or chloride , which is the common practice. Some of these processes have been banned around the world for being highly harmful to the environment and the health of the operators who run the equipment.”We want our product to be appreciated for the care that has been taken in its production from the soil to the end product”, says Calil.
In the United States Steaz offers glass bottles and metal cans
Steaz, a division of The Healthy Beverage Company, was launched in 2003 by entrepreneurs Eric Schnell and Steven Kessler in Newton PA. They were a small two-man shop with one purpose in mind: take the evil out of the soft drink business. Schnell told O.W.N. that “plastic was not even considered to be an option”, when they started their business. They use glass for their organic soft drink and sparkling tea products not only because it is recyclable, but also because carbonation in plastic can have adverse effects on the quality of the drink. Plastic also means a shorter shelf life for the drinks than glass. The bottles are decorated with high gloss, wet strength conventional paper labels, while the cartons and all marketing material are printed with soy-based inks. By the end of this fiscal year, Steaz will have sold 200,000 cases of their glass-packaged products, with 24 bottles to a case, removing almost five million bottles from the plastic waste stream.
All Steaz beverages are certified organic and Fair Trade Certified. In the United States Steaz is sold at retail outlets such as Whole Foods Market, Publix, Wegmans, Safewayand Shaw’s supermarkets. Steaz is also distributed in Canada and Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Singapore South Africa and the Middle East.
Steaz offers its organic fair trade iced tea and energy drinks in 16 ounce recyclable BPA-free aluminum cans. The cans were specially designed to handle their formula, co-founder Schnell told O.W.N. The can manufacturer worked with their ingredients and the inside of the can holds up with a non-toxic, organic lining. The process produces a harder can which is able to stand up to heat. The can goes through a tunnel where it is baked for 15 minutes to harden it. Acid levels will not erode the can itself due to the protective lining in place.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common component of food containers and baby bottles. It has been suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, but only in the past couple of years have governments started to question its safety. Studies suggest BPA is an endocrine disruptor able to mimic the body’s key steroid hormone estradiol. BPA has been linked to several health disorders from diabetes Type 2 and obesity, to breast and prostate cancer and negative effects on the development of the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in healthy fetuses.
US organic pioneer Eden Foods ahead of the pack
In spite of the concerns about BPA based on studies conducted over the past fifty years and the media awareness of the last two years, finding a can company able to offer a BPA-free lining was not an easy task for Michael Potter, president of Eden Foods, who went out over ten years ago in search of the can company that would offer his products a safer alternative to BPA. Only one supplier at the time, Ball, could fulfill his request offering a lining based on a vegetable resin. It meant a higher production cost, since they were made just to meet Eden Foods requirements, but the effort was worth it. Ball is still a can manufacturer that offers a safe BPA-free process, and Potter suggests that any company looking to duplicate their efforts contact Ball to get started. “The process is 14% more expensive than producing a conventional can, but we wouldn’t have considered any other option,” says Potter.
Eden Foods, the largest privately owned organic pioneer in the United States has been using BPA-free for a decade, except in the cans for tomato products, where there is no approved alternative yet. Now that consumers are more aware of the safety concerns, Eden Foods are among the first food companies to label its canned products “BPA-free.” Eden Foods was recently selected the No. 1 food company in the world and No.3 best company overall by The Better World Shopping Guide. Michael Potter and his team have proven that if there is the will to become more sustainable, there is always a way.
Vendor solutions
The following programs are managed by vendors and dealers of products rather than the manufacturers themselves.
PatchBerry Farms and Pine Hedge Yogurt shows a 97% return rate
Canadian PatchBerry Farms has been selling Pine Hedge Yogurt and Harmony Organics milk at an organic farmers market stall in Ottawa and through home delivery PatchBerry has a return rate on its bottles of 97% on the milk from Harmony and credits the success of the program mostly to the deposit. PatchBerry has a 2.00 deposit on its milk bottles and a 1.00 deposit on its yogurt bottles. This financial incentive is enough to guarantee that almost every customer returns their bottles; that and the fact that PatchBerry collects them through its home delivery service can’t hurt either. People are only bringing back the bottles when they are buying their products through the organic farmers market. Pine Hedge Yogurt, who sells through other vendors in addition to PatchBerry, has a 75 to 80% return rate on its yogurt jars. They reuse all of the jars that they get back. The owner, Josef Heinzle, estimates that they cannot reuse only 1% of the jars.
PatchBerry Farms also adds that if consumers are to purchase glass, they should rinse out the bottles prior to return in order to assist the logistics in running a bit more smoothly. This would hold especially true for a store; if a bottle return facility is something that could be cited by a health inspector, the practice won’t last long.
The Holdouts
Most health-conscious shoppers prefer glass for food packaging, a recent survey conducted for the Glass Packaging Institute revealed. Consumers believe glass keeps the true flavor and taste (79.8%) and purity (77.3%) of a food product. Still, Stonyfield Yogurt decided to not go with glass for the reasons that they state on their website:
“Glass, which is widely recycled and made from recycled material, was rejected (as a form of packaging) as the environmental costs of transporting the heavy material outweigh the benefits. The energy (fossil fuels) used over the entire life of the glass package for its manufacture and transport exceeds the energy that goes into the manufacturing and transporting of a plastic container.”
For this large firm, this was a valid decision as they are transporting yogurt, an item traditionally served in small containers, across North America. A smaller-scale dairy, such as Harmony Organics (mentioned above) that is able to recover all of their bottles for reuse may have a different economic view.
When asked why he thought more organic companies were not using glass, Joe Cattaneo, president of The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) indicated that one of the overriding barriers is the perception that glass is expensive. This is largely a misconception, particularly with heavier products such as liquids. Glass costs no more to ship than plastics with products that are already heavy to start with, and the only concern most suppliers should have is fragility.
A local producer of glass means a reduced, rather than a heightened, carbon footprint, according to Cattaneo. To take this a step further, there are research and development efforts underway by GPI member companies to develop glass that is a thinner wall size with the same strength, thus reducing the shipping weight and limiting material costs.
Bag It Back Program at LCBO and Beer Store
Sales of alcoholic beverages in Canada is done under the individual authority of the ten provinces and three territories. In Ontario sales are done through the governmental agency called the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The LCBO is the largest single buyer of alcoholic products in the world and has used its position to implement a highly successful reuse and recycling program of its products. Headquartered in Toronto, sales in fiscal 2008-09 were $4.27 billion and the LCBO delivered a $1.40 billion dividend to the Ontario government due to its status as a governmental agency. The dividend helps pay for health care, education, social programs, infrastructure and other important government services.
The Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP) or the Bag it Back Program as it is also known, was implemented in 2007 to get back high quality glass containers for reuse in high-value products such as fiberglass. The program charges a ten cent deposit on glass bottles under 630ml and a twenty cent deposit on containers over 630ml. Consumers can return their bottles to any LCBO store, which are present in even the smallest towns of Ontario.
As of July 2009, over a half billion containers (glass bottles, cans and other) had been diverted from landfills as a direct result of the program. 90 percent of the returned glass containers are recycled into higher value products such as new bottles, fiberglass insulation and glazes for ceramic tiles.
The goals of the ODRP when it was introduced were to:
• Allow municipalities to add other materials to their waste diversion programs
• Divert an additional 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of glass annually from landfills
• Help create new markets for recycled goods
• Strengthen the culture of recycling in Ontario
Since the introduction of the ODRP in February 2007 more than 220,000 tonnes of glass alcohol containers have been diverted from the Blue Box (recycling) program and landfills. The program achieved an overall return rate of 71 per cent at the end of its second year in February 2009 and is continuing to climb. The ORDP is already well on its way to achieving the goal of 85 per cent of program containers sold in Ontario being returned for a refund of deposit.
Summary
Glass packaging and recycling programs run most smoothly with vendor participation. While it is almost a given that sales will increase with glass packaging, it is not certain how a recycling program will play out at the vendor level. Those looking at embarking on such a program would best look to Harmony Dairy for an example, and to get vendor buy-in before implementation to avoid a logistics nightmare. Vendor managed programs, such as the Bag it Back Program at the LCBO, seem to have the highest rate of success, being managed entirely at the vendor level. Across all levels, it would seem that a high deposit guarantees a higher return rate, a lesson any company would do well to implement. These deposit costs could also cover the cost difference of manufacturing a glass package over a plastic package, something manufacturers need to figure in to their bottom-line equation.
For companies in the USA, the Glass Packaging Institute (gpi.org) can help you find incentives for using glass packaging in your State and the European Container Glass Federation (feve.org) in Europe can do the same. Even in the absence of such incentives, the question is worth revisiting at least once a year by your accounting department - how much money can you save by using glass packaging, and how many new sales do you project with glass packaging?
Send Angela West awest@organicwellnessnews.com your sustainable packaging story and we may also feature you in the upcoming editions of Organic & Wellness News and in the O.W.N. e-newsletter!
For Study Attacking Nutritional Value of Organics
Posted - October 4, 2009
UK Food Standards Agency Taken To Task Globally
By O.W.N. News Network
The study “Nutritional Quality of Organic Foods: A Systematic Review,” released by the UK Food Standards Agency in July reviews the nutritional differences between organic and non-organic food. The report claims that there are no significant nutritional benefits to be gained from eating organic and will be published in the September edition of the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”.
Nutritionist Shane Heaton of the Biological Farmers Association (BFA) in Australia, says that he published a similar review in 2001 and has closely followed subsequent research in this field. “I know that there is ample evidence of nutritional benefits in organic food,” Mr Heaton says. Mr Heaton has listed some points to note about the UK Food Standards Agency’s review:
1. Organic food and farming deliver benefits beyond better nutrient content, including avoiding pesticides, food additives, better taste, environmental benefits, less environmental damage due to chemical run-off, plus the ethical benefits of not asking our farmers to expose themselves to poisons.
2. This was not new research, but rather a review of old research. In fact some of the included studies were more than 30 years old, using inferior analytical methods and no-longer grown crop varieties.
3. In several instances, the FSA analysis actually showed that organic foods tend to be more nutrient dense than conventional foods, but the authors dismissed them as ‘not important’.
4. The FSA review omitted measures of key individual antioxidants and total antioxidant capacity, important nutrients that have been measured in several more recent studies.
5. Another March 2008 US review from the organic center excluded poorer-quality studies and found that nutrient levels in organic food averaged 25% higher than conventional food. The report concluded that the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables offered significant health benefits which were roughly equivalent to an additional serving of fruit or vegetable on an average day.
6. The FSA review failed to wait for results from the largest ever study of organic and non-organic production commissioned by the European Union, of which preliminary results show 20-40% more antioxidants in organic food. The review also disregarded 15 other new studies published after February 2008 (the cut-off for the FSA review), most of which use superior design and analytical methods based on criticisms of older studies.
These factors clouded the study outcomes and were excluded from the US review as well as Mr Heaton’s own review. “There will continue to be new studies revealing the nutritional benefits of organic food, but as the organic industry grows, attacks claiming organics is no better for you and is a waste of money, will simply be rolled out. This latest review is by no means the last we’ll hear of this debate,” says Mr. Heaton.
French study reveals organic food has more nutritional value
In 2001, the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) set up an expert working group to perform a critical evaluation of the nutritional and sanitary quality of organic food. They aimed for the highest scientific standards. After more than two years of work involving 50 experts from specific areas including organic agriculture, a final consensus report was issued in the French language in 2003. The major points of The French Agency for Food Safety study are that organic:
* plant products are more nutrient dense.
* foods have higher levels of minerals
* foods contain more antioxidants such as phenols and salicylic acid
* meats and animal products contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids
* foods are 94–100% pesticide residue free
* vegetables contain 50% less nitrates
Strong support for Natexpo 2009
Posted - September 21, 2009
French event celebrates 50th anniversary
By Warren Beaumont
Natexpo 2009, the only French professional exhibition for the natural food and well being sector, will return to Paris celebrating 50 years on October 17 to 19 in Hall 8 of the Parcs Des Exposition at the Paris Nord Villeponte. A biannual event expects about 500 exhibitors and 10,000 trade visitors from France and abroad. These include specialist chain store and shop managers, and major retailers who are devoting an increasing proportion of their shelf space to organic, health and green products.
In 2007 most visitors were specialized retailers (35%) for food, health products and distributors (15%), followed by importers, exporters, agents and wholesalers (12%).Other visitors included manufacturers (8%), medical professionals (7%), special chains and sport shops.
The show is an ideal forum for key players from the organic and well being market and features a rich selection of technical workshops and parallel events, including the third edition of the NATEXPO Awards. The NATEXPO Trophies 2009 will see a jury of industry professionals reward exhibitor’s new products with four trophies in four categories based on sectors represented at the exhibition:
* Healthy eating: organic food
* Health and fitness: health foods, nutrition and dietary supplements
* Natural beauty: organic and natural cosmetics, hygiene and care products
* Daily wellness: green products and equipment (textiles, sustainable habitation etc).
All main segments in the well being sector will be represented at the show: organic and health foods, dietary supplements, natural cosmetics, green household products and equipment.
New products, categories on display
Visitors to NATEXPO 2009 will discover a host of new products and services specially devoted in response to growth in the market for nutrient-specific products (like omega 3 fatty acids), a rapid increase in cosmetic products under the Cosmebio label, and the emergence of environmentally-friendly cleaning products.
Demand for organic, health and green products is booming among French consumers. Organic foods have grown turnover by 15% since 2007, dietary supplements grown by 10% since 2006, and natural and organic cosmetics grown by 30% since 2006, according to a report from Agence BIO (2008). French consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of responsible consumption, and 69% say they prefer to buy products that respect the environment and or sustainable development principles.
Reflecting the diversity of the market with its sights focused on sustainable development, NATEXPO 2009 will pursue the exhibition’s international dimension, as well as the return of the Village des Vins (Organic Wine Village) and the TPE area (Very Small Companies). France’s wine industry has enjoyed unprecedented growth with a 25% increase inland devoted to organic vines in 2007 and 2008 (28,000ha).
Foreign exhibitors are mainly European, such as the Region of Murcia, Spain known for its organic baby foods and purees that have found great acceptance in the French market. Other exhibitors in this show edition include Essential Care Organics from Great Britain, Natures Herb and Spice from Sri Lanka, Caprilac from Spain, and Equi-Nutri from Belgium. The organizers also invited Wallonia, southern Belgium to participate with a shared stand for the first time at this year’s expo.
Natexpo is owned by the French Health Foods Federation and organized by Comexposium, with the support of its member associations: Synadiet, Conseil Nature, Synabio, SynadisBIO. Free attendance passes may be reserved in advance through the website www.natexpo.com
More organic exhibitors at Anuga
Posted - September 21, 2009
More organic exhibitors at Anuga
The Anuga food exhibition being held October 10-14, in Cologne Germany, is showing strong resilience with organizers confident to attract 6,000 exhibitors, compared to 6,600 exhibitors last year. An extraordinary effort for the world’s largest food expo, considering some U.S. shows were down by up to 50% this year. In 2008 Anuga attracted 163,000 trade visitors and was up 3%.
Organizer Koelnmesse said that last year 252 exhibitors presented their lines at Anuga Organic. “We will have about 280 this year, on a slightly increased space – again in hall 5.1, part of our Anuga-concept: Ten food fairs under one roof,” said Christine Hackmann of Koelnmesse.
According to Ms. Hackmann 1,500 companies bring organic products to Anuga and are located all over the fair and that any exhibitor who is offering organic products but is not exhibiting at Anuga Organic can be tracked down through a comprehensive Anuga-database, available on the homepage www.anuga.com
Novelties at Anuga Organic 2009
Slovenian firm BOŽNAR ČEBELARSTVO d.o.o./ HAUSE OF HONEY BOŽNAR will introduce the line Taste of Honey : choco-honey, honey with cinnamon, honey with rum, honey with sour cherry and honey with Williams pear brandy at Anuga in booth F 060. Contact: Mrs. Malči Božnar e-mail: ceb.boznar@siol.net www.boznar.si
China Auto Caiec Ltd. is offering organic certified kidney beans at booth F-088.
For more information contact: Yan Tie e-mail: yt@caiec.cn
German food company Culinaria Biofeinkost GmbH is introducing new dressings in wonderful flavors at booth 10.2C060. Contact Hans-Peter Hoerrlein e-mail hpp.hoerrlein@culinaria.de
US based Dakota Prairie Organic Flour Co. will offerits gluten-free flours and baking mixes at booth C74. For more information contact: Eric Hoberg e-mail: eric@dakota-prairie.com
German firm Wagner Life Design GmbH & Co. KG, which claims to be the world’s largest supplier of Hymalaya salt, will present in booth D-068 / F-069 a beautiful round box with 300 grams of Premium Himalayan crystal salt along with a wooden spoon hand made in Germany. Contact: Cornelia Wagner e-mail: kontakt@wagnerdesign.de www.salz.tv
Toronto hosts two organic fairs in one week
Posted - September 21, 2009
Toronto hosts two organic fairs in one week
CHFA Expo East and Ethnic & Specialty Food Expo offer a good platform to enter Canada via Toronto, the most ethnic urban center in the world.
The Canadian Health Food Association will be presenting Expo East at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from 2-4 October. October 2 will be the conference day, and October 3-4 will be the trade show itself. Over 500 exhibits are expected at this year’s fair, covering close to 80,000 square feet. In 2008, 3500 retailers, industry professionals and distributors attended, with similar numbers expected this year. The Ethnic & Specialty Food Expo celebrates health, organic and regional foods on October 5-6 near the Toronto airport, at the International Centre in Mississauga. It will feature a number of organic, ethnic, local and foreign sustainable exhibitors, including Bio-Grape Foods UK and Ocean Wise. Some of the educational seminars include Blogging about Food, Sustainability, and Health & Wellness. Both shows offer a good platform to enter Canada via Toronto, the most ethnic urban center in the world, close to New York and Chicago, two major cities in the East Coast also with a high concentration of cultural diversity and demand for organic and ethnic foods. www.chfa.ca , www.ethnicandspecialtyfood.com
World Tea East Conference & Pavilion to run parallel to Expo East
Posted - September 21, 2009
World Tea East Conference & Pavilion to run parallel to Expo East
By O.W.N. News Network
World Tea Expo, the leading North American tea event will be launching World Tea East co-located with the Natural Products Expo East September 23-26th in Boston. According to show organizer the Sage Group Intl., the new show responds to demand for a platform on the East Coast by industry members who can’t travel to Las Vegas for World Tea Expo in the summer. The event also provides a sourcing opportunity for holiday product at an ideal time in the tea buying cycle. It is also a fair that brings knowledge, products and connections from the specialty tea trade to the natural products market.
The tea industry is poised to exceed $10 billion in U.S. sales by the end of 2010, up from $7 billion in 2007, according to the Sage Group Intl. “Specialty and premium tea continues to see significant sales growth in the U.S. despite the economic downturn and offer extremely high margins to food service, grocery and retail outlets,” said George Jage, president of World Tea Expo. Leading research firm Mintel said that over 600 new tea products were introduced into the U.S. in 2008, with the hottest trends in organic and natural offerings, with health benefits as the key purchase driver for many tea drinkers. Thousands of non beverage, tea-based products enhanced with tea extracts, essences and flavors such as cosmetics, dietary supplements and functional foods add to this exciting market.
The educational program at World Tea East includes “Current Health Benefits of Tea”, “Tea’s Carbon Footprint”, the Value of Specialty Tea, and more. World Tea Expo is one of the 50 fastest growing trade shows in North America. The event includes educational sessions and focused tastings led by industry experts.
World Tea East organizers also will host the World Tea Championship Winners Tasting on the evening of Sept. 23. to offer the chance to sample winning teas from the World Tea Championship™, an annual competition that results in independent tea ratings.
As an added incentive to attendees registered for World Tea East, World Tea Expo will be giving away a 10-day intimate tea tour of Japan valued at over US $4,500. Attendees visiting the World Tea Expo booth #2981 can have their badge scanned to both get a free subscription to the World Tea News and to enter the “I Want to Pluck!” Giveaway. The 2010 World Tea Expo will take place at Las Vegas Convention Center, June 11-13. For more information, visit www.worldteaexpo.com
New this season at Expo East
Posted - September 21, 2009
Exhibitors showing for the first time at Expo East
CanaSpirit, artesanal cachasa, one of Brazil’s best loved alcoholic drinks, will be a first-time exhibitor at BioFach America co-located with Expo East in Boston. Cachaca is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented sugar cane juice. CanaSpirit believes in the process of thinking about the environment in every step of the product life cycle. The company started producing premium organic cachaca in late 2007, offering now 50,000 litres per year in various flavours available for the North American market. CanaSpirit is part of the OrganicsBrasil pavilion in Hall B2 booth 1919
LCL Natural and Organic Distributors, a new player on the New York food distribution scene, will be introducing The Organic Sweet Center, a concept to facilitate trade and consumers to learn about natural sweeteners available in the market, such as stevia, yacon, “panela”unrefined sugar, honey and agave syrup. Latin American suppliers may find with LCL a more direct gateway to reach North American retailers. Co-founders Liliana Carrillo, Melba Vega B. and Luz S. Palacio
have identified suppliers in Colombia, Mexico and Peru committed to also offer other quality products such as organic certified herbs, spices, coffee, rice and edible mushrooms. Visit LCL in Hall B booth 2416
Naturkost de Mexico S.A. de C.V. will be a first time exhibitor in Expo East/BioFach America, offering a display of the variety of products derived from chia seeds: chia oil, margarine, flour, energy bars, bread, cookies, cosmetics, supplements and even pet food. Known since Aztec times, Chia seeds are rich in omega 3 and soluble fibre. Naturkost de Mexico sells the seeds under its brand Sachia and also offers a trading platform for other ingredients from Mexico and other parts of Latin America to enter the European and North American markets. Visit them in booth 1212
Thailand, the number one organic producer in Southeast Asia is a first time exhibitor at Expo East/BioFach America in Boston. Six Thai organic firms will be presenting to the U.S. market: Baby corn snacks, organic rice vermicelli and 3 shades of Hom Mali (jasmine) rice,; coconut products, including virgin coconut oil, coconut milk and water, and canned coconut; fresh, canned and frozen organic fruits and vegetables; dried exotic organic herbs and essential herbal oils, including lemon grass, kaffer lime leaves, mangosteen shell and moringa; organic curry and chili pastes; Hom Mali rice vinegar and organic coffee. Thailand is also moving toward becoming the 7th country whose government is authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to certify products under the Natural Organic Program (NOP). Visit the Thai pavilion at booth 1373
New product introductions
Annie Chun’s new introductions include frozen foods, snacks and sauce
Annie Chun’s is debuting two new frozen foods line, a snack food line, and previewing a new sauce.Try the company’s new potstickers and mini wontons in a variety of flavors, the two new crispy, Korean-style roasted seaweed snacks, and Go-Chu-Jang—a sweet and spicy sauce that goes with everything (and could be at the forefront of a new Korean foods trend). Visit the company at booth 2545
eGear introduces a full line of Energy-Efficient lighting products
eGear Eco-Charge Products Feature Dynamo power source–never need to replace batteries; easy-crank handles power up lights in just minutes; energy-efficient LED bulbs which convert energy directly to light; solid state LED bulbs that won’t break or burn out and no fuel, no leaky batteries–perfect to store away for an emergency. Check the product range at booth 1538
HomeFree products to show latest on food allergies and new products
Jill Robbins, president and founder of HomeFree, maker of organic, ready-to-eat, whole grain cookies and coffee cakes free of common food allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, dairy and eggs, will be at Expo East to meet visitors interested in this growing food category.
Jill is a clinical psychologist, turned to baking when her son was diagnosed with food allergies almost ten years ago. The author of “Allergen Free Baking: Baked Treats for All Occasions,” Jill focused on creating a solution to the social aspect of food allergies, finding it heartbreaking to know that many children, and adults, cannot fully participate in school and social events when treats with potential allergens are served.
Among other features HomeFree products are free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and dairy, certified whole grain – each cookie serving contains at least ½ serving of whole grain; certified organic; baked and packaged in a dedicated bakery and without corn sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, MSG, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). HomeFree products will be at booth 2625.
NextFoods introduces new probiotic fruit drink
NextFoods is introducing its newest product, GoodBelly BigShot 50 with 50 billion probiotics per serving, ideal for those times when you’re being bullied by sluggish digestion, flare-ups, or feeling especially run down and may need some extra support to restore your body’s natural balance. The company also offers GoodBelly™, a probiotic fruit drink with 20 Billion active cultures that are clinically proven to improve digestive health and strengthen immunity! That’s more than you can get from any yogurt and a lot more delicious! GoodBelly™ and GoodBelly BigShot 50 will be showcased at Expo East/ BioFach America in booth 2322.
